Zoos are roaring into the 21st century with a fresh philosophy and vision that make them extra appealing for visiting families. Long gone are the days when animals were displayed in cages like sideshow oddities. At the newest exhibits, creatures are given the royal treatment in elaborately recreated habitats that teach visitors about the world's ecosystems and their species. Now your family can watch zebras and cheetahs roaming across grassy plains, turtles swimming in rivers stocked with fish, and wolves running through thick forests. The Oklahoma City Zoo is one that certainly entertains as it educates animal-lovers.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA

"You'll never get any closer and survive." That's the unofficial slogan of the zoo's Cat Forest/Lion Overlook, billed as the first major North American cat exhibit created in the past 20 years. Just an inch and a half of glass separates visitors from regal lions, tigers and other big cats. "I can even see his toenails!" shrieked a young visitor as he examined the imposing paws of a Sumatran tiger. This two-part exhibit opened in May 1997 and features the Lion Overlook, where the great maned felines lounge on a hill covered with pampas grass. Visitors can also check out the Cat Forest, where Sumatran tigers slink through bamboo, snow leopards claw ponderosa pines, and jaguars and ocelots crawl amid prickly pear cacti. Admission is $7 for adults, $4 for kids ages three to 11, and free for kids under age three. Call 405-424-3344.



Candyce H. Stapen is a frequent contributor to FAMILYFUN.

Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated July 2005.