Woodland Park Zoo

The Woodland Park Zoo is a leader among immersive wildlife exhibits. Visitors can stroll African grassland as lions warm themselves on the rocks. Or they can wander through a humid tropical rain forest under the watchful eyes of gorillas. The zoo is home to more than 1,100 animals and 300 species. All of them inhabit areas that carefully recreate their natural ecosystems. Dave Wilke is the zoo’s facilities director. He hopes that visitors gain an appreciation for the variety of life that shares our planet. “Visiting the zoo is an opportunity to have a firsthand experience with something significantly different and bigger than us,” he says. —Brian S. McGrath