Houston Zoo is top attraction in Houston, 2nd most visited zoo in country

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- There are many fun places to visit in Houston from the Johnson Space Center to Discovery Green, but there can only be one at the top of Houston attractions.

The Houston Zoo has hit that milestone with over 2.55 million visitors in 2016. This also makes it the No. 2 most-visited zoo in the country, right behind the prestigious San Diego Zoo. If San Diego Zoo is the Harvard of the animal kingdom, then the Houston Zoo is Yale.

It's easy to see why it's so popular. The Houston Zoo is made up of over 6,000 permanent animals. The zoo offers many interactions with their residents, like feeding the giraffes, petting dingos, walking the cheetahs and hanging out with red pandas.

PHOTOS: Snow day at the Houston Zoo

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There are also plenty of activities for small children like the petting zoo, carousel and a water play park.

You can even see what's going on at the zoo right now! Check out their webcams here to see gorillas, elephants, rhinos and more.

PHOTOS: Meet TJ, the Houston Zoo's new sea lion pup

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