Furry and Feathery Fun at the Zoo

You would never know that just north of Quito, in what seemed to be a very urban area, exists one of the coolest zoos I’ve ever visited. Keep in mind I grew up going to the San Diego Zoo almost every year (my mom insisted) which is considered one of the top zoos in the world. So I’m not easily impressed. But this little zoo, the Quito Zoo – which is actually in Guayllabamba, was very impressive. When we arrived and parked in the parking lot (there is small fee for parking) I was worried that it wouldn’t be much of a visit since the parking lot we were in was downhill from the main entrance and did not present a good look at what we had in store for us. We walked past a few concessions stands and a bit of a rundown photo op for kids as we approached the ticket booth. The price was so low, only $5 per person, that we decided to go in anyways just to see what it was like.

Wow! We entered the turnstile and went down the stairs and were immediately greeted by big beautiful signs pointing us in the suggested direction along with the most adorable paw prints leading the way. How cute is that? So we followed the paw prints and the very first thing greeting us was some very active squirrel monkeys. The zoo’s 12 hectares contain over 50 different species of animals in exhibits that are perfectly designed for up-close and personal viewing (and some interaction). You didn’t need binoculars to see these animals. There were 2 or 3 enclosures that were vacant when we went, but for the most part (except for the nocturnal animals) everyone was up and moving around within 10-30 feet of where we were standing. You can see from the map the path that we followed and from the photos below all the up-close-and-personal views we had.