Denver Zoo named one of nation's best

Denver Zoo
The Denver Zoo, the top paid attraction in the Denver area, has been named one of the country's best zoos.

According to travel guide FodorsTravel.com, the Denver Zoo is one of the top 10 zoos in the country, and its Toyota Elephant Passage exhibit was singled out.

"Upon entering the zoo, head straight to the ten-acre Toyota Elephant Passage, where Asian elephants, greater one-horned rhinoceroses, and clouded leopards graze and socialize among a natural setting, with pools that total 1,100,000 gallons of water," Fodors wrote.

Other zoos making the list include: The Memphis Zoo; Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago; Cincinnati Zoo; Zoo Miami/ Miami, Florida; Philadelphia Zoo; St. Louis Zoo; Houston Zoo; San Diego Zoo; and the Bronx Zoo in New York.

The Denver Zoo was partly responsible for tourism's banner year in Denver last year, when a total of 15.4 million people visited the area and spent $4.6 billion.

Reported by:  Denver Business Journal