Safari canceled? Then get your exotic-animal fix by revisiting a favorite zoo or discovering a new one. If cooler weather isn’t incentive enough, both the Dallas and the Houston zoos open brand-new children’s sections this fall. Our team of cub reporters roamed the state to find Texas’ top ten zoos, from Fort Worth’s nationally renowned attraction to the tiny one in Victoria that’s devoted to native critters (we omitted wildlife preserves, aquariums, exotic-species ranches, and private animal collections). A couple of caveats for parents: Some children are upset by the sight of carnivores feeding, and others ask challenging questions about the primates (“Daddy, what are those monkeys doing?”). But these potential problems are far from beastly. To quote a pint-size visitor we saw arriving at Waco’s zoo, “Hurry up! Here comes fun!”
