A $71 million overhaul has made this 200-acre zoo realistic not only for more than 1,200 animals, but for visitors who can seek out lions and giraffes on the plains of Kenya, gorillas and leopards in the Congolese rain forest, kangaroos and emus in the Australian outback. The Okavango Elephant Sanctuary lures its pachyderms to a muddy waterhole. Children ride ponies and camels, paddleboats and trains, or watch live animal shows. On summer weekends, visitors can camp out, join a nocturnal safari and enjoy breakfast with the animals. An IMAX theater (1995) was the first in any zoo. Established in 1909, the KC Zoo plans to expand to exhibit species of Asia and the Americas.