Avilon Montalban Zoological Park is probably one of the best zoos in the country today. Avilon zoo is located at Barrio San Isidro, Rodriguez (formerly Montalban), Rizal, just a few minutes away by car from Quezon City. It is accessible by public or private transportation.
Since they opened to the public in 2003, guests have been treated to front-row seat experience of the environment and its amazing bio-diversity. And with the zoo's natural-looking cages, guests are given the opportunity to observe the animals in their seemingly natural habitat. The largest zoo in the country with its 7.5 hectare area, Avilon is also the cleanest and most well maintained.
The zoo boasts of 3,000 specimens of exotic and endemic animals with more than 600 species of birds, mammals, reptiles, fishes and invertebrates. It also has 400 species of plants, half of which are indigenous to the Philippines. According to its officials Avilon is one of the zoos in Southeast Asia that has the most diverse representation of flora and fauna, making it not only a zoological park but a botanical garden as well.
The Arapaima, the largest fresh-water fish in the world, hogs the main pond near the entrance. The waterfowls – the mallards and the Pekins -- wallow in the next pond. The crocodiles and the alligators, laze in a neighbouring pit. The biggest of the crocs, fondly called “Totoy” by the locals, has been donated by a famous priest.
Next are the birds -- lots of species of eagles, macaws, owls, peafowls. A tour will also take visitors to the big cat exhibits where lions, Bengal tigers, white tigers and leopards roam freely in their natural-looking enclosures.
There are also other species of mammals like the pygmy hippopotamus, the smaller cousin of the heavier kind most people are familiar with. The zoo also has Malayan tapirs and Bennett’s wallabies. Various species of primates are also in the zoo, the most recognizable being the arboreal anthropoid orangutan. There are also several species of snakes and other reptiles.
Aside from getting to see all these exotic animals in their cages, visitors also get closer encounters with most of them, like being able to touch them and have pictures taken with them for a minimal fee.
Entrance fees are Php 300 each for adults and Php 200 each for children below 3.5ft. Senior citizens’ entrance cost Php 300 each with a 20% discounts when senior citizen cards are presented. Tour guides are available for Php 350.
Avilon Zoo is a really fun place for the family to visit and have a stimulating experience. Everybody will enjoy the place -- not just the kids, but the adults as well, and in the process, learn a lot about the animals, how to take care of them and the environment they live in. |
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| Posted on Tue Apr 13, 2010 8:31 pm by chet |
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