What's in a name? Travelers from out of town who happen to hear about the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo could be excused in thinking that there wouldn't be much of a zoological attraction there. Maybe some goats and sheep, as well as a few other petting zoo exotics, such as emus and fallow deer, perhaps? The truth is very different. At 38 acres and with well over 100 species, Fort Wayne has a fairly large zoo with a full complement of animals from around the world, including large animals and endangered species. No mere "kiddie" zoo here! Much of its growth has been in recent years, so much of the zoo has a new, fresh feel to it.
The zoo could be divided into four zones, three of which are geographic in nature. The fourth, and the one that most visitors will see first, is the Central Zoo, which lies directly inside the entrance. This could be thought of as the original zoo from the 1960s The first animals that most guests will see are the white-throated capuchins, which inhabit a monkey island of the sort that used to be ubiquitous in zoos, but is encountered far less often these days. It's an old style of exhibit, but with fairly small primates on a well-furnished island, it works fairly well. Nearby is a mesh-enclosed habitat for Canada lynx, while further down the trail is a South American habitat for saki monkey, agouti, and Hoffman's two-toed sloths and a yard for Aldabra tortoises. The Central Zoo is also the main hub for visitor services, such as concession, the gift shop, and security.
Part of the Central Zoo could almost be though of as having an aquatic theme, a concept which is only enhanced by the small lake at the heart of the zoo, which many of the exhibits surround. There are attractive, if not particularly unique, habitats for three zoo staples - North American river otters, American alligators, and African penguins. The alter have an exhibit which is attractive and grassy, but I was surprised at how minimal the barriers were - no big deal for the penguins, which aren't exactly jumpers or climbers, but for visitors - it seemed like I could have hopped down and grabbed one! Of course, as pugnacious as penguins can be, anyone who tries that will probably soon regret it. An exhibit for California sea lions was being refurbished at the time of my visit so I didn't get to see those animals on display, but by now the enclosure is again opened to the public.
And, of course, because this is a children's zoo, there is a farm. The Indiana Family Farm is actually one of the nicer farmyard displays that I've seen in a zoo - too often, I feel like zoos put up a few domestics for petting, just because they feel like they have to, a box they have to check (similar to how I've felt about aquariums at many zoos). This is actually a pretty attractive, well-themed immersive area with a variety of domestic animals (and a few small native species) in an exhibit that really does try to convey some of the atmosphere of an old family farm, like your visiting some relatives in the country. It's quite nice.
The first of the three geographic areas is the Australian Adventure. Visitors cross the tracks of the little kiddie train that runs around the zoo and enter an Australian-themed courtyard (the theming of rural Australian architecture extends throughout the region). On one end is an aquarium - a fairly modest one, with a few small tanks and one moderate shark tank. The aquarium used to be themed around the Great Barrier Reef, though I think is since lost its geographic focus. An adjacent building once held a nocturnal display, now sadly gone, having been replaced by the ubiquitous stingray feeding experiences which are so popular with the public (even if they bore many zoo enthusiasts).
Even with the loss of the nocturnal house, there are still smaller animals of interest in the area, both the birds in a series of aviaries, one of which is a walk-through, and reptiles in a small reptile house. The main walking trail, Outback Springs, also includes a walk-through habitat of eastern grey kangaroos, as well as their rarely-exhibited predators, dingoes (not in a walk-through). Fort Wayne has long been famous for its exhibition of Tasmanian devils, and after an absence of a few years, the world's largest living predatory marsupials are back on display in a glass-fronted habitat.
And, lest you forget that this is a children-focused zoo, there is a little river ride in log-shaped boats that run a circle around the Australian area.
The Outback Springs trail empties visitors back out to the courtyard with the aquarium. From there, it's a short walk back to the Central Zoo (again across the train tracks - I did spend a lot of time that day waiting at train tracks, obligingly waving as the kids rolled by) and the next trail.
We'll continue with Fort Wayne Children Zoo's other exhibits tomorrow.
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