A bird sanctuary, koalas, komodo dragons, nocturnal animals, orangutans and otters complete this group. Only a roped path separates onlookers from the kangaroos, who hop around on a grassy lawn and recline under trees. In the Australia and the Islands region, check out the Kangaroo Walk-about, where you can get surprisingly close to these Aussies. In Asia Quest, exotic animals-Asian elephants, giant fruit bats, red pandas, pheasants and Amur tigers-roam their habitats.

The new 43-acre Heart of Africa exhibit offers a variety of animals, including cheetahs, lions, gazelles and wildebeests visitors also have the opportunity to ride a camel and feed giraffes. Enjoy a walking safari through the forests of Africa and see bonobos (pygmy chimpanzees), colobus monkeys, gorillas (including Colo, the first gorilla born in human care), a leopard, mandrills, okapi and red river hogs. More than 10,000 animals representing more than 600 species call the zoo home. Stroll on paths, many though wooded areas, to travel among the zoo's regions: Congo Expedition, Heart of Africa, Asia Quest, Australia and the Islands, North America and Shores, and Jungle Jack's Landing. The zoo, which opened in 1927, has six regions totaling nearly 140 acres of gardens and natural habitats. Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is off I-270 Sawmill Rd.

Columbus zoo and aquarium