Marco Polo Trail Exhibit at the Roger Williams Park Zoo

Built in 1996, the Marco Polo Trail was one of the first in the country to truly embrace the 'biopark' concept -the idea of combining cultural, historical and zoological experiences. The Marco Polo Trail is a multifaceted exhibit tracing a three-year journey of explorer Marco Polo through Asia.

To give visitors a sense of the culture and history of the era, the Zoo recreated scenes from Marco Polo's journey including a Venetian plaza, Bedouin tent and the hull of a 13th century trading vessel. Along the trail through the 2.5-acre exhibit, visitors encounter animals native to the countries Marco Polo visited. Three habitats are featured - the Dromedary camel, the 'ship of the desert'; the elusive snow leopard, an endangered species hunted almost to extinction; and the moon bear, also known as the Himalayan or Asian black bear.