Audubon Zoo, New Orleans

Besides the animal exhibits, the one thing I remember about my trip to the Zoo was that it was HOT. Hot, hot, hot. I sweated from the time I got there until the time I left and there was not a whole lot I could do about it. Was this a reflection on the Zoo? No. I happened to visit the zoo in the dead heat of the month of July in 2001! My bad. haha. Seriously though, I had a great time here and took some wonderful photographs of the resident animals.

Of particular note is the exhibits featuring local wildlife. I ask you, have you ever been to a zoo where the feature RECIPES in which to cook the animals you are viewing?? Probably not. Well, welcome to the uniquness that is the New Orleans Aududon Zoo. It goes something like this:

"Hey kids look, there are some catfish. Catfish are a local water creature that can be found in Louisiana. What's that you say? How would one cook a catfish? Well, right here next to the TANK THAT HOLDS THE CATFISH IN THE ZOO is a very good recipe for how to cook the suckers up and eat them for dinner."

Serioulsy people, they have recipes featured next to the habitats of animals found in the local Louisana Bayou. This is the ONLY ZOO I have ever been to that featured recipes on how to cook the animals that it held on display.

Good Times.

Audubon Zoo is worth visiting. It has a beautifully recreated Louisiana swamp, an African savannah, an Asia area and a jungle with Mayan ruins.
Don't forget to visit the white alligators and tigers, and Komodo dragons.
It's a great place to go with kids.

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The Audubon Zoo is a fun place -- take the St. Charles streetcar or John James Audubon and make a whole afternoon of it. Examples of the wildlife there: an Asian elephant who does tricks, a black bear who goes up and down tower stairs, and a cougar who evinced some interest in having me for lunch. The Louisiana Bayou section, home of the famed white alligators, was especially interesting.

There's a "please touch the animals" area that's very educational. I (gingerly) touched a hedgehog, held by a gloved zoo docent, who told us a bit about the animal. Its spines were sturdier than I expected, like toothpicks.

In the gift shop I found some inexpensive souvenirs: colorful Louisiana bookmarks for only $1 each.

Take the zoo cruise to the Audobon Zoo. It's a paddle steamboat ride down the Mississippi. Leaves from Canal St. Check out the zoo, cross through it and come back down St. Charles St. on the trolley. It's also a convenient time to visit Commander's Palace for a meal.

New Orleans has a top rated Zoo. I think its one of the better zoos around but the admission is a bit steep - 12 dollars. Most other zoos in the South are less than half that price. But, some of the proceeds go to the Audubon Institute. The zoo is medium sized and takes about 2-3 hours to see. Highlights include the Reptile House, Asian Domain, Monkey Hill, Louisiana Swamp, and the walk-through Aviary. There is also a "River Cruise" and a train.

Beautiful zoo. Feautures animlas from all parts of the world in natural-looking habitats. Louisiana swamp exhibit with the alligators was our favorite, but all of them are great. Zoo includes a reptile house and gorgeous aviary. Food options include McDonald's, Haagen Daaz, and a Cajun Cafe at the swamp exhibit. For children there is a petting zoo, playgrounds, and a carousel. You can even take a river boat ride here from the Aquarium and/or buy one pass to see both at the same time with or without boat ride.

The Audubon Zoo and it's nature centersare wonders to visit. Have you ever seen a 'white' alligator? We have them in Louisiana and now in the zoo. A world class zoo and a great place to play golf or walk along the River.

The Zoo has white tigers, orangutans and reptiles among other things. It is made up of various enclosed areas like the Asian Domain, the World of Primates and even the Louisiana Swamp (a good alternative if you don't want to do a Swamp Tour). For more info, check the website below.