Explore a Land of Exotic Animals at MOLA

Exotic animals attract lots of attention

You used to have to travel to far away places to see exotic animals, but not anymore. You can now find them at the Museum of Living Art at the Fort Worth Zoo.

“We wanted to change the experience for the viewers a little bit," said John Kast, one of the Museum of Living Art’s assistant directors.

“You want to get past that aspect of it and get up close and personal and just look at the natural beauty of these animals," he said.

Kast also said the unique habitat sees the animals interact in ways humans rarely do.

“We’ve been able to see a lot of really neat behaviors since we moved them out here into this new exhibit," he said.

“And we’re experiencing great success, seeing some species that haven’t hatched at the zoo for more than 20 years," zoo spokesperson Alexis Wilson said.

Wilson said the exhibit is a tremendous leap forward for the conservation community.

"There are species within that building that are critically endangered, and we are able to successfully breed them and hedge against extinction in the wild," Wilson said.

At the zoo, only glass is between you and learning about animals sometimes a world away.

“I love reading the little stories about the history of the animals," visitor Elizabeth Jackson said.

Some of the animals that you’ll find at MOLA include, lizards, fish and Dante the Komodo Dragon.

“Komodos, they are the largest living lizards in the world. They can get up to 10 feet long, and the males can weigh up to 200 pounds," Kast said.

Then there’s “Salty,” the crocodile you can watch while you eat in the cafeteria separated by protected glass.

“The size of the crocodiles -- those are huge," visitor Tim Jackson said.

“He’s considered one of the largest salt water crocodiles in the United States right now," Kast said.

You can also find a king cobra.

“I’ve always loved how you hypnotize them, and they spread out their neck," visitor Daniel Waldon said.

One more favorite may interest you -- the poison dart frogs.

“I came here especially for the frogs," Jackson said. "And our friend Daniel loves the snakes, so we’re like, 'Awww!' I want to see the exhibit, so we got season passes so we could be here."

MOLA at the Fort Worth Zoo
1989 Colonial Parkway
Fort Worth, TX 76110-6640
817-759-7555

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