Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park, State park and zoo in Carlsbad, New Mexico.
Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park is a conservation area in Carlsbad featuring animal exhibits and gardens that showcase the Chihuahuan Desert ecosystem. The grounds display native wildlife and more than one hundred plant species that naturally occur in this region.
The park was established in 1967 to protect native desert species and showcase them to the public. Its creation was part of a broader movement to preserve the nature of the American Southwest.
The park demonstrates how people in the region have traditionally lived with the desert landscape and which plants matter to local heritage. Visitors can observe how nature and human culture are connected in this dry environment.
The park features a 2 km walking loop with rest benches and information signs for comfortable exploration without strain. Good footwear is important since the terrain is uneven and the sun is intense.
The park houses a specialized greenhouse with succulents from around the world, a collection found nowhere else in the region. This international selection shows how similar desert regions are across different continents.
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