Roger Birkel, executive director of the Baltimore Zoo, doesn't have to guess.
Elementary kids are most interested in reptiles.
Given a choice, young kids want to see such creatures as snakes and lizards. Birkel isn't quite sure why, but knowing that it's true he has some great ideas for building on this interest. To the visitor, it looks like no more than a display of animals taken in the wild. In the future, you'll get to see much more. You'll get to see the veterinary facilities where animals are being treated or the kitchen where the food is prepared.