Located between the Pacific Ocean and Lake Merced, in the southwest corner of the city, San Francisco zoo is one of the oldest animal parks in the United States. The current site of the zoo is newly developed and the zoo boasts of a long and glorious history. Initially the San Francisco zoo was called the Herbert Fleishhacker Zoo, after its founder. The San Francisco Zoo was started in 1929 on its present location adjacent to the ocean.
Over 950,000 visitors visit the zoo annually to see the almost 950 mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. The recent highlight of the zoo includes Lipmen Family Lemur, a forest setting for five endangered species of lemurs from Madagascar that features interactive components for the visitor. The Gorilla World is a tranquil setting for a family group of western lowland gorillas. Don't miss out the Koala Crossing and Australian walkabout to find kangaroos, wallaroos and emu. There is also a small Penguin Island, which has an enviable of Magellanic Penguins.
San Francisco zoo houses a collection of more than 1,000 mammals and is a wonderful interactive experience for adults and children alike. Watch out for the rare cats and the big cat feeding at the Feline Conservation center. Walkthrough the South American Forest building to meet the large green anaconda and South American reptiles and bird species.
The exhibition collection also includes the Sumatran and Siberian tigers and African lion; as also the savanna habitat such as the giraffes, zebras, antelope and birds. Don't forget to make it to the Children's zoo, which has about 300 mammals, birds and reptiles along with an insect zoo, a nature trail and nature theater. The Little Puffer miniature steam train, which takes passengers around a 1/3-mile track, and the historic Dentzel Carousel (both $2 per ride) is another popular attraction at the San Francisco zoo.
