The North Carolina Zoo - A Natural Wonder in Asheboro

Exploring the Largest Natural Habitat Zoo in the World

Hey there, Red Dirt Radio family! Summer here, and today we're taking alittle different kind of journey. We're not diving into ancient history orexploring mysterious lakes - though we'll definitely get back to that goodstuff soon! Today, we're talking about one of North Carolina's absolute crownjewels, a place that brings joy to millions of people and serves as a sanctuaryfor some of the world's most incredible creatures.

I'm talking about the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro, and y'all, thisplace is absolutely remarkable. Did you know it's the largest natural habitatzoo in the entire world? Not just in America - in the WORLD. And it's righthere in our beautiful state, nestled in the Uwharrie Mountains in RandolphCounty.

So grab your favorite beverage, get comfortable, and let me take you on ajourney through this amazing place. Whether you've been a hundred times, you'venever been, or you didn't even know it existed, I promise you're going to learnsomething that'll make you appreciate the NC Zoo even more.

THE VISION AND THE BEGINNING

Let's start at the beginning, because the story of how the North CarolinaZoo came to be is actually pretty fascinating.

Back in the 1960s, North Carolina didn't have a major zoo. If you wantedto see exotic animals, you had to travel out of state. But a group of visionaryleaders in the North Carolina General Assembly had an idea - what if we createda state zoo, something truly special that would set a new standard for how wecare for and display animals?

In 1967, the North Carolina Zoological Park was officially authorized bythe state legislature. But here's what makes this different from almost everyother zoo in America - it was conceived, funded, and operated by the stategovernment itself. North Carolina is actually one of only two states that ownsand operates its own zoo. That's how committed our state was to making thishappen.

The location they chose was absolutely perfect. Rather than building in acity like Raleigh or Charlotte, they selected a site in Randolph County, nearthe small town of Asheboro, right in the heart of the Uwharrie Mountains. Thisarea has rolling hills, natural forests, streams, and diverse topography. Theplanners looked at this land and saw possibility - the chance to createsomething that had never been done before on this scale.

The vision was revolutionary for its time: instead of animals in cagesand concrete enclosures, what if we created large, naturalistic habitats whereanimals could exhibit normal behaviors, where they'd have room to roam, andwhere visitors could see them in settings that closely resembled their nativeenvironments?

Construction began in the early 1970s, and this was no small undertaking.They were building on 1,371 acres initially - that would later expand to over2,600 acres - and they were doing it in a way that worked with the naturallandscape rather than bulldozing it flat.

The first section of the zoo to open was actually the North Americaregion in 1974, with the official grand opening happening in 1976. Can youimagine being one of those first visitors, walking through these beautifulforests and seeing habitats unlike anything most zoos had created before?

The Africa section opened in 1979, and from that point on, the NorthCarolina Zoo has continued to grow, evolve, and set standards for animal careand conservation.

THE SIZE AND SCALE - WHAT MAKES IT THELARGEST

Alright, so let's talk about what it actually means to be the"largest natural habitat zoo in the world," because the numbers arehonestly mind-blowing.

The North Carolina Zoo sits on approximately 2,600 acres of land.