Great for kids, and a wonderful resource in Connec...

Great for kids, and a wonderful resource in Connecticut's largest city!

Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo focuses on wildlife of the Americas, with the exception of the Amur (formerly know as "Siberian") Tiger and the Amur Leopard, which are from the border of Russia and China in the Far East.

I particularly love the peacocks, which regally stroll around the grounds at their own pace, the wetlands aviary, the three different kinds of wolves (that is, if you consider the Maned wolf a wolf, which it really isn't), the tigers and other big cats, BeeZe the animal ambassador bobcat, the otters, the rainforest, the rare breed farmyard (especially when there are baby animals in spring and summer) and the beautiful gardens. Plus the bison, with their enormous heads. But that's just me.

If you live in the area a membership is really worth it as you can keep going back any time you feel like getting outside and seeing wildlife (and there are always events and other interesting things going on), plus it goes to a good cause.

Ultimately, what makes the zoo really special to me are the employees and volunteers, who seem to genuinely want to help and share their knowledge and passion for wildlife and conservation.