Camels were domesticated more than 3,000 years ago, and to this day, humans depend on them for transport across arid environments. They can easily carry an extra 200 pounds (90 kilograms) while...

The San Diego Zoo's giraffe exhibit lets you get amazingly close to these tremendously tall creatures. The tallest of land animals, a giraffe could look into a second-story window without even having...

You can smell the Zoo's koala exhibit before you get there--the sweet scent of eucalyptus refreshes the senses! Koalas eat eucalyptus leaves, which might seem kind of boring to us, but there are more...

Stay a while to watch the gharials -- an endangered crocodilian -- and Asian turtles swimming in their luxurious pool or sunning themselves on the spacious sandy beach. The large pool is kept at a...

Although not as large as our other walk-through aviaries, the Parker Aviary's intimate size seems to bring the birds much closer to those patient enough to wait for the opportunity. Stand on the broad...

Stroll along our very own "catwalk" to see sleek, powerful felines in their gorgeous fur coats. Each species has its own enclosure, designed with th; the enclosures come complete with climbing...

The Hummingbird House is a long-time favorite of Zoo visitors. Being inside is almost like being in a fairy world, watching fantastic, colorful little creatures flitting by your face while surround by...

Our Australasian aviaries present some of the diverse jewels of the San Diego Zoo's bird collection, one of the premier collections of birds found anywhere in the world. These aviaries are currently...

The San Diego Zoo was one of the first zoos to exhibit the highly endangered bonobos and we currently have one of the largest troops of bonobos in zoos. One characteristic bonobos are especially known...

What would an Arctic landscape be without reindeer? On the hillside behind the polar bear exhibit you'll find a small herd of reindeer, more commonly called caribou in North America. They are most...

Discover how the zoo works to accomplish its goals of wildlife conservation and education. During this two-hour entertaining and educational tour, get a special peek behind the scenes and learn how we...

Our giant pandas enjoy deluxe accommodations with larger exhibit areas and extra vegetation and climbing structures. You'll enjoy the exhibit area, too, with its winding, elevated viewing paths that...

This exhibit, with its natural landscape of cascading waterfalls, open meadow, and climbing areas, provides these vegetarian giants with a healthy living environment that adds to their well-being...

For decades the orangutans and siamangs at the San Diego Zoo have delighted visitors with their colorful personalities and intriguing vocalizations. Now, the two families of apes, indigenous to the...

Some of the Zoo's oldest -- and slowest -- residents are the Galapagos tortoises. Many of them have been with us since 1928, making them the oldest residents in the Zoo. They arrived here as young...

Today, some species scarcely resemble their prehistoric ancestors, while others wear their relatedness like a nametag. Still other species died out in North American but flourished elsewhere and are...

A stroll around its perimeter allows you to safely view an amazing collection of pythons, cobras, boas, rattlesnakes, desert tortoises, and Gila monsters up close -- about 100 species in all! Because...

'Scripps Aviary' is a lush African rain forest, complete with rushing waterfalls and exotic plants. Look up and you might spot some of the more than 130 colorful African native birds representing...

Not all Arctic animals are big and white; most aren't even furry. We've brought some of these feathered denizens to San Diego: diving ducks and shorebirds, such as buffleheads, smews, and mergansers...

You'll be instantly drawn to our Caribbean flamingo flock as you enter the zoo. With their flamboyant color and amusing behaviors, flamingos make the perfect welcoming committee! The 'Flamingo...

Look closely at the San Diego Zoo's East African Kopje exhibit and you'll see more than just a rocky face. At work here is the concept of simulating a specific bio-ecological niche -- the first of its...

Enjoy a three-dimensional journey into the depths of a tropical forest and gain a new understanding of the diversity and interconnectedness of life on Earth. An elevated walkway takes you directly...

They grimace at their keepers and have been known to trash their exhibit. But lion-tailed macaques are strikingly beautiful animals and one of the most endangered species on the planet. Their wild...

Stroll down Tiger Trail and you'll soon come upon a most unusual mamma l-- the Malayan tapir. The tapir is a primitive animal that has remained unchanged for millions of years. Most closely related to...

You'll find Parma wallabies at the San Diego Zoo. This species was thought to be extinct until accidentally "discovered" on an island near Auckland, New Zealand in 1965. Our wallaby exhibit provides...

The four raptor species in the 'Birds of Prey' exhibit are notable for their keen eyesight, their flying skills, and their unique hunting abilities. The zoo has high hopes for each of these rare...

Most people know meerkats from the character Timon in The Lion King movie. However, instead of spending all their time with a warthog, most meerkats live in underground burrows in large groups of up...

The Owens Rain Forest Aviary offers bird lovers an up-close look at about 200 feathered friends representing 45 species and is one of the world's largest walk-through avian encounters. The free-flight...

Let a personal guide introduce you to the incredible animals and plants living at the San Diego Zoo during a Discovery Tour. Sit back in the comfort of our expedition shuttle cart for an enhanced...

Our gregarious river hippos and pygmy hippos seem to delight in both entertaining and observing the humans that come to see them in their luxurious pools. Great eye-to-nostril encounters are possible...