If you're in the mood for something a little different and is in the Portland, Oregon, United States area, feel free to visit the always fun, family friendly Oregon Zoo.
Formerly known as the Washington Park Zoo, it is located in Portland's Washington Park.
Washington Park is approximately three kilometres southwest of Portland.
The zoo attracts over one million people annually and is the highest grossing Oregon attraction.
Opened in 1887, the Oregon Zoo is one of the oldest zoos in North America.
What started as donations of animals and an animal show that was located beside a pharmacy in Portland, grew into a zoo.
Initially the first site for the zoo was close to the reservoirs within the boundaries of Washington Park.
As time went by, the zoo quickly grew, by 1894, 7 years after the initial animal show, there were over 300 animals on exhibit.
The zoo finally grew to the point where it needed a larger location and in 1925, it moved to a new site.
It moved to the current location of the Portland Japanese Garden.
In 1959 it moved to it's present location.
The management continues to work on expansion projects which are aided by volunteers, sponsors and donors.
Early on, when the zoo first opened, they dug a bear pit, which many believe was the first bar-less, sunken bear environment exhibit in the world.
The Oregon Zoo continues it's tradition nowadays as well by stressing natural environments for most of its residents.
This makes it very different from traditional zoos which use a lot of cages.
One example of the Oregon Zoos emphasis on natural environments is it's aviary exhibit, which allows visitors to walk through the open air aviary.