There are a lot of logistics involved if you want to take the kids to jungle so why not take them to the Bronx Zoo instead?  It's much closer.  With 4 General Admission tickets to the Bronx Zoo, available through the Wildlife Conseration Society, the Congo is just a subway ride away.

http://www.bronxzoo.com/about-wcs.aspx

Founded in 1895 as the New York Zoological Society, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) was one of the first conservation organizations in the U.S. The Society began with a clear mandate: Advance wildlife conservation, promote the study of zoology, and create a first-class zoo.

The Bronx Zoo opened its gates to the public on November 8, 1899, joining the ranks of New York City’s most beloved cultural institutions. Its success led WCS to acquire four more wildlife parks over the course of the twentieth century. In 1902, WCS took over management of the New York Aquarium, then in Manhattan’s Battery Park, and in the mid-1950s, relocated it to Coney Island, Brooklyn. In 1988, the former menagerie in Manhattan’s Central Park reopened as WCS’s Central Park Zoo. The Queens Zoo and Prospect Park Zoo opened in 1992 and 1993, respectively. Together, the five parks draw more than 4 million visitors a year.

The Wildlife Conservation Society is a 501(c)(3) public charity.