San Diego Zoo

San Diego Zoo, one of the largest collections of exotic and endangered mammals, birds, and reptiles in the world, located in San Diego, California, U.S. The municipal zoo, founded in 1916, is administered by the Zoological Society of San Diego. It occupies a 100-acre (40-hectare) site in the city’s Balboa Park amid a setting of hills and canyons. The zoo has about 4,000 animals representing more than 800 species. A noteworthy feature of the zoo is its landscaping. More than 6,500 species of exotic plants are maintained on the grounds, adding atmosphere and frequently providing an element of the natural diet for various animal species.

The zoo is famous for its breeding colony of koalas, the largest one outside of Australia. The koalas thrive mainly because their sole food, eucalyptus, grows abundantly on the zoo grounds. The zoo also maintains successful breeding groups of gorillas, tigers, giraffes, hippopotamuses, bonobos (pygmy chimpanzees), Galapagos tortoises, and a wide variety of other animals. Its many notable exhibits include walk-through tropical rainforests, aviaries, a children’s zoo, a polar bear habitat with a chilled pool, an Asian river environment featuring tigers, and gorillas and Malayan sun bears in simulated natural habitats. The zoo is renowned for its endangered species breeding programs and conservation efforts; the department of Conservation and Research for Endangered Species conducts research with such animals as pandas, tree kangaroos, clouded leopards, gavials, meerkats, and Tasmanian devils. The Frozen Zoo contains frozen specimens of tissue and genetic material that are used for research on and breeding of endangered species.

In 1972 the Zoological Society opened the San Diego Wild Animal Park. Established in 1969 as a breeding facility for the zoo, the park began drawing its own visitors and subsequently was opened to the public as a complement to the San Diego Zoo. It is situated on some 1,800 acres (730 hectares) in the San Pasqual Valley near Escondido, about 30 miles (50 km) northeast of the zoo. Its more than 3,200 animals represent some 400 species and roam in groups through huge habitats similar to their native Africa and Asia. Staff members conduct research on natural animal behaviours and operate successful breeding programs for many species, including cheetahs, California condors, rhinoceroses, and sambars (a type of Asian deer). Among the park highlights are an exhibit of endangered North American species (including the California condor and the black-footed ferret), a 32-acre (13-hectare) African safari walk featuring giraffes and rhinoceroses, a monorail ride through various African and Asian habitats, and an area where lorikeets (a kind of parrot) can be fed by hand. The park’s rare animals include the Arabian oryx, addax, Przewalski’s horse, and okapi.