After moving from Columbus, home to one of the nation’s best and largest zoos, I didn’t have high hopes for the Greenville Zoo. At just 14 acres, it’s tiny but it’s also home to a nice collection of animals including elephants, giraffes, primates, leopards, and lions.

Just a few of the primates at the Greenville Zoo…

This legless lizard lives in the reptile house. Yes, it’s a legless lizard and not a snake.

The rhinoceros iguana lives there too.

Visitors can throw feeding biscuits to the giraffes. It requires good aim.

The toucan is one of many birds found at the zoo.
There are also several flamingos. The wind caused this one to have a bad feather day.The gators are a popular attraction.Our friend is feeding the goats using special crackers purchased at the zoo. The small barnyard area allows visitors to feed and pet several animals including goats, a pig, ducks, and chickens.

If I were to use one word to describe the Greenville Zoo, it would be comfortable. It’s easy to navigate and never seems too crowded. We were zoo members in Columbus and would often target just a few areas of the zoo for each visit due to the size of both the zoo and the crowds. Even then, it was easy to get tired and a bit crabby. Greenville is small enough that you don’t have that experience.

In addition, the animal enclosures are well-kept and make viewing the animals very easy. The gentle hills of the walking paths allow visitors to enjoy a bit of exercise while enjoying the animals. The typical zoo visitor can plan to spend 60-90 minutes. Those who want to extend the visit, can bring lunch and enjoy the picnic area or get lunch at the reasonably priced snack bar.

The zoo also offers a good number of educational programs at a reasonable rate. It would be nice to see more adult events but I understand that childless couples really aren’t the zoo’s target audience.

It might not be the biggest or the best but there’s something very appealing about the Greenville Zoo. With a planned expansion, the zoo is growing and I’m one member who can’t wait to see what happens.