Animal lovers are always on the prowl looking for a chance to see species they wouldn’t normally see. Some will even travel around the world to see their favorite animals. If you live in Kentucky, you don’t have to travel too far. There are three great venues you can visit that hold a wide range of animal species. Below you will find more information about these three venues, and what animals they offer.
The Louisville Zoo:
The Louisville Zoo is open year-round, though the hours of operation vary depending on the season. The zoo features a lot of species from a lot of different habitats. Some of their features exhibits are;
“Glacier Run” which houses California Sea Lions and a Harbor seal
“Wallaroo Walkabout” which houses Wallabees, Wallaroos, and Australian birds
“Lorikeet Landing” which is a hands-on aviary that houses many different species of birds
“Gorilla Forest” houses ten gorillas in three large habitats
“Islands” all the animals in this exhibit are threatened or endangered species. It includes species like Babirusa, Orangutan, Siamang, Sumatran tiger, and Tapir.
“Alice S. Etscorn Tiger Tundra” this newly renovated area houses Amur/Siberian tigers
To plan your trip to the Louisville Zoo you should call (502) 459-2181.
The Newport Aquarium:
The Newport Aquarium is located in Newport, Kentucky, though you may here it’s located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The aquarium is open 365 days a year and the normal hours of operation are 10am – 6pm, these hours are subject to change.
The Newport Aquarium has over 70 exhibits covering all sorts of aquatic animals. You will see animals from a wide range of places. Here are some of the species you can expect to see.
Sturgeon
Longnose Gar
Blackfooted penguin
Rockhopper penguin
Horseshoe Crab
Electric Eel
Lionfish
American Alligator
Jellyfish
Sandshark
Grouper
You can purchase your tickets for the Newport Aquarium the day of your visit, but if you wish to plan ahead you can purchase your tickets by calling (859) 261-7444.
Kentucky Down Under:
Kentucky Down Under has many great attractions for you to see and explore. Visitors can visit the Kentucky caverns, hand feed birds, watch a herding dog demo, and much more. But the most exciting things to see are the Australian animals. Here are some of the animals you can expect to see.
Kangaroos
Wallabies
Emus
Black swans
White Ibis
Kookaburra
Blue Tongued Skink
Rainbow Lorikeet
Kentucky Down Under is open year-round, but from November through March the animal exhibits are closed.
To plan your trip to Kentucky Down Under you should call 800-762-2869.
When planning your trip to one of these great animal attractions make sure to call ahead and ask about availability of the animals you are interested in seeing. You wouldn’t want to make a trip only to find that your favorite animal is unavailable that day.