The Cincinnati Zoo’s latest exhibit, the Australian-themed Roo Valley, will allow guests to walk right alongside hopping kangaroos when it opens Aug. 18.
When we write “right alongside,” we mean right alongside. The kangaroo habitat won’t have any glass or barriers separating visitors from the 'roos.
Crikey, right? According to the zoo, the 15,000-square-foot kangaroo walkabout will feature a winding path through the marsupials’ habitat, where visitors can watch them as they sleep, play and graze.
“It feels like you’ve entered another world when you’re in the walkabout,” Cincinnati Zoo director Thane Maynard wrote in a Friday news release. “It’s lush and beautiful with kangaroos right next to you.”
Roo Valley will also be home to little blue penguins, penguins that are — well, you get it. Also called “fairy penguins,” these guys are the smallest known species of penguin. Unlike their larger cousins, they grow up with iridescent blue feathers instead of black or yellow.
And if you need a break after wandering the Outback, the zoo’s Hops beer garden allows guests to stop for a drink and a bite while ordering safely through a contactless system.
Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, reservations are still required for all zoo visitors. You can reserve a spot for yourself or your family right here.
