Oregon Zoo

Come to one of Oregon’s state zoo on the outskirts of Portland for an up-close view of some of the world’s most incredible animals living in recreations of their natural habitats. See the graceful majesty of African big cats, huge Asian elephants playing in ponds and the multitude of creatures living in a flooded Amazon forest. No visit to Portland would be complete without a visit here. Only 3.2 kilometres from the city centre, the zoo draws in over 1.6 million visitors annually. Lauded for its excellent themed trails, educational programmes, conservation efforts and interactive exhibits, this a terrific family-friendly destination and is sure to be a hit with children of all ages.Oregon Zoo’s 26-hectare park in Washington Park in the West Hills concentrates on naturalistically recreating the native environments of its 2,200 residents. There are five main exhibits which focus on animals from specific areas, namely the Great Northwest, Pacific Shores, Fragile Forests, Asia and Africa.The Asia exhibit is definitely one of the most popular thanks to the Asian elephants which the zoo has been successfully breeding for over 50 years. There are also island pigs and nocturnal Malayan sun bears in this fascinating area, although you’ll need to stay the night at the zoo to catch a glimpse of these elusive animals, which you can do from September to mid-June.The Fragile Forests exhibit is another favourite with visitors, not least because of the huge anacondas visible in the Amazon Flooded Forest area and the bellowing howler monkeys and colourful toucans in the trees above. The Pacific Shores has polar bears, penguins and an intriguing indoor Insects Zoo, as well as one of the cutest creatures in the zoo, the sea otter. If you want to rest your feet a bit then hop aboard the Zoo Loop train which circle’s the park’s perimeter. These trains are decorated colourfully during the Zoolights show in winter, when the whole zoo is a wonderland of lights – a truly special atmosphere. In summer, check out one of the regular concerts held on the lawn.An admission charge applies for Oregon Zoo but there are discounts on the second Tuesday of every month.