Don't Miss the Gulf Coast Zoo

by TJ
(Birmingham, AL)

For many years we visited the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach areas, enjoying the beaches, shops, restaurants and water park. A few years ago, I happened to catch a television show about the “Little Zoo That Could” which showed the difficulties facing the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo as they evacuated during hurricanes. That year, several hurricanes hit the gulf coast and the zoo had to repeat the process many times to move the animals further inland to safety.

I was immediately touched by the caring and loving nature of every staff member and it was obvious that the animals were more than animals, they were family. During our next annual trip, I was determined to visit the zoo. I was a little surprised at how hidden the entrance is from the street with only a small sign. The zoo sells cups of food as you enter and we had a blast feeding deer, goats and gazelles. It’s a small zoo with a winding path that leads back to the entrance. To my surprise, all of the enclosures are chain link fence. I was a little worried as we approached the lions and tigers but the animals were so happy, they had no desire to approach the fence. Even better, we saw many of the familiar staff members feed and tend to the animals!

The loving and nurturing environment was obvious and it made for a wonderful close encounter with the animals. We returned to the zoo 2 more times during that trip and we never miss the zoo when we visit the beach!