Entrance to the Oakland Zoo CA.

The first area we were anxious to see was the park’s newest attraction, the Valley Children’s Zoo that opened in the summer of 2005. While the petting zoo, or ‘contact yard’ as they call it, and several climbing and play structures are available here, I don’t think this should be considered a kid-only area. All zoo visitors should make a point of visiting.

The otter and alligator exhibits both have underwater viewing windows, which were a little hard for the small members of our group to understand, but they were a big hit with the grown-ups. My favorite of the day, the fruit bat exhibit, was also in the children’s area. Two species are housed together, the Malaysian, and Island flying foxes. All are males, and there are a ton of them.

There are also two indoor displays, a bug house, and reptile building. Strollers aren’t allowed in the buildings. We had our stroller so laden with our belongings it was easier to go in shifts than try to empty and leave it unattended. Whichever way you do it, do make sure to visit the buildings. The reptiles especially impressed me. I’m used to reptile displays being tiny and hard to see. This was wonderfully different. The displays were large, easy to view, and housed several species each.

There is a bit of work left to do. Some finishing touches and landscaping are still being added. I believe the lemur exhibit may need some attention as well, since several (four that I saw) animals escaped during our visit. The keepers efficiently calmed the excited crowd, and the lemurs were quickly herded back home with surprisingly little fuss.

Although certainly not the most exciting aspect, I feel the need to mention the restrooms. Instead of ‘men’ and ‘women’ there are large ‘family’ style restrooms scattered throughout the children’s zoo. With two members of our party currently toilet training, we found this especially helpful.

The remainder of the zoo is generally set up by region, with areas for ‘African Savanna’, ‘Tropical Rainforest’, and ‘Australian Outback’, etc. I’ve always enjoyed how they’ve combined many species into an exhibit. It’s interesting to see different types of animals together. Considering the zoo has been in its current location since 1936, it’s also impressive how updated, spacious and clean the habitats are.

Just outside the main gate is a small ride area. Tickets can be purchased to ride the carousel or other small carnival style rides. There is also a train, which follows along one edge of the zoo, overlooking the sun bear and sika deer exhibits; a must ride in my opinion.

The zoo is open daily from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, and closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. They also host several events throughout the year. We have enjoyed the ‘Zoo Lights’ display for years during the holidays. Upcoming events and other information can be found at the website www.oaklandzoo.org or by calling (510) 632-9525.