Monkeys - Our Zoo Experience
On Memorial Day 2000 we visited the Columbia Zoo in Columbia South Carolina whose name is Riverbanks Zoo. I urge everyone to visit their local zoo regularly. We usually become members of the zoo and then when we travel we often get in free or at a much reduced rate by showing our membership card.
For parents who home school their children, an outing at the zoo counts as a school day. Science is not the only educational experience at the zoo, as one mother explained while we were standing in line. She teaches her children colors, numbers, alphabets and reading as well as science subjects. Her children then go home and draw pictures of what they have seen and write stories about their adventures at the zoo.
For those interested in gardening and flowers, The Columbia SC Riverbanks Zoo also has a beautiful garden where you can walk and relax in nature's beauty. And while you are there, take the nature walk trail through the woods for a shady change of pace. But remember to take the trolly to the garden unless you are in good physical shape. You must travel up a very steep hill to the gardens. It is quite a walk and in the heat can be very strenuous. Also remember that the wooded nature trail can be physically challenging. It is built on a steep hill also.
Several animals can share one living area. You will find this baboon sharing the surrounding rocks with the Nubian Ibex, a mountain sheep-like animal.
We were impressed with the improvements the zoo had made in creating a natural habitat for the zoo animals since our previous visit four years ago.