North Carolina Zoological Park (aka North Carolina Zoo) is located in Asheboro, the geographic center of the state, which is about 75 miles (120 km) west of Raleigh.

Layout

North Carolina Zoological Park consists of two areas: "Africa" and "North America". There are parking lots located at both ends of the park, so visitors can start their day from either side. There are approximately 1.8 miles (3 km) of walking paths. There is also a tram, but only a few exhibits can be seen from it.

The North Carolina Zoo was the first American zoo to incorporate the "natural habitat" philosophy. This means that the animals are mostly kept in large expanses of land, which makes the experience comfortable for the animals.

History

North Carolina Zoological Park was started in 1978.

Trivia

• At 535 acres (2.2 km²), it is the largest zoo in the country.
• There is a sculpture outside the zoo composed of around a dozen blocks, a yard (1 m) on a side. Most of the blocks are shiny and depict live species, but there are a few rusted cubes depicting extinct species. The whole sculpture is around 15 feet (5 m) tall.

External links

• Official Home Page
• North Carolina Zoological Society - the non-profit organization that supports the zoo.