Recommendations

Strengths

• The Bronx Zoo has been around since 1899, and they’ve figured out a thing or two in all those years. Like how to focus. I’ve been to Zoos you can’t possibly cover in a few hours, but if you hustle you can see all the best exhibits at the Bronx Zoo in 2 hours and have an experience you’ll remember for months or even years.
  
• They really try to create situations where animals are moving around, not just sitting still. The Polar bears swim, play with balls, and climb on rocks. The giraffes glide across the faux plains like dinosaurs in Jurassic Park. The huge lowland gorillas nurse their babies and swing from limb to limb.
  They do substantial animal conservation work. In 1905, there were fewer than 1,000 American bison left in the wild. The Bronx Zoo acquired some, bred a herd, helped establish national protection for the species, and supplied dozens of bison offspring to refuges in the Western US. They’ve also bred over 82 endangered snow leopard cubs.
  

Shortcomings

• As at any zoo, there are lines (though they weren’t too bad last weekend) and plenty of rambunctious kids.
  
• I’m not a fan of the wholly indoor exhibits -- think lots of screaming kids crammed into a dark, dank tunnel. Still, the indoor-outdoor exhibits make it possible to see the big cats and other animals up close (albeit through glass) and are worth a brief brush with claustrophobia.
  

Insider tips

• Wear comfy shoes, bring sunglasses, dress in layers – and don’t forget your camera!
  
• When you get there, pick a few exhibits you really want to see, focus on those and skip the rest. Don’t miss the tigers or the gorillas.
  

Anecdotes

• I went to the Zoo last Saturday on a date after plans for a weekend getaway fell through. It was cool and sunny and we thought it would be fun to do something a little different. I must say I was extremely impressed. It had been many years since I had visited a zoo, and, if memory serves me correctly, the animals tended to sit around a lot, probably laughing to themselves as the audience made silly faces and noises trying to attract their attention. My Bronx Zoo experience wasn’t like that at all. The first thing I saw was a daily “enrichment session” with Sasha, a 436 lb male siberian tiger who was born at the Zoo. The keeper set up a bunch of toys for Sasha to play with, and it was amazing to watch. He jumped up onto a tree, roared, pounced, and came within inches of the glass. I was as captivated as any child there.