Milwaukee Zoo offers giraffe feeding, open areas for animals

Feeding the giraffes at the Milwaukee County Zoo is a fun experience.Ever want to feed a giraffe without actually being a possible meal for a lion? Instead of having to run into the wild and taking your chances, visit the Milwaukee Zoo and buy a ticket.

Feeding giraffes is one of the visitor-centric things people can do at the zoo.

Our start at the zoo wasn’t too impressive. It opened at 9 a.m., so we thought getting there a few minutes earlier would help beat the crowds. Well…you sit in your car waiting until the gates open at 9 a.m. Then, they charge $12 for parking. Not impressed with that.

We have an Omaha zoo membership, so we received a 50 percent discount on the actual entrance fee. Instead of $11.75 per person, it was $11.75 for both of us (please note that admission April-October 2017 is now $14.25 per person for adults). With parking, it was $23.75. I’m never impressed when a zoo charges for parking, probably since Omaha has free parking. I don’t think they need to charge $12 for parking. Maybe $5 if you have to charge at all. Off my soap box.

One thing I liked at the entrance is the guest photo they take. People stand in front of a green screen and get a picture taken. Then, they can choose a background from the zoo to have in the picture.

Unfortunately, it’s a bit disorganized. We walked in a different door and didn’t see the picture area until we were actually on our way out.

This sounds like I didn’t like the zoo, huh? Overall, I did enjoy it. I used to be a zoo snob and not think any other zoo was worth checking out since we have one of the best – if not the best – in the United States. But, after trips last fall, we have found other zoos offer some interesting takes that the Henry Doorly does not in Omaha.

We enjoyed the chance to feed the giraffes. It costs $10 per person, but the funds raised go toward bringing other animals to Milwaukee.

The zoo guides are very detailed in explaining how to feed the giraffes. No quick hand movement because that may send a signal that eating time is over and the giraffes will leave the feeding area. You can’t pet or touch the giraffes. That’s understandable. They’re not pets.

It was a nice experience. I gave them some graham crackers and tried to take their pictures at the same time. They have a long tongue (about 18 inches long). The front half is black. They wrap the tongue around the food and then pull it into their mouth. We also fed them some leaves, so they had a balanced meal. They offer the feeding twice a day.

The zoo, overall, is has a nice layout. Exhibits are easy to find and the animals are accessible.

Just inside the entrance is a penguin pool. When we arrived, only one penguin was outside swimming. Later, about a dozen joined it. Some swam. Others stood on the rocks, appearing to talk to one another.

From the penguin point, you have three directions to go to start your zoo experience. They all end up in the same area eventually, but the views are different along the way.

We started at the far end and decided to work our way around. As we walked under the train bridge (what zoo doesn’t have a family-friendly train?), we came across a couple of ground squirrels. They scurried up to visitors, waiting for someone to drop or toss some popcorn in their direction. They were not disappointed as the family in front of us gave them something to eat. They grabbed their food and ran off to a safe distance to eat.

Walking along, we encountered a raptor demonstration. A zoo keeper had an American bald eagle tethered to his arm as part of the display. A young boy asked a lot of questions about the eagle and having it as a pet. It was so cute, because the animal handler answered each of his questions like they were serious ones. he showed the boy a lot of respect.

In a circle behind the zoo keeper were several raptors – hawks, falcons, owls and international eagles. Each bird was tethered to a pole, but were able to move around.

A cool attraction for the zoo was the grizzly bears. Two grizzly bears were lounging near hammocks in the shade. One grizzly was lying in a hammock. It was cute. The other seemed too tuckered out to even care if he made it to the hammock or not.

A caribou exhibit was entertaining. Some of the younger ones were lying in the tall grass, seemingly playing “Marco, Polo.” You could see their head and their antler racks.

The zoo offers a glimpse of fish native to Wisconsin in their aquarium. Nice to see all of the fish friends would love to have on the end of their fishing rods.

Two young foxes played together in a nearby display of animals native to the state.

The zoo is home to an endangered whooping crane. There are only a few hundred left in the world. They migrate through Nebraska with the Sandhill Cranes in late winter/early spring. They are rare to see in the wild. So, to see one, even in captivity, was special.

We eventually made our way over to the African animals. Zebras shared a corral near the hyenas. I half-expected the hyenas to jump their fence and go after the zebra.

It was refreshing to see two elephants with plenty of room to roam. Elephants are social creatures that need to have other elephants nearby. Omaha lost its last elephant after its partner died suddenly.

One thing that stood out about the Milwaukee Zoo was the animal exhibit sizes. They have a lot of space for animals to move about. Most zoos have animals in cages or behind closed glass.

A polar bear was having fun, playing in the water with a ball. It would toss the ball in the air, and as soon as it landed in the water, the polar bear dived underwater.

Harbor seals welcomed us to their exhibit. One just floated in place. I could swear he wanted his picture taken, so I obliged. Then, he swam off.

In addition to the animal exhibits, the Milwaukee Zoo offers guests an opportunity to fly above the trees on a zipline or climb higher than the trees on a rope-walking course.

We enjoyed our time at the Milwaukee Zoo and would recommend a visit. For more information, check here.