Best Scary Fish

Zilker Botanical Gardens' Fish Pond

Strolling through Zilker Botanical Gardens is a very peaceful and beautiful experience; it's the perfect place to take the family or to just relax and enjoy the beauty of nature. Nestled in the middle of the gardens is a lotus pond. Irresistible stepping stones lead the curious to the center of the pond. Movement catches the eye, and one look down over toes draped across the water reveals something very similar to a goldfish swimming by -- only this one is the size of a leg. What was that thing, and what does it eat?! Perhaps it will jump right out of the water and nip those toes off? One wrong step could be the last. We're just kidding; these fish are known as koi. They're magnificent if not daunting, and as far as we know, there have been no reported koi fatalities. Yet ...

Zilker Botanical Garden
2220 Barton Springs Rd., 512/477-8672
www.zilkergarden.org