Ahead lies the ABQ BioPark Zoo, 64 acres of habitats that trace back to 1927, when it opened as the Rio Grande Zoo. This is a place where neighborhoods of habitat meet: you can wander the Africa exhibit area, the Australia exhibit area, step onto the "Cat Walk," or lose yourself in the herpetology area. An endangered species carousel was added in 2016, and a narrow-gauge railroad links the zoo to the other facilities of the Albuquerque Biological Park, so you can imagine the gentle click of tracks carrying curious visitors.
Walking the paths here covers about 2.27 miles (3.65 km) if you take it all in. The Biological Park is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), and you can see why. At the front is Flamingo Crossing, a moated island that holds the flock of Caribbean flamingos among lush bamboo vegetation.
The Reptile House was remodeled in 2012 and now houses mostly reptiles — snakes, tortoises, lizards — including two large areas for Komodo dragons and a nearby building that shelters a large adult saltwater crocodile and slender-snouted crocodiles. Notice the flamingos threading through the bamboo before the path pulls you deeper into the exhibits.