posted by Savanah on Oct 13
When most people think of Miami, luxury hotels on South Beach may be what comes to mind. I myself, do like luxury hotels, but South Beach is just not my cup of tea. Last summer I drove to Orlando for a two week visit with an old friend. I had read a Florida travel book, and so when he suggested we take a few days and head to Miami I was up for it. I told him though, that if I agreed to sport a bikini on South Beach, he must agree to take me to the Miami Metro Zoo. The climate and the weather of the city, is such that they are able to house various species from countries such as Africa, Australia, and Asia. Many animals that I had never seen live and up close before.
The Miami Metro Zoo is notable for many other reasons as well. It was one of the country’s first open/free-range zoos. All of the animals in every exhibit remain cage-free. The curators of the zoo have animals of various species living together, just as they would be doing were they in their homelands. The various sections are separated not by fences but by moats. The landscaping is designed to resemble the Australian Outback or the jungles of Africa, and looking across the exhibits one gets the feel that they are actually on a safari in an exotic land.
Another section of the zoo is the “Wings of Asia” Aviary. This is an open air exhibit as well, the largest in the United States. More than three hundred rare and exotic birds are housed in the aviary. This is a great place for those who do love bird watching, and it is as informative as it is exquisite. The focus has been on the link between dinosaurs and birds, and how birds are closely related to the now extinct beasts of that era. So in one weekend, my friend was able to enjoy the wild life of South Beach, and true to his word he took me to the zoo so that I was able to enjoy the wildlife of the Miami Metro Zoo.
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