Ever wonder what the best zoos worldwide to take your kids before they grow up are? If you’re looking to find information, you’ve come to the right post, as we present our top 10 list of the world’s best zoos!
1. Wellington Zoo (New Zealand)
Situated on a massive 32-acre area boasting more than 500 animals of 1o0 species, Wellington Zoo is the place to take you kids to if you desire giving them a once-in-a-lifetime close encounter with nature’s wonderful creatures. Every year, people flock over to see the Sumatran tigers and the smallest of bears—the Sun Bear! Many of which are said endangered and protected, and as part of the zoo’s effort, they are a member of a group called ‘Free the Bears.’ All in all, the zoo is committed to providing quality care and sustainable enclosures to all it animals (solar power and heating) as well as to educating its visitors, especially kids with the significance of wildlife preservation.
Wellington Zoo – Red Panda – Image source: https://flic.kr/p/7Bbmyn
- Website: http://www.wellingtonzoo.com/
- Address: 200 Daniell St, Newtown
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WgtnZoo
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/wellingtonzoo
- Contact #: +64 4-381 6755
2. Berlin Zoo (Germany)
Often described as a brilliant mishmash with an animal-centered theme, Berlin Zoo is the oldest of all zoos in the country which opened 1844, with 9,500 animals spread over 1,500 species. It displays a complete collection of species in the most visited zoo in Europe and houses a large aquarium (with 250+ tanks), where kids could witness a great display of marine species—all in one place! Aside from a massive animal collection, it’s very stunning with its lovely architecture highlighted by two elephant sculptures in the entrance.
Polar Bear Knut Berlin Zoo – Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knut_%28polar_bear%29
- Website: http://www.zoo-berlin.de/en
- Address: Hardenbergplatz 8
- Contact #: +49 30 254010
- Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/zooberlin?ref=website&_rdr
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/zooberlin
- Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/104701528956071850722/posts
3. Toronto Zoo (Canada)
Housing over 5,000 animals from over 460 species, it features unique exhibits, including sting ray touch tanks and camel ride. Best part is that here your kids will find different animals, such as Indian bison ‘Gaur,’ spider monkeys, African elephants, Western lowland gorillas and pygmy hippopotamus, among others. But these aren’t all because Toronto Zoo also boasts indigenous animals, such as the Moose, raccoons, cougar and Grizzly bear.
Toronto Zoo – Image source: https://flic.kr/p/rk6LzA
- Website: http://www.torontozoo.com/
- Address: 2000 Meadowvale Rd
- Contact #: +1 416-392-5929
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheTorontoZoo
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/thetorontozoo/
- Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/TheTorontoZoo/
- YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/TorontoZooChannel
4. London Zoo (UK)
Located right on the north portion of the Regent’s Park, it has been in operation since 1826, but its grounds were only opened for the public in 1847. It has been a successful family attraction since then and has developed for the better in years. It opened its reptile house in 1849 and public aquarium in 1853. This world’s oldest scientific zoo houses popular animal attractions, including Galapagos tortoise, Komodo dragon, gorillas, reptiles and tigers in its 15-hectare space.
Toronto Zoo – Image source: https://flic.kr/p/ard3Dd
- Website: http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo
- Address: Regent’s Park, London
- Contact #: 020 7449 6200
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zsllondonzoo
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/zsllondonzoo
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/zsllondonzoo/
5. National Zoological Gardens (South Africa)
Otherwise known as the Pretoria Zoo, it was established in 1916, and since then has expanded to its current 216-acre space, with half stretching over the lowlands while remaining on the hill side (and in between is the Apies River). To get around, cross the suspension bridges and follow the six-kilometer trails or walkways. After, you can take your kids to a ‘wild’ exhibit featuring animals, such as red pandas, waterbirds, smaller primates, kangaroos and marmosets. And last but not the least your children will be able to witness a massive display of over 9,000 animals of more than 705 specie types—only in the National Zoo of South Africa!
National Zoological Gardens – Image source: https://flic.kr/p/tjqyF
- Website: http://www.nzg.ac.za/
- Address: 232 Boom Street, Pretoria
- Contact #: +27 12 339 2700
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/National-Zoological-Gardens-of-South-Africa/90604111534
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/natzoo
6. Tiergarten Schönbrunn Palace (Austria)
One of the world’s oldest zoos, being built in the 17th century, the Tiergarten Schönbrunn Palace is a haven of regal animals that may deserve your attention! It features exotic and lovely creatures, including flamingos, giraffes and pandas and boasts top attractions, including baby panda bear exhibits.
Tiergarten Schönbrunn Palace – Image source: https://flic.kr/p/ohZFKe
- Website: https://www.zoovienna.at/en/zoo-and-visitors/visitor-information/
- Address: Grounds of the Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zoovienna
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/zoovienna
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/thezoovienna
7. San Diego Zoo (United States)
Located in the Balboa Park, San Diego, it is the place where both adults and kids can become fascinated over a fantastic animal display, making it one of the top tourist’s attractions in the US. It is also a host to wildlife adventures with its SeaWorld and its Birch aquarium. Families looking to see a deeper glimpse of the animal world can hit this zoo offering them great explorations of the wild with its Chinese alligators, elephants, koalas and pandas, to name some. Animals are housed into separate bioclimatic zones—where visitors can stroll from arctic tundra to tropical rainforests, while getting a leisurely lesson from the zookeepers about every climatic zone’s inhabitants.
San Diego Zoo – Image source: https://flic.kr/p/hyRoGw
- Website: http://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/
- Address: 2920 Zoo Dr, San Diego
- Contact #: +1 619-231-1515
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sandiegozoo
8. Singapore Zoo
Find more than 2,800 animals of 300 species of birds, mammals and reptiles all around this 64-acre park in the lush Mandai rainforest zoo (formerly Singapore Zoological Gardens), where to see open-air exhibits, meaning no cages for the animals but special elevated platforms for visitors. Not only that Singapore Zoo boasts its natural animal habitats, but it also showcases feedings and regular shows for acquainting you and your kids with some of nature’s scaly and furry friends.
Singapore Zoo – Image source: https://flic.kr/p/arAV2P
- Website: http://www.zoo.com.sg/
- Address: 80 Mandai Lake Rd
- Contact #: +65 6269 3411
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wrs.sg
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/tweetWRS
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/WildlifeReservesSg
9. Bronx Zoo (United States)
One of the world’s oldest of metropolitan zoos, this 265-acre zoo has kept its charming naturalistic lands and property through the years, despite New York’s development. It houses more than 4,000 animals of 650 species.
Bronx Zoo – Image source: https://flic.kr/p/9NsBzU
- Website: http://bronxzoo.com/
- Address: 2300 Southern Blvd, Bronx
- Contact #: +1 718-367-1010
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bronxzoo
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/bronxzoo
- Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/+bronxzoo/posts
10. Columbus Zoo (United States)
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- Website: https://www.columbuszoo.org/
- Address: 4850 W Powell Rd, Powell
- Contact #: +1 614-645-3400
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/columbuszoo
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ColumbusZoo
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Columbuszoomedia
Located in Powell, Ohio, the Columbus Zoo is a world-class attraction inviting more than 2.3 million of tourists every year and featuring more than 9,000 animals of over 793 species. Some tops attractions include the American bison, Baboon reserve, big bears, butterfly garden, mouse house, sea lion pool and Tiger Mountain.
Columbus Zoo – Image source: https://flic.kr/p/4sEjhJ
There you have the best zoos in the world that attract thousands of tourists yearly and definitely the best ones where kids can enjoy being one with nature even for a couple of hours and where you can educate them of wildlife awareness and preservation.
Have you visited any of these world zoos? Or do you think we missed your favorite zoo in the list? Feel free writing your comment or starting/joining the conversation with the rest of the community below.
