Animal Trailside Encounters
Trailside Encounters are a great opportunity to talk to a real animal keeper about how the species lives in the wild, what it eats, how it fits in the ecosystem and more. Discovery carts will be stationed nearby with more activities and information. Different animals will be stars at each presentation so visitors will be surprised every time.
Though only the keeper touches the animals, this is an opportunity for visitors to see the individual animals up close.
Schedule
11:30 a.m. Cheney Discovery Center |
1:30 p.m. Woodland Pool |
Additional impromptu encounters take place throughout the day. Times are subject to change from October through May.
Featured animals
![]() Slug |
![]() Rubber Boa |
![]() Skunk |
Beaver |
![]() Screech Owl |
![]() Great Horned Owl |
![]() Spotted Owl |
![]() Red-tailed Hawk |
![]() Painted Turtle |
![]() Mallards |
![]() Porcupine |
![]() Gopher Snake |
We are sensitive to the needs of the animals involved, so we cannot guarantee a particular animal will be presented on a given day. If the animal being presented gives signs of stress, the presentation may be ended.













