by Cynthia Wall

Created on: October 03, 2009   Last Updated: April 18, 2011

Once upon a time, there was a generous man named John Ball. He was a Realtor, a lawyer, a legislator, and most important to the people of Grand Rapids, Michigan: he left 40 acres to the city when he died in 1884 with the specification that it be made into a park. At first, it was John Ball Park but then the city purchased an additional 100 acres in 1905 and part of the park became a zoo. It suffered as did the rest of the country through The Depression but mid-century, a group of zoo supporters raised funds to begin the rebuilding to what is now a delightful zoological garden for residents and tourists.

The neat thing about zoos is that they transport your imagination to the far corners of the globe. Once inside the gates of the John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids, you'll think you're traveling the world. Over 1100 animals from all the continents wait to greet you in their natural habitats. It's an easy zoo to walk through in several hours. There are several fun excursion-type rides, a nice gift shop, and an extraordinary education program. But first, the animals grouped by geography:

Chimpanzees: The Mokomboso Valley Chimpanzee Exhibit encompasses one third acre which is actually one of the largest in the country. Here, Chimps play and swing from trees in a natural area outside on nice days and indoors on stormy ones. As with all of the exhibits, educational brochures teach you about the lives of these fun animals and the conservation efforts in place to protect them.

Lions: Open since June of 2008, the Bissell's Lions of Lake Manyara represents the rich diversity of the human and animal population of Tanzania. Since lions have been observed climbing trees in Lake Manyara, the exhibit contains a climbing tree. There are two replicas of Tanzanian buildings, one of which has a rock that is both inside and outside the exhibit so children can climb up to be safely near the lion. The viewing deck allows great viewing of both the Grand Rapids skyline and the lions below.

Budgie Aviary: Rated as a favorite by visitors, the walk inside Budgie Aviary near the Children's Zoo allows you to be amidst these colorful Australian birds. It's only open during the summer but is a must see. Be sure to buy a food stick so the birds can eat right out of your hand.

Treasures of the Tropics: You don't have to travel to Komodo to see the huge Komodo dragon, known for eating goats and careless humans. The Komodo plus the Black-footed cat, Dart frogs, Caimans, Fruit bats, and

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