Get Up Close And Personal With ZooAmerica Tour

Last month we spent a weekend in Hershey celebrating my daughter’s 10th birthday. We love visiting Hersheypark and spending time in the Sweetest Place on Earth. We spent the day at the park, followed by dinner at the new restaurant at the Hershey Lodge. The following morning we headed to Zoo America for an unforgettable experience.

We started our day pretty early for the Early Bird Tour at the Zoo. Getting kids up for 8 AM on a Sunday morning was rough but we arrived just in time for our call time.

We parked at the zoo parking lot and headed down the walk way to meet our guides for the day. It was a surprise for the kids because they had no idea what we were doing that morning.

Our two guides gave us some key rules and information about our plans for the morning. Before leaving they gave everyone the option to grab a drink and use the restroom before getting started with the tour.

The kids were excited to learn about the animals we saw that morning. Our first stop was at the Canada Linx. You can’t see them in the photos because they hid right when we walked over to the enclosure.

We stopped by the Porcupine enclosure to learn about the animal. Did you know that about 30,000 quills cover the animal’s body, from the crown of its head to the tip of its tail? When threatened by an enemy, the porcupine turns its back, tucks its head, chatters its teeth, and raises its quills. A porcupine cannot “shoot” its quills, but a strong flick of the tail can drive them into an attacker. The quills detach easily and the barbed tips become embedded on contact.

Zoo America has two Bald Eagles, both were injured in the wild and are unable to fend for themselves in the wild. We learned quite a few things about the Eagles like the fact that their nests are built near water in tall sturdy trees with a clear view of the surrounding area. The same nest is frequently used year after year and can be over five feet in diameter and weigh up to 1,000 pounds.

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