Ralph Mitchell Zoo

If you've ever been to the Ralph Mitchell Zoo in Independence, KS, you'll know right away that it's a quiet little zoo where the animals can relax and have one on one care with their caretakers. In addition to the zoo is a little concession stand where kids can experience cotton candy, popcorn, snowcones and other amusement park snacks for a fairly reasonable price. Then of course there's the fun of seeing the animals.

Not too long ago I made a trip to our little zoo to visit some of our animals and take some photos. As you'll see there were a few who just happened to ham it up for the camera. Let's start with Monkey Island, where of course the monkeys roam and home of Miss Able, one of the first monkeys ever to be sent to space. Of course there are days like the day I happen to go when the monkeys just weren't really willing to pose for anything. I did catch some of the birds swimming around the island who were hoping I'd send a treat their way.

 Then, I roamed over to another monkey cage where they were okay with my photo snapping as I managed to get a photo or two. But as you can see this guy just wasn't too amused.









Next, I visited our little owl who gave me a look of  "Hey, Don't Take My Pic!" Each of the areas where the animals are housed have a little card stand with some information about them, where they are originally from and sometimes include a name given to them.

My next stop was to what I'll call bird island where the little ones and big kids at heart are able to feed the birds from the treats machines located nearby. There are also benches placed in various areas near the island as well as monkey island where you can take a break and just enjoy the scene.

Then, I visited the reptiles where some creepy looking snakes and a few other fun creatures live. Of course I live with a reptile, so seeing one wasn't a really big deal for me, but for kids and again the big kids at heart, it's always a cool place to check out.

Next, it was off to the see the bear, cat and other birds live.
Unfortunately, they were all in hiding that day, so I look a couple of cool pics of the area and walkway that's well worth seeing.

And finally, I saved the best for last. This is the ham of the camera even though it looks like a planned escape. Hmm, maybe it is! But, there are so many other great animals to see including the peacock birds that roam free throughout, and the best part about Ralph Mitchell Zoo itself is there is no cost to get in. It's free.