Mission Statement
It
is our mission to foster appreciation and concern for all living
things.
Some
of the best days to go to the zoo are days were it is overcast and
rain is threatening to dampen the spirits of people wanting to spend
the day outside. Those days are the perfect days to go to the zoo
since the crowds are not so great and it seems the animals all enjoy
the weather. Today the weather was nice but it was January so we took a chance that it would not be crowded on a holiday Monday and headed to the amazing zoo in
Columbia, South Carolina. It is an hour drive from where we live
but well worth the trip. We arrived at the zoo’s front gates right
after it opened.
Riverbanks
Zoo and Gardens have 170 acres of zoo, aquariums, and botanical
gardens snuggled up against the beautiful Saluda River. This is one
of the most successful mid-size zoos in the United States and has
more visitors than any other zoo in the southeast. They have more
than a million visitors a year that come to this zoo and gardens that
is so well designed and really packs a punch for a small size zoo.
If you go, you will definitely see why it is so popular.
The
concept of this zoo was created by a group of local businessmen who
came up with the idea of creating a small community zoo aimed at
children. The original design was with a nursery rhyme theme but it
soon failed due to funding issues. Then in 1969, the South Carolina
Assembly designed Rich-Lex Riverbanks Park Special Purpose District
which consisted of a 7 member Riverbank Park Commission. By doing
this it expanded the zoo’s support which vamped it up to what it is
today.
Then
with the help and support of South Carolina Electric and Gas (SCE+G)
who leased to the commission 100 acres of land on either side of the
Saluda River for a $1.00 a year for the next 99 years, brought the
realization that the zoo could happen. The zoo opened on April 25,
1974 after five years of planning and construction. The garden side
of the zoo opened on June 10, 1995 and connects to the zoo by an 800’
long bridge over the Saluda River.
The
zoo itself boasts of more than 2000 animals from all over the world.
Satch Krantz is the executive director of the zoo since 1976 and is
doing a great job at keeping this zoo not just a place to see exotic
animals but also place where the kids have many hands on exhibits,
learn about the animals, and can also do an adventure exhibits such
as zip lining through the trees and over the river. There is so
much to do and if you are like us, it will take a full day to get
through everything in the park.
We
first went and saw all the animals. They were all active today and
up and moving around. We really enjoy watching and hearing the
monkeys as they showed off for the crowds. The Gorillas are a joy
with the two babies now that keep mom and dad busy chasing them
around. The giraffes are always fun to watch as they slowly mosey
around eating leaves off the trees or come up the feeding platform
where the children get to feed them. They giggle when they feel
their tongues.
One
of the favorite things for the children to do is to go in and feed
the beautifully colored Lorikeets. These brightly colored birds
from Australia are sweet and gentle and the children love to have
them land on them to feed them the juice they are given when entering
the cage. They squeal with delight as the birds fly by or swoop
down and land near them.
The
Penguin area was great fun watching them get fed and jumping and
swimming around the tank. The children kept running up to us
saying, “Did you see that?” or “Wow”. They loved watching
them swim and waddle around on the rocks in their special habitat.
We
headed to the gardens section. After walking over the bridge we
loaded up the children onto the tram ride that carried us up the hill
to the gardens. They loved the tram ride. Even in January, the
gardens were beautiful and well kept. I’m sure in the summer the
colors are much more vibrant but the children loved the play grounds
and all the things to do on that side.
We
had a great day at the zoo. No matter how many times we have gone,
there is always some new fascinating thing to see or witness. If
you haven’t been or not been in a while, you need to go. It is a
blast. Their regular hours are 9 am to 5 pm seven days a week.
Check them out at: Riverbanks.org. They are located at 500
Wildlife Parkway, Columbia, SC. They do offer senior and military
discounts. General admission is $19.95 for adults, $16.95 for
children and under two are free.
Till
next time. Bye for now.
