When I was a child, I used to hate city zoos. Most city zoos were basically strings of animal cages with miserable looking animals milling around aimlessly. I felt so very sorry for the animals, many of whom looked as if they had been crying. Thankfully, zoos are evolving into wonderfully open fresh air venues. Animals now live in cage-free exhibits detailed to recreate faithfully the habitat they are accustomed to living in. Everyone wins with a cage free zoo. The animals are able to interact more naturally. Visitors learn more about the animals by experiencing the creature as part of its habitat.
John Ball Park Zoo was our local zoo in Grand Rapids Michigan. Even back when I was a child, this city zoo was in the process of moving away from a cage zoo to a free range habitat zoo. John Ball Park Zoo is not a large zoo, but it does house a variety of creatures. The animals are grouped according to continent region and climate. For the most part the animals seem content and adjusted. Even the large cats, two lions, two tigers, two cougars and two snow leopards seem quite peaceful and placid. They do have cages, but a wall of rocks has been created in each partition, to simulate their environment.
John Ball Park Zoo is home to a nicely maintained children’s petting zoo and barn. JBZ has a lovely penguin exhibit with lots of curious, lovable penguins. JBZ boasts a wonderful tidal pool exhibit with starfish, squid, octopus, sea anemone, sharks and other creatures of the ocean. There is a separate moon jelly exhibit featuring jellyfish. The reptile exhibits are quite comprehensive for a smaller zoo. You can observe many varieties of snakes, frogs, lizards and turtles, as well as a cayman, Komodo dragon and Gila monster.
The South American exhibits feature llamas and capybaras, while the African veldt houses wildebeests, gnu and impala. John Ball Zoo has just opened a beautiful central African chimpanzee, baboon and monkey exhibit. The entire park is built around a wonderful exhibit called ‘Monkey Island’ which features an enormous climbing structure with spider monkeys and several other primate breeds.
John Ball Zoo is home to many avian species: the bald eagle, golden eagle, macaw, barn owl, snowy owl, great-horned owl, turkey, flamingos and many species of wild ducks. John Ball Zoo hosts a wonderful interpretive center and a complete zoo school. If you are planning a visit, contact the visitor center by website or phone. You can print free activity sheets and zoo scavenger hunts for children and students at the website. I took a homeschool field trip and a school group field trips. John Ball Zoo guides and docents are very knowledgeable. You’ll get a whole unit worth of follow-up activities for use after your visit. Gate prices are very reasonable; In season rates only $7.50 for adults and $5.50 for children 13 and under. Off-season rates September 13- May 19 only $3.50 for adults and $3 for children.
