Source by: Drusillas Park
It would have been difficult to see the diversity of wildlife nature has given us, if not for the various zoos we have all over the world. More importantly, lots of time and other resources are better managed when we know the best zoos to visit for a fun-filled and educative adventure.
This guide will help you to know the best zoos in the world to visit so that you can plan your next trip accordingly.
Get ready to start? Let’s go!
1.SAN DIEGO ZOO, USA
Source by: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
This zoo, famous for being one of the best in the world, is located in Balboa Park, San Diego, California, USA.
About 650 species and subspecies of over 3,700 animals reside in this zoo. Among these animals are gorillas, polar bears, monkeys, pygmy hippopotamus, turtles, snakes, kingfishers, argus pheasants, snow leopards, elephants, etc.
San Diego Zoo recreates natural animal habitats through its open-air exhibits. The exhibits provide a home to rare and endangered species of wildlife. Animals that can be found together in a particular habitat in the wild are usually kept in the same exhibit.
Some of the major exhibits are Urban Jungle, Sun Bear Forest Monkey Trails, Elephant Odyssey, Absolutely Apes, Polar Bear Plunge, Tiger River, and Children’s Zoo.
The zoo offers Skyfari, which is an overhead lift that provides an aerial view of the zoo. Guided bus tours that cover more than half of the zoo are also available for visitors.
2. SINGAPORE ZOO, SINGAPORE
Source by: Trip.com
This beautiful zoo is located on Upper Seletar Reservoir in Mandai, Singapore. It is formerly known as Mandai Zoo and regarded as one of the best zoos in the world.
Singapore zoo houses about 315 species of animals, a considerable number of which are endangered. Interestingly, the biggest colony of orangutans in the world can be found here.
The animals are displayed in naturalistic enclosures with moats and glass barriers between the animals and visitors to the zoo. Various modes of transportation are available to visit the zoo more comfortably.
There are many exhibits in the zoo, featuring wildlife from many parts of the world. Some of the exhibits are Treetop Trail, Gibbon Island, Tiger Trek, wild Africa, Australasia, Cat County, Primate Kingdom, fragile forest, Elephants of Asia, and Frozen tundra.
Some of the animals here include the California sea lion, mandrills, leopard tortoise, bearded dragon, eyelash viper, Chinese alligator, wolverine, blue glassy tiger, ring-tailed lemur, amazon milk frog, red-necked wallaby, African lion, cheetah, white tiger, giraffes, etc.
3.TIERGARTEN SCHONBRUNN ZOO, VIENNA
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Also known as the Vienna Zoo, this is the oldest and one of the best zoos in the world that you should visit. It was established in 1752 and has been operating since then. It is situated on the beautiful grounds of the Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria.
Some of the attractions in the zoo include the architectural design of the structures, an exhibit of animals, a polarium for Arctic animals, and a simulation of the Amazon rainforest. Here is one of the few zoos in the world where you can see giant pandas.
In addition, there are special programs for children, excursions, and animal research programs.
4.BRONX ZOO, USA
Source by: Wikipedia
This is one of the prominent zoos in the United States of America. It is located in Bronx Park, New York. The Bronx Zoo is known worldwide for its large variety of animal collections and memorable exhibits, making it one of the best in the world.
The zoo’s population of more than 650 species of about 4000 animals are presented in more than 25 exhibits. Some of the exhibits are African Plains, Big Bear, World of Birds, Madagascar! World of Reptiles, Zoo Center, Tiger mountain, and Jungle World.
A visit to this zoo will enable you to see animals from all around the world. Among the animals are sea lions, gazelles, hybrid giraffes, African wild Dogs, Nubian ibex, grizzly and polar bears, pandas, Amur, and Malaysian Tigers. All these are animals are presented in an environment similar to their natural habitats.
5.BEIJING ZOO, CHINA
Source by: Wikipedia
This center of zoological research is the oldest zoo in China. The Beijing zoo can be found in Xizhimen, Beijing, China. It was founded in 1906.
The animals are presented in more than thirty large halls. The halls are named after the animals kept within them. The zoo’s breeding program has assisted many endangered species to reproduce over the years. The white-cheeked Gibbon, giant panda, vervet monkey, mantled guereza are some of these endangered species.
Another attraction in this zoo is the Qing dynasty buildings, which presents interesting exhibits from ancient China.
6.ZOOLOGISCHER GARTEN OF BERLIN, GERMANY
Source by: Welcome to Berlin
Over the years, this zoo has attracted many accolades. It is the best known and oldest surviving zoo in Germany, the most visited zoon in Europe, and one of the most famous in the world. When translated to English, its name means Berlin Zoological Garden.
The collection of the animals in the Berlin Zoological Garden is very comprehensive. There are more than 20,000 animals and about 1400 various species.
One of the major attractions of this zoo is the aquarium which hosts numerous aquatic animals and all the reptiles kept by the zoo. If you love to watch animals feed then you need to visit this zoo. Furthermore, the zoo is opened to visitors throughout the year.
Animals resident in the zoo includes giant pandas, Polar bears, Indian rhinoceroses, orangutans, bonobos, rare species of mongooses, tigers, lions, cheetahs to mention a few. Bird lovers can enjoy visiting the aviaries.
7.NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN OF SOUTH AFRICA
Source by: Expedia
The National Zoological Garden of South Africa is among the greatest and best zoos in the World. Because it is located in Pretoria, the zoo is also known as the Pretoria Zoo.
Its over 9000 animals from about 600 species are presented in exhibits. Aquarium, Mammals, Aviary, and Reptile Park are some of the major exhibits in the zoo.
Prepare for a breathtaking experience right from the entrance of the zoo where you will see birds and chimpanzees’ enclosures. Other animals include the endangered okapi, hippopotamuses, cheetahs, Nubian ibexes, red pandas, kangaroos, Bengal tigers, mountain zebras, etc.
8.TARONGA ZOO, AUSTRALIA
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The Taronga zoo is located in Sydney, Australia. It is the largest in Australia. Interestingly, Taronga is from the native Australian language, which means beautiful view.
The zoo is home to several indigenous wildlife. Moreover, rare and endangered species of wildlife from around the world are also present in the zoo. More than 4000 creatures from about 350 species are residing in the Taronga Zoo.
Various exhibits provide a home to the large variety of animals in the zoo. Some of the animals are the platypus, wandering whistling duck, emus, koalas, Tasmanian devil, Pacific emerald dove, sea lions, crocodiles, chimpanzees, elephants, lemurs, tigers, etc.
9.CHESTER ZOO, ENGLAND
Source by: WTM Global Hub
Chester zoo is situated in Cheshire, England. It is the most famous zoo in the United Kingdom and one of the best zoos to visit in 2021.
The zoo is home to about 35,000 animals. More than half of the animals here are endangered species. Some of these threatened animals are Andean bears, black rhinoceros, jaguars, Sumatran tiger, Madagascan tree boa, blue-eyed cockatoo, flying fox, etc.
Some of the various exhibits in the zoo are the Spirit of the Jaguar, Elephants of the Asian forest, Realm of the Red Ape, and Monsoon Forest Islands.
10.WELLINGTON ZOO, NEW ZEALAND
Source by: Newshub
This beloved zoo is named after its location in Wellington, New Zealand. Although the zoo was opened with just a single lion cub, it has expanded to house more than 500 animals.
There are many interesting activities visitors can enjoy at the Wellington zoo. One of such activities is the opportunity to feed Giraffes. At the animal hospital, visitors are allowed to watch the vets during animal checkups and surgeries and ask them questions.
The zoo boasts of various animals like lions, dingoes, Tasmanian devil, meerkats, otters, golden lion tamarin, spider monkeys, kunekune, nyala, and giraffes.
11.TORONTO ZOO, CANADA
Source by: Science RendezVous
This is the largest zoo in Canada (710 acres) and the most diverse concerning its collection of animals. Some of the 5000 animal residents in the zoological park are displayed in pavilions while others are outdoors in an environment similar to their natural habitat.
The division of the zoo into seven zoogeographic regions is used to group the animal enclosures according to their natural habitat. So for example, you can find wildlife endemic to Africa in the African Pavilion in the zoo.
Toronto zoo houses Indian rhinoceroses, mandarin ducks, clouded leopards, white lions, Masai giraffes, pygmy hippopotamuses, lemurs, kudus, zebras, wood bison, grizzly bears, cougars, American flamingos, komodo dragons, lionfish, seahorses, among others.
12.HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM, USA
Source by: Wikiwand
The Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is one of the best zoos in the world and has the largest indoor exhibits in the world. This zoo located in Omaha, Nebraska, USA is leading in research and animal conservation.
The indoor exhibits are noteworthy for their size and diversity. Some major exhibits in the zoo are Kingdoms of the Night, Desert Dome, the Lied Jungle, cat complex, orangutan forest, and Scott Aquarium.
Undoubtedly, visitors to the Henry Doorly Zoo should look forward to seeing up close over 900 species of wildlife. African Bush elephants, sable antelope, rock hyrax, white-naped crane, Indian rhinos, snow leopard, tiger, sharks, and turtles are a few of the animals to see.
13.PRAGUE ZOO, CZECH REPUBLIC
Source by: Tours in Prague
Another zoo to add to your best-zoos-to-visit list is the Prague Zoological Garden. Impressively, the zoo has about 5000 animals in residence, some of which are endangered. It is located in Northern Prague, Czech Republic.
This highly-rated zoo is known for breeding threatened species in captivity. Przewalski’s horses, a western gorilla, komodo dragon, Texas turtle, crowned River turtle, and the Red panda are some notable animals that benefited from the breeding programs.
14.ZOOPARC DE BEAUVAL, FRANCE
Source by: Touraine Loire Valley
Commonly known as the Beauval Zoo, this zoo is believed to be the first to have some unique animals in residence in France. In fact, with about 3500 animals, it has one of the largest animal collections in Europe.
Notably, a visit to the Beauval zoo will enable you to see rare species like white tigers, white lions, tree kangaroos, and the giant panda.
You should not miss out on the Sea Lions Odyssey which is a show by California sea lions and the Masters of Air which is a bird show. In addition to these, you will be able to watch animals from different parts of the world.
Animals living in the Beauval Zoo include manatees, great apes, wildebeests, Indian rhinos, Egyptian geese, gorillas, Persian leopards, pumas, red pandas, hippopotamuses, etc. Also, the aquarium in the zoo is dedicated to species from the Great Barrier Reef of Australia.
15.ARIGNAR ANNA ZOOLOGICAL PARK, INDIA
Source by: Wikipedia
The list of the best zoos to visit won’t not complete without mentioning the Arignar Anna Zoological Park (AAZP). It is located in Vandalur, Tamil Nadu, India.
The zoo is home to about 2700 animals. Most of the exhibits in the zoo are beautifully arranged on a circular road of more than 2 kilometers. They are also mimic the natural habitats of the animals.
The AAZP is a good place to observe different varieties of crocodiles. A serpentarium, safari parks, aviaries, a butterfly house, aquarium, and primate enclosures are all facilities offered by the zoo.
16.COLUMBUS ZOO AND AQUARIUM, USA
Source by: LinkedIn
The Columbus Zoo and aquarium are regarded as one the best in the world. It is located in Delaware County, Ohio, USA. The zoo takes care of about 7000 animals residing there.
Remarkably, the animals are grouped according to the particular region they originate from and the souvenir shops in the zoos are also situated according to the regional division of the zoo.
Animals that are featured in the zoo include harbor seal, red fox, Indian crested porcupine, leopard tortoise, Mexican wolf, arctic fox, polar bear, Siberian musk, Amur tiger, etc. Additionally, at the aquarium, visitors can admire numerous species of sharks, eels, stingrays, etc.
Conclusion
Source by: Drusillas Park
That’s it. Here is the list of the best zoos in the world to visit. No doubt, you will enjoy your stay and adventures if you visit any of the zoos on this list.
Also, if you are a zoo owner and want to add some special to your zoo, don’t miss our animatronic animals or animatronic dinosaurs. With the help of them, your visitors will enjoy their journey in your place.
