This Time, Local Zoo Named Among Best in North America
The results are in for USA Today’s 10 Best Zoos, and the Fort Worth Zoo has been named the No. 5 Zoo in North America, a news release announced. Additionally, the Zoo’s Museum of Living Art (MOLA) exhibit placed third in the Best Zoo Exhibit category.
The 20 nominees both categories were chosen by a panel of zoo and family travel experts USA Today assembled and then the top 10 was left to be voted on by the public. Voters could vote once a day, every day for four weeks until the contest closed on Monday, April 30. The final rankings were revealed the morning of Friday, May 4.
Nominees in the best zoos category were recognized as excelling in animal care and enrichment, as well as facilitating meaningful interactions between animals and visitors.
This year MOLA moved up one spot from the 2016 ranking, and there was only one other Texas zoo exhibit nominated — Dallas Zoo’s Simmons Hippo Outpost.
These are the latest honors for the internationally recognized zoo, which has been ranked the Best Zoo in Texas by Yahoo Travel and the No. 1 attraction in the DFW Metroplex by Zagat survey.
The Zoo said in the release it is especially proud to have MOLA recognized, as the facility not only allows guests to observe and interact with rare, endangered and critically endangered species, but many of these species are being bred and introduced into the wild – saving populations of animals all over the world.
“Thank you for casting your votes and, once again, putting an international spotlight on the Fort Worth Zoo,” Michael Fouraker, Fort Worth Zoo executive director, said in the release. “It is the work of our dedicated staff and the support from our loyal guests and friends that make the Fort Worth Zoo truly special.”