Prospect Park Zoo - Brooklyn, New York - small zoo and park in New York City

The Prospect Park Zoo is supported by New York's Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), which also supports the Bronx Zoo, New York Aquarium, the Central Park Zoo, and the Queens Zoo. This zoo is fairly small, covering just 12 acres on the east side of Prospect Park, and although its precursor, called the Menagerie, opened as early as 1890, the zoo was really revitalized in 1993, when it joined the WCS's network of facilities.

There are around 630 individual animals at the Prospect Park Zoo, and they represent about 140 different species from around the world. Each exhibit is housed in its own building, with adjoining outdoor spaces as well in many cases. The southern part of the zoo is called the World of Animals, which has a trail leading through a number of areas set up to look like the animals' natural habitats. Some of the animals in this part of the zoo include prairie dogs, red pandas, porcupines, wallabies, and red pandas. Along the trail, guests will find posts with questions, as well as signs to alert visitors of animals they may otherwise miss.

The western part of the zoo is called Animal Lifestyles. In this area, guests can see large dioramas showing different animal habitats, and many of the animals in this part of the zoo are endangered or threatened in the wild. Some of the species represented in Animal Lifestyles include cottontop tamarins, capybaras, desert monitors, and Bali mynahs. They also have a troop of Hamadryas baboons, which visitors can view through a large gallery with seating.

The Animals in our Lives exhibit is featured in the northern part of the zoo. This exhibit shows how animals and humans interact in everyday life. Visitors can see poison dart frogs, parrots, green napped rainbow lorikeets, and other unique animals in this exhibit, and displays show how animals hunt, attract mates, and hide from predators. There's also a working barn in this part of the zoo, which has cows, duck, goats, sheep, and a number of other domesticated animals for guests to see.

At the center of the zoo, guests can see the sea lion court, which they advertise as one of the noisiest areas of the park. The sea lions are fed three times a day, at 11:30 AM, 2:00 PM, and 4:00 PM, so guests can see what and how they eat. The zookeepers will also talk about the animals as they eat, and guests can visit the nearby zoo caf, to pick up some food of their own after the feeding show.

The Prospect Park Zoo is open 365 days a year, weather permitting. During the winter, their hours are from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM, and they have slightly longer hours during the summer, from the beginning of April to the end of October. The last tickets are sold 30 minutes before the park closes. Admission for children under the age of 3 and members of the Wildlife Conservation Society is free, and older guests and non-members pay just $3 to $7 to visit this zoo. For more information guests can call 718-399-7339 to learn more about visiting the zoo at any time of the year.