A Summer Requirement: Experience The Awe of the Greatest Animals on Earth

It’s time for vacation plans. Will it be a beach trip, camping in the mountains, maybe a few days in Branson, Mo., at Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede Dinner and Show. Another great—and affordable option, is to visit some of America’s best zoos where animals abide and you can experience (at least partially) their beauty, majesty and power. Seeing jungle animals, birds and lizards (maybe even snakes) is not just an incredible educational experience, it fills you and your children with a great respect for these creatures, large and small.

Check out this list of America’s top zoos, then visit their websites to find out more of what you’ll experience. Of course, if you can’t travel a long distance, it’s likely that there’s a “local zoo” within an hour or two of you location (If you live in Siberia, not so much).

Believe it or not, PetAg is more than dogs, cats and parrots. We actually serve a significant number of zoos and other places that take care of exotics of all kinds, from dolphins to deer. We’re also members of the American Association of Zoo Keepers, a non-profit organization dedicated to professional animal care. It exists as a resource for professional development, enrichment, training, and conservation for zoo keepers and animal-care professionals. The greatest fundraising event we’ve ever heard of is the association’s “Bowling for Rhinos” annual event, which raises money for animal conservancies worldwide. We’re not great bowlers but may just give it a try!

We talk about zoo animals because they need great care and great support. Our pledge is to always do our best to help our friends manage the thousands of animals and creatures that they feed, clean and care for every day, per zoo. Our most significant efforts focus on quality of exotic animal milk replacers and nutritional supplements. For example, we develop a U.S.-made Milk Matrix (not a movie, but an essential liquid) for many cetaceans. Uh, what’s that? That’s fancy lingo for large aquatic mammals such as dolphins and porpoises.

Here at PetAg, we actually serve a host of zoos with what we call our exotics line of products. Often, a zoo will need milk replacers and nutritional supplement to help animals wean from a mother that may reject their newborn, or be having difficulty with feeding and caring for the new arrivals. Products range from Multi-Milk (usually mixed as part of overall food regimen for various mammals) to Bene-Bac injections, plus Zoological Bene-Bac that help mammals suffering from adverse conditions. We even offer a pack of elongated nipped for marsupials (pouched animals). Marsupials include kangaroos, Koala bears and even the common brushtail possum. The product is used for various wildlife species and kittens too.

The wonder of a zoo visit is overwhelming. If your visit involves young children, watch their eyes, gasps and excitement. It’s a memory they will forget. Nor will you.