America's Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College

Don't want to drive 45 minutes to the nearest zoo?  Well take the 15 minute drive over to Moorpark College to visit the student-run America's Teaching Zoo. 

This 5 acre zoo housing nearly 200 exotic animals is part of the college's Exotic Animal Training and Management Program and is open each weekend from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.  This interesting collection has included all sorts of animals, from alligators to geckos to elephants to emus to tigers, etc.  There are also camels and snakes and ocelots. 

Students in the program are required to work most days and weekends.  For a truly unique wild animal experience you must stop by and check it out.  Don't expect anything fancy.  This place is very low key.  But it is a lot of fun as it is not crowded and you can get really really close to the animals.  We visited and they had several shows in the span of an hour where students showed us an owl, chinchilla, coyote and several other wild animals.  This huge Galapagos Tortoise is Clarence. Learn more about him here.

The zoo is open on weekends with an admission fee of only $5 for adults and $4 for kids and seniors (checks and cash only).

Visit www.moorparkcollege.edu/zoo or call 805.378.1441 for more information.

The Zoo is located at 7075 Campus Road in Moorpark.  Take the 101 North to the 23 North to the 118 East.  Exit Collins and turn left at the stop sign.  Go through 2 stoplights and turn right into the 2nd entrance past the stoplights.  Turn right in the parking lot and continue up the short hill to the right.

Comments

[Gil]

The tortoise's name is 'Clarence', I believe. It's a really great place and worth checking out.