I know, I know, I’m supposed to write about all things
Chadds Ford. But I’ve discovered something much too exciting to keep to myself.

My significant other and I spent last week at The Main Stay
Inn, an elegant bed and breakfast in old Cape May. We strolled along quiet
tree-lined streets of beautifully restored Victorian homes; walked the beaches
and nature trails of the conservancy at Cape May Point; climbed the 199 steps
of the light house; saw a George S. Kaufman play presented by the equity actors
of the East Lynne Theater Company and ate at fabulous fine-dining restaurants.

But that’s not it.

One morning he said “Lets go to the Cape May Zoo”

The Cape May Zoo? Uh…sure! In my mind I pictured a children’s
zoo with a shaggy burro, a llama and a goat.

But, lions, tigers and bears, oh my, was I wrong.

The Cape May Zoo, just south of Avalon at Exit 11 of the
Garden State Parkway, is one of only 218 facilities nationwide accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Several friends have since confided they no longer limit themselves to the 42-acre, land-locked, urban
Philadelphia Zoo, when 85 acres of woodlands, meadows and ponds in this
absolutely enchanting gem is only about an hour more away.

And it’s free!

The animal living areas are for the most part spacious
enclosures of sturdy mesh fencing material secured to giant frames of natural
rough hewn wood poles and are accessed by either shaded paths or an inviting
raised boardwalk system that takes you by habitats intricately placed
throughout the woods. Trees growing through the living areas create natural
places for the animals to hide, climb and feed.

In the morning we found the ocelot, a small spotted South
American jungle cat, curled up in a hollow piece of tree trunk, but by late
afternoon was pulling feathers out of a dead blackbird. The ocelot playfully
tossed the bird in the air as any housecat would do before commencing to feast
on it.

In the meadows and larger enclosures, animals share living
space with species with whom they naturally cohabitate in the wild.

We watched the water-loving South American capybara, a
pig-size creature related to the domestic Guinea pig, amble down a tree-lined
grassy slope to a large pond with ducks and turtles. Giraffes roamed part of
the 57-acre meadow known as the African Savannah with ostriches, while the
zebras frolicked with the rare Nigerian Bongo.

And two years ago, thirteen Chilean flamingoes came in from
Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch.

The idyllic access allows you a much closer view of the
animals than in a traditional zoo. I enjoyed watching the diminutive red panda,
almost close enough to reach out and touch, while it munched on some bamboo
shoots and stared back at me.

Even the magnificent Siberian tiger in his huge park-like
enclosure, complete with waterfall and pond, ventured close enough so I could
see every hair on his magnificent side.

In addition to the zoo acreage, the park boasts over 115
more wooded acres for picnicking, hiking and recreation.

The Cape May Zoo easily stands up to any of the big-city
zoos in our country, and you can be sure I will be making a return visit very
soon! 

See you down the shore.