Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago 🏟️🐾

I think this was my first trip to a zoo after moving to the U.S.—and I never expected a zoo as massive as Lincoln Park Zoo to be free 🎫❌! It feels like this place has a story older than the skyscrapers around it 🏛️⏳. From 11 a.m. to closing at 5 p.m., I wandered nonstop… except for a quick chair-nap after lunch ☕💤. So many animals were snoozing or chilling (🤫 cough African lions and polar bears, I’m looking at you). No way to catch them all in one visit—unless you’re a ninja with a time-turner 🕰️🦸♂️. I got lucky with a few random snapshots during my aimless afternoon stroll 📸✨. Exploring the zoo was fun, but it also tugged at my heartstrings for the animals. The park offers a life of comfort… but at the cost of freedom. Some have nearly lost their natural habitats entirely 🌍💔. Of course, others just get to “Netflix and chill” with guaranteed meals—no 9-to-5 hustle here 🦁🛋️. One snow leopard stood out: pacing the same spot like a broken record 📼👣. Does it know it hails from the Tibetan Plateau? Does it even remember? 🏔️❓ #LincolnParkZoo #ChicagoLincolnParkZoo 🐆🐼🦒