Catoctin Zoo

I can not believe that we have never been to Catoctin Zoo. It was amazing and definitely worth the trip; it is a little over an hour away. We learned of this place last year and have been wanting to go since. Well we finally made it. What I really loved is that this zoo is a true wildlife preserve as well and is over 25 acres of woods. It is very natural and rustic to meander through all the animals and the best is you are quite close to many of the animals so you can really see and appreciate the beast.

There is also a safari jeep ride where you can feed and pet many of the animals. The boys and of course Omer and I really enjoyed the ride. I love the ability to get up close with the beasts because I think you learn to respect and appreciate them more.

We spent over 5 hours at the zoo with lots of smiles, running, astonished faces and excitement. There were some really cool moments that none of us really have seen or experienced:
1- Hyena - wow what a scary and very large beast
2- Giraffe - Owen's favorite
3- The largest collection of snakes we have ever seen. Some quite rare snakes. Very cool!
4- Baboons - Aiden's favorite (they were a spectacle to watch)
5- Camel ride - first for all of us
6- Tiger and Lions - Being able to look right at the cat, into their eyes is heart pounding and peaceful
7- Safari ride - not quite Africa yet but we are working up to that
8- Wolves - what a mighty, strong, gorgeous creature
9- Water Buffalo - what a sweet, soft creature
10- A great day and experience with the family!