One of the great things about this zoo is the "Overlook Cafe", which is an enormous restaurant situation in the middle of the establishment. The food is basic zoo chow, but the views are outstanding. On one side is the Asian Realm, a multi-acre paddock with at least 6 different species roaming the land; the African Realm is another multi-acre enclosure with 8 species; the lion and giraffe/ground hornbill/pygmy hippo exhibits can also be seen in the foreground; African elephants can be viewed in the far background; and the North American Realm has yet another massive, multi-acre paddock with at least 5 species.
The number of animals that can be seen as one wanders around the covered restaurant (with indoor and outdoor sections) is astonishing, and this zoo has very few poor exhibits. The original zoo is the current South American Realm, and that is the oldest and most basic in terms of exhibitry. Everything else is around 20 years of age or newer, and for the most part the level of exhibitry is top-class. Montgomery is not a large zoo as it can be toured in 3-4 hours, and the section on the map that says "Future Zoo Venture" is now a brand-new children's playground.
