With summer behind us, not all of the fun has to come to an end quite yet.

What You Need To Know

  • The fall is arguably one of the best seasons to go to the zoo

  • The animals are more active in the cooler weather

  • An earlier sunset means that the carnivores and nocturnal animals rouse earlier

When I think of a trip to the zoo, I think of summertime. But, did you know that one of the best times to visit your local zoo is actually in the fall?

According to Ashley Rounds, Zoo Director at The Wild Animal Park in New York, the animals are more active in cooler weather.

If you're like me and have always gone to the zoo on a sunny day in the heat of July and August, you know that you can spend more time trying to find the animals in their enclosures than actually watching them.

They tend to hide behind rocks and under trees, and they seem to be lazily lounging around.

Rounds confirms that the animals are similar to humans in this respect. The summer heat is draining, and just like us, they would rather sit in the shade and rest.

While the zoo in the summertime is still a fun experience, it can be even more exciting if you decide to go during the cooler fall months.

You're more likely to see the animals up and moving around, rather than playing a game of "Where's Waldo".

Something else to consider when planning your next zoo visit is that in the fall, we observe earlier sunsets.

Rounds states that the animals become more active in the evening because in the wild, that's when most of the carnivores do their hunting. Additionally, the nocturnal animals start to wake up.

The combination of earlier sunsets and cooler temperatures almost guarantees a great zoo experience that only the fall season can provide. You should add visiting the zoo to your fall bucket list.