The Little Zoo That Could - Gulf Shores, AL

From the Zoo's website: The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo - opened in June 1989 as Zooland Animal Park. The zoo was founded as a private enterprise by Joey Ward of Gulf Shores. In 1991, the Ward family created the Zoo Foundation, Inc., a non-profit corporation, and donated the 17 acres of prime real estate that makes up the zoo today. Three years later, the Ward family and the Erie Meyer Foundation graciously donated an additional 13 acres, which are still undeveloped.

The zoo is tucked away just blocks from the beach and is home to more than 290 animals. Lions, tigers, bears, monkeys and macaws are just some of the creatures that inhabit this Gulf Coast oasis. There's also a petting zoo, reptile house, aviary and daily animal shows in the summer.

At its present location -- a low-lying tract less than a mile north of the Gulf of Mexico -- the zoo was swamped by storm surge and floodwaters by both 2004's Hurricane Ivan and 2005's Hurricane Katrina. All 270 of its animals had to be evacuated -- to zoo director Patti Hall's Elberta home -- before both storms. The efforts, the only known full-scale evacuations of an American zoo, prompted the primetime Animal Planet series that generated record attendance and donations to the nonprofit park...more of history. There is also a fantastic video story of survival and generosity from hurricanes and the donations that followed and about this wonderfully green zoo. I can't seem to find the first video but it is on their website somewhere.

Years ago, while watching a nature show, Andrew said that he would love to play with baby tigers. Well that opportunity presented itself!! He had a White Bengal Tiger encounter that was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Read more about the Tigers on the zoo's website: "Straight from the Marcan Tiger Preserve, for 30 minutes, Andrew got to play two cuddly Snowy White Bengal Tiger cubs: brother and sister: Yeti and Kolkata.