Tiergarten Schönbrunn, Vienna, Austria

Tiergarten Schönbrunn of Vienna, also known as the Vienna Zoo, is the oldest zoo in the world that has been continuously operating since 1752.

Initially created as the imperial menagerie, Tiergarten Schönbrunn is now focused on conservation and education. It has a vast variety of animals from different regions of the world.

Bronx Zoo, New York City, USA

One of the largest zoos in America is the Bronx Zoo, in New York City. It covers an area of 265 acres with the Bronx River flowing through it. Opened in 1899, Bronx Zoo established the first modern zoo animal hospital in 1916.

The zoo has a population of over 10,000 animals representing more than 700 species from all over the world, ranging from tigers, lions, and gorillas to lemurs and reptiles.

San Diego Zoo, San Diego, USA

Opened in 1916, the San Diego Zoo in California is perhaps the most famous in the US; it is also considered the best or at least the most famous zoo in the world.

The zoo is divided into eight different exhibits themed according to geography and habitat and is home to over 12,000 rare and endangered representing animals across 650 species, including Australian koalas and Tasmanian devils as well as animals from Africa and Asia. The zoo focuses on animal preservation and has played an important role in conserving the giant panda population. San Diego’s pandas are the most visited attraction in the park.

Singapore Zoo, Singapore

The Wildlife Reserve of Singapore, also known as the Singapore Zoo, is another worth visiting zoo. Hidden away among the forests in the centre of Singapore, the zoo is spread over 69 acres and is home to 4,200 animals across 300 species. Its eleven zones house animals from all over the world — orang-utans, lemurs and sloths, as well as kangaroos, lions and zebras.

It also has one of the most outstanding varieties of rainforest animals outside the actual rainforest. It’s one of the world’s only “open-concept” zoos, so the animals are almost entirely in their natural habitat.

Beijing Zoo, Beijing, China

Founded in 1906, the Beijing Zoo is the largest and oldest zoo in China. It spans more than 200 acres and is home to over 450 species of land animals, as well as more than 500 species of marine life in its aquarium, with a population of 5000 animals. The zoo has a strong focus on rare animals native to China.

The Panda House is the main attraction of this zoo, with an extensive collection of pandas. Other species that are endemic to China include red pandas and Sichuan golden hair monkeys, while there are also many animals that are not native.

National Zoological Gardens, Pretoria, South Africa

National Zoological Garden of South Africa, often referred to as the Pretoria Zoo due to its location in the city of Pretoria. It is the largest and most well-known zoo in Africa, operating since 1899.

With an area of 210 acres, that includes an Aquarium and Reptile Park, it boasts more than 9,000 animals from above 600 species. African penguins, African savannah elephants, hippopotamuses and even endangered Okapi can be seen here. It has the best collection of animals from across Africa than anywhere else, while there are also animals from Asia, Australia and the Americas.

Zoologischer Garten, Berlin, Germany

The Zoologischer Garten of Berlin, or the Berlin Zoological Garden, was opened in 1844. It is not just a heritage site, it is also the world’s biggest zoo, considering that it has about 20,200 animals across 1,380 different species, which include polar bears, giant pandas, lemurs and many other kinds of primates. The zoo covers about 90 acres and has a polar bear exhibit, an aquarium, African and Asian mammals, and many other exhibits.

Taronga Zoo, Sydney, Australia

Covering 69 acres, Taronga Zoo in Sydney is the largest zoo in Australia. The zoo was founded in 1916 and is home to 350 species and over 4,000 animals across its eight zoogeographic regions. Besides the native Australian wildlife that includes tree kangaroos, koalas, and emus, the zoo also features some incredibly rare creatures from around the world like the sun bears and endangered Sumatran tigers. The zoo’s seal show is a huge attraction for visitors. Taronga offers everything a zoo should, from elephants to lions to penguins.

Chester Zoo, England, UK

Chester Zoo is the United Kingdom’s largest and most popular wildlife attraction. Opened in 1931, it covers 128 acres of land to the north of Cheshire. It’s now managed by a charity called the North of England Zoological Society. The zoo has over 35,000 animals, including some incredible exotic creatures like capybaras, babirusas, and Andean bears.

Wellington Zoo, Wellington, New Zealand

New Zealand’s most beloved zoo is the Wellington Zoo. It started in 1906 with the gift of a single young lion to the city of Wellington and has expanded to become home to over 500 animals. It was the first zoo in the country and most animals were flown in from other countries, besides several species native to New Zealand and Australia.

Conservation is a large part of the work done here, especially with the zoo’s animal hospital — Nest Te Kohanga. The zoo is known for its resident chimpanzees, there are also cheetahs, little blue penguins and, of course, the kiwi — the national icon of New Zealand.

Toronto Zoo, Toronto, Canada

Started back in 1974, Toronto Zoo is the largest zoo in Canada. It’s one of the only zoos in the world that has a Canadian exhibit featuring moose, elk, and other species native to Canada. Its 710-acre area is divided into seven distinct zoogeographic regions which reflect different continents and environments, such as Indo-Malaya, Tundra Trek, Australasia, Africa, America, and Eurasia. Toronto Zoo is home to around 5,000 animals across 500 species from all around the world.

Henry Doorly Zoo, Omaha, USA

The largest zoo in the world is Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo, given both its land area and the number of species there. Spread over 130 acres, the zoo is home to over 17,000 animals of almost 1,000 different species. Originally known as Riverview Park Zoo when it first opened in 1894, it is now a national leader in wildlife conservation and research.

Besides having a look at tigers, lions, elephants, and rhinos here, one can also visit the aquarium to see sea turtles and sharks up close.

Welsh Mountain Zoo, North Wales, UK

The Welsh Mountain Zoo, also known as the National Zoo of Wales, is the oldest zoo in the country and started out as a small family business in 1963. Covering just 37 acres, it boasts some gorgeous scenery. There are around 1500 animals, which include snow leopards, Sumatran tigers, American alligators, and Burmese pythons.

While there are no huge animals like elephants, giraffes, etc., the zoo has an extraordinarily healthy and well-cared-for population of chimps, exotic birds and a tiger. The visitors can even feed the resident penguins and meerkats.

Prague Zoo, Prague, Czechia

The Prague Zoo, officially called the Prague Zoological Garden, in the Czech Republic was opened in 1931, though it was still under construction at that time. The zoo now occupies 140 acres and is home to roughly 5,000 animals across 676 species. Of the total number, 132 species are classified as threatened, which is due to the zoo’s prominent captive breeding programme.

You can see Galápagos tortoises, western lowland gorillas, polar bears and much more.

Published in Dawn, Young World, February 18th, 2023