Riverbanks Ranks Among Top 10 Zoos in U.S.

is number four on the list of the country's top 10 zoos, according to information released Wednesday by the travel website TripAdvisor.com.

The website, which advertises itself as the world's largest travel site, released a popularity index for zoos based on reviews written by citizens. Only three other zoos came in ahead of Riverbanks: Henry Doorly Zoo in Nebraska, the St. Louis Zoo in Missouri and Cape May County Park & Zoo in New Jersey.

“Riverbanks is extremely honored to once again be recognized as one of the top zoos in the United States,” said Satch Krantz, executive director of Riverbanks Zoo and Garden. “We are delighted that TripAdvisor travelers are spreading the word about the zoo and garden and what makes Riverbanks South Carolina’s largest and most popular tourist attraction.” 

Of the 234 visitors who wrote reviews for Riverbanks on TripAdvisor, 172 rated it excellent, 52 rated it very good and eight rated it average. Only two people gave a poor or terrible review. 

One reviewer praised Riverbanks for the areas where visitors can feed the animals.

"Such a wonderful zoo. Riverbanks is clean and offers hours of fun," said the reviewer. "There is a place to feed the giraffes, you can go into an enclosure and feed birds. There is a part of the zoo where you can get up close to gorillas. My kids enjoy that area and the penguin area. We could spend hours just staring at them."