Blauert on Outdoors: Zoo view of wild animals lasts longer

The most exciting encounters I’ve ever had with wildlife have occurred while hiking or camping – deer, elk, coyotes, eagles, newts, snakes, bobcats, bears, a wide range of birds and even a mountain lion. Our local Merced and San Luis National Wildlife Refuges provide great opportunities to see wildlife in its native habitat.

These glimpses are exciting, and often fleeting. To see wildlife up close and study these creatures for longer durations, zoos are the place to go. Our local Applegate Park Zoo is the best place to see local wildlife up close. There’s no other place close to home where you’re likely to get a good look at a mountain lion, bobcat, mule deer or black bear, and it’s an easy afternoon or morning outing for the family.

To see animals from around the world without a long drive, Fresno’s Chaffee Zoo is impossible to beat. The zoo has an exceptional range of animals, and the recently opened African Adventure – including a family of African elephants, a pride of lions, white rhinos, cheetahs and a new feeding station for the giraffes – has made the zoo more impressive.

On our recent trip to Joshua Tree National Park, we visited The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert.

South of Joshua Tree, this outstanding zoo and garden is located on the edge of the Palm Springs urban area. The Living Desert specializes in plants and animals of the desert. From large to small, they live in naturalistic settings against a background of desert mountains and blue sky.

We spent more than four hours observing the animals and wandering through the gardens and could easily have spent a few more hours. There’s a lot to see. The animals come from desert regions of the world, including many from the deserts of California and the Southwest. Some of our favorites included the Mexican wolf, jaguars, bighorn sheep, pronghorn and cheetahs.

The gardens are composed of naturally arranged representative species from each desert region of the Southwest and northern Mexico, and several regions of Africa. They were planned in such a way that once you have entered one, it seems as if you’re in the desert region it represents. All you see are the plants of that region, the sky and the mountains. The result is impressive.

We didn’t realize the scale of the zoo from the street or parking area. It wasn’t until we’d been wandering around for a couple of hours and had only covered about half of the exhibits on the map that we appreciated how big it is.

Beyond the main gardens and exhibits, there are 5 miles of nature trails to explore.

Everything about the zoo is immaculate, clean and impressive. In addition to animal exhibits and gardens, it offers interactive activities, including camel rides, a petting zoo, carousel and unique desert-themed playground area. At the wildlife hospital, visitors can often watch veterinary procedures taking place. Animal presentations, keeper chats and nature walks are scheduled daily. There are shady places to sit and rest and two restaurants.

You can easily spend most of a day at The Living Desert. Not all animals are active at the same time of day, so a long visit allows you to return to areas where the animals weren’t previously active. The park also has a shuttle to give your feet a break.

The Living Desert is a 6-hour drive from Merced, definitely not a day trip but also definitely a highlight of the southern part of the state if you enjoy wildlife and plants. If your travel plans ever include the Joshua Tree or Palm Springs area, I wholeheartedly recommend a visit to this memorable zoo and gardens. I also recommend visiting in the cooler months of the year, unless you enjoy heat.

For more information: Applegate Park Zoo: http://mercedzoo.org or 209-385-6840; Fresno Chaffee Zoo: www.fresnochaffeezoo.org✔ or 559-498-5910; The Living Desert: www.livingdesert.org; or 760-346-5694.

This story was originally published March 15, 2016 at 4:44 PM with the headline "Blauert on Outdoors: Zoo view of wild animals lasts longer."