Record attendance at Fresno's Chaffee Zoo in 2010

Even a cold gray day didn't stop visitors from flocking to the Fresno Chaffee Zoo. Kids say where else can they see animals from the wild, like these wolves choking down a meal.

Riley Browning said, "You never get to see them outdoors doing their own thing so it's really cool to see them here."

In fact over 443 thousand visitors came through these doors in 2010. Adrienne Castro with the Fresno Chaffee Zoo says they haven't seen numbers like these in nearly 20 years. "Record attendance since 1991 over 443 thousand visitors represented from California and all over the world."

Four brand new exhibits with exotic snakes, frogs and turtles is an example of why so many are coming.

"This is something new and different, very proud of," said Castro.

This new exhibit was funded by voters and local tax dollars through Measure Z. One penny on every 10 dollars from Fresno County sales tax goes back to the zoo. Another thing drawing families to the ticket booth is affordability.

Zoo officials say a family of four can come to the zoo for under 20 bucks. They say last year many stayed close to home looking for quality entertainment.

Zoo patron, Stephen Herber said, "Now she has some memories she can remember this."

Many babies like Stephen Heber's 2-year-old granddaughter Kaden come to visit the zoo's latest editions like baby orangutans named Liabu and Siabu.

Castro said, "We had some major births we had a giraffe a couple of orangutans who will be on exhibit this spring and they are doing very well."

A sea lion exhibit is scheduled to break ground in 2011. Zoo officials are expecting another busy year ahead.