Asheboro, NC - As temperatures dip and Ballantynians look for safe, outdoor adventures, a wild experience is only 1.5 hours away in Asheboro, North Carolina.
The North Carolina Zoo is the largest natural habitat zoo in the world. It has 1,800-plus animals across 2,600 acres of land. Zoogeographical, the Zoo distributes the animals around continents. There are North America and Africa, and the Zoo has plans to add Asia and Australia.
National Geographic Wild filmed its “Secrets of the Zoo: North Carolina” at NC Zoo, which premiered this fall. The eight-part series documents the daily life of the animals and staff. For the starstruck experience: Watch the series ahead of time and then head to NC Zoo to meet the stars in person.
One of them, Robert Burris, you might meet at the front gate. He is the Zoo’s admissions supervisor, and you will recognize his voice from his being the show’s narrator and tram guide. It was Robert’s childhood dream to work at NC Zoo, and while it took him 40 years to get there — first serving in the military and managing stores — he has become its biggest champion. He and his wife, Kim, even got married at the Zoo in August of 2012.