My Manila: Kinder Zoo at the Manila Zoo

The Kinder Zoo is the one thing that you shouldn't miss when visiting Manila Zoo. I missed it last week and went back to see it. The return trip was so worth it.

Kinder Zoo only occupies a small area but every meter gives a dose of animal fun. As soon as you pass through their  arc, you will be welcomed by a snake and a crocodile on a table, colorful birds perched on a tree and a couple of pot-bellied pigs lazily walking around. Following the cemented path, you will find small turtles in a pond, more birds perched on branches, a tamed ostrich and an enclosure for giant turtles.

There weren't that many animals and the Lego figures for picture-taking purposes were faded but I still enjoyed the mini-zoo. What I loved about Kinder Zoo was that it was highly interactive. Birds gamely pose on visitors' shoulders, kids can ride the giant turtles and the ostrich and you can have a picture taken with a snake draped on your shoulders or a crocodile on your lap. A lot of the animals are not in their cages and their handlers encourage visitors to touch them. The friendly handlers seem genuinely fond of the animals and show them off as if they are children. I had so much fun watching a bird fake its death when the handler says, "Bang!" Even the pot-bellied pigs know how to turn around and bow. I even found it funny when the smaller pig, Benjie, started crying when the bigger Jackpot stole its food.

I was planning on being there for just an hour since I was planning to take shots of the Manila Bay sunset. I stayed there for 2 hours as I really enjoyed watching the animals. I can always watch the sunset another time.

*** Kinder Zoo charges an entrance fee of P75.00 on top of the P40.00 entrance fee for Manila Zoo.
*** While the Kinder Zoo try to keep their animals clean, people should wash their hands every time they touch the animals.

More pictures are here.