San Francisco Zoo

San Francisco Zoo To connect all people with wildlife, inspire caring for nature & advance conservation action

The San Francisco Zoo connects people with wildlife, inspires caring for nature and advances conservation action.

09/19/2024

Cats love catnip - even snow leopards! Jimmy G’s treat is catnip frozen in ice, and sprinkled with taco seasoning!

Get ready for International Red Panda Day this Saturday!
09/18/2024

Get ready for International Red Panda Day this Saturday!

The animals made their return in 2014 after a 32-year absence.

Can you tell which limb our Bornean orangutan Judy is hanging from? If you guessed her right arm, you are correct! Femal...
09/16/2024

Can you tell which limb our Bornean orangutan Judy is hanging from? If you guessed her right arm, you are correct! Female orangutans have an arm span of about 6 feet, about 1.5 times longer than their legs (males’ arms span over 7 feet!). Their long arms are also very strong, allowing these tree dwellers to swing from tree to tree.

09/15/2024

In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, we are spotlighting some of the species found in Mexico, Central and South America. The five axolotls that now reside here after being confiscated by U.S. Fish & Wildlife as part of the illegal pet trade, require specialized care. Part of their care is participating in our husbandry training programs to enable our animal care staff to conduct daily welfare checks. These intelligent amphibians have been taught to respond to audio and visual cues. Using stainless steel tongs to deliver worms and pellets and a plastic yellow target ball, the trainer will tap the tongs on the handle of the ball target to start the session. The sound lets the axolotls know that there is an opportunity to eat and train. They then look for the yellow target ball and swim to it where they will then receive their food.

In addition to giving the trainer a chance to give a visual exam, they are working on desensitizing them to people cupping their hand underneath them. This behavior allows the trainer to gently maneuver them to check over them more thoroughly. Training our animals to participate in voluntary behaviors helps provide the hospital team more options if health issues arise.

Pellets made up of a special axolotl diet fed twice a week and red worms once a week.

09/14/2024

Weekend vibes.

09/13/2024

Each day, animals like our grizzly bears are given a variety of different enrichment to keep them stimulated and interested – and when there’s treats involved, all the better! Even with gigantic, bear-proof items, like this rather heavy donut-shaped feeder, the bears have learned the best way to get to their treats. Food is also strategically scattered about the habitat to encourage foraging behavior.

09/09/2024

Our twice-daily Magellanic penguin feed is a fan favorite to watch!

09/06/2024

We recently relocated our four male Western pond turtles from the Conservation Corridor to the outdoor habitat at the west side of Penguin Island and they are acclimating well, even seen basking in the sun! Western pond turtles are California’s only native freshwater turtle species and are found from Washington State to Baja California.

SF Zoo participates in the Association of Zoo & Aquarium’s SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) program to reintroduce western pond turtles back into the wild by working with local conservation groups. Since 2008, our conservation team has released 447 western pond turtles to areas such as San Francisco’s Mountain Lake and locations in Marin, and working with our veterinary staff, have rehabilitated injured wild turtles from Yosemite National Park and East Bay Regional Parks. Last year, in conjunction with partners, our teams worked to assess the health of local populations of western pond turtles.

Western pond turtles are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN’s Red List and are threatened by habitat destruction and fragmentation and competition with invasive species.

09/01/2024

This summer saw the return of our Nature Trail program and we want to give a shout out to the dedicated work of our Nature Trail youth volunteers who shared facts and animals to our guests! Great job to everyone involved!

08/31/2024

Have you had a chance to see our axolotls yet? While axolotls come in many colors, wild axolotls are brown in color. The five wild individuals that now reside in our Conservation Corridor were smuggled through the illegal pet trade and placed here by U.S. Fish & Wildlife. These engaging salamanders are only found in a small area near Mexico City, and due to their extreme decline in population, they are listed as critically endangered.

Check out this beauty, “Ikura,” named after the famous Jpop star!

Recently our staff from the Animal Rescue & Conservation Center (ARC) met with Easton and Avery, hosts of their own YouT...
08/30/2024

Recently our staff from the Animal Rescue & Conservation Center (ARC) met with Easton and Avery, hosts of their own YouTube channel called "When I Grow Up". After their family won the opportunity to name a kinkajou during our 95th Anniversary event, they asked if we could help them with a video about becoming a zookeeper and of course, we were happy to help!

Each episode of their channel has them diving into the world of different professions, showing young viewers the endless possibilities for their future careers. Great job Easton & Avery!

🐾 A Day in the Life of a Zookeeper! 🐾 Welcome to another exciting episode of “When I Grow Up”! In this episode, we’re exploring the wild and wonderful worl...

08/28/2024

Uninvited guests are always welcome!

We’re in the pink starting off the last week of August, and what better way than with a great action shot of one of our ...
08/26/2024

We’re in the pink starting off the last week of August, and what better way than with a great action shot of one of our Chilean flamingos!

📷: Margaret Chow

08/25/2024

Easy like Sunday morning…

08/24/2024

You know it’s a good day when you find our male Baird’s tapir gingerly swimming in his pool! Tapirs love to swim, and can even submerge, staying underwater for several minutes using their prehensile snout as a snorkel! And water is not just for swimming, they get in the water as a way to cool off and even forage for aquatic plants.

08/22/2024

Hmmm…does this look like a giant boba straw for black bears?!

(It’s actually an enrichment device with treats inside!)

08/19/2024

We’re hanging out with our Bornean orangutans – Judy and Berani – on this International Orangutan Day! All three species of orangutans are critically endangered, so this awareness day is even more important to be educated about their plight and vigilant with our actions, such as using sustainable palm oil and FSC certified products. SF Zoo supports AZA’s Orangutan SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) program; learn more https://bit.ly/4dtgudC

08/18/2024

Our two new Eurasian wolverines, female Molly and male Edward, have adjusted well to their new home and when out and about, are mostly active! Recently, we caught the two in the habitat’s tall tree - did you know that wolverines can climb trees? Their claws are long and curved, and semi-retractable, helping them to grip easily, and as you can see, they also swim!

SF Zoo is proud to partner with My Penguin Friend, an inspiring true story starring Jean Reno and Adriana Barraza. This ...
08/15/2024

SF Zoo is proud to partner with My Penguin Friend, an inspiring true story starring Jean Reno and Adriana Barraza.

This sweeping family adventure is a tale of friendship between a lonely father and a lost little penguin who recharges his spirit and heals his family with an unshakable, ocean-crossing loyalty. Filmed on the spectacular coasts of Brazil and Argentina, Magellanic penguins were used for 90% of the live action, and designed for the safety and comfort of the penguins at all times. Weaved into the story is the migration and preservation of these remarkable birds, revealing what penguins can teach us about humanity. The joyful story of DinDim and Joao Pereira de Souza is both uplifting and poignant.

My Penguin Friend opens in theaters nationwide on August 16.

08/13/2024

We need wolves to help maintain balanced ecosystems as they play a vital role in their respective environments, keeping prey species healthy and strong. Many subspecies, like our Mexican gray wolves, remain endangered, and we must all strive to conserve and protect these and other wolf species. On this International Wolf Day, join us in celebrating…wolves!

08/12/2024

It’s just another ! Wish it were Sunday, cuz that’s my fun day!

08/11/2024

It’s been a hot minute since we checked in with Little Mebo, our new female red panda! She’s doin’ great, come see her soon at the Red Panda Treehouse!

08/10/2024

Happy World Lion Day! Here’s Jasiri, our male African lion, demonstrating the loudest roar of all the big cats, which is said to reach up to 114 decibels and can be heard up to 5 miles away! Male lions roar to communicate with their pride and establish or defend their territory. Both males and females roar - on your next visit, you might see Jasiri and Marvella’s impressive roars!

08/09/2024

Great summer with Nature Trail! There’s still time to meet some cool animals and learn from our awesome youth volunteers! Fridays-Sundays in the Exploration Zone.

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We use positive reinforcement training to teach our rhinos to be active participants in their own health care. We are able to ask them to voluntarily participate in all aspects of veterinary wellness exams including annual blood draws. Here, you can see our vet Dr. Jessica working with Assistant Curator, Seth, and Primary Rhino Caretaker, Katie, to achieve a blood draw with Boone our Black rhino. Great job, team!

We are excited to announce that "Expedition Snow Leopard" is officially open, housing our male snow leopard, Jimmy G, and his twin offspring cubs. The habitat expansion features rocky outcrops that replicate the snow leopards' native range in South and Central Asia. As you'll discover, snow leopards love to climb, and the new habitat provides them elevated platforms for observing from high perspectives. We are proud to continue to tell the important story of the snow leopard's plight in the wild and, through our breeding program, ensure a future for these magnificent cats. *Due to this species vulnerability to COVID-19, SF Zoo respectfully requests face coverings while in the snow leopard vicinity.

Buddy 💛 Cheerios 🔊Make sure your sound is turned on!

Happy #NationalBirdDay! Today, we’d like to bring awareness to a unique bird, the Madagascar teal. This endangered species of waterfowl is found in a narrow area along the western coast of Madagascar. Each year they cycle between very specific breeding, molting, and non-breeding habitats. These habitats are threatened by timber extraction, prawn production and rice cultivation. As one of the world’s rarest and least know species of waterfowl, it was first described in 1860, but because it was poorly known, it was considered “rediscovered” in 1969. The population is estimated between 1,500 and 2,500 individuals in the wild. Often active in the mornings, you can find our female Madagascar teal either perching high or dabbling in the pool in our bird aviaries across for the Orangutan habitat, enjoying her favorite treat, mealworms!

Tenzing playing with a candy cane is exactly the content we need this holiday season 😍

In addition to the 350 tons of new sand, Webcor helped design and install two precast concrete feed pads which allow our staff to provide Gauhati with hay in a clean, dry location free of sand and debris. With design help from Zoo staff, a large trading pad was also installed. This “rhino sized” flat, even area is where staff can work with Gauhati for foot care, physical exams, and other behaviors during training. Thanks again to our friends at Webcor!

Happy feasting! All of us at San Francisco Zoo & Gardens wish you a safe, healthy and happy Thanksgiving 🌞🧡🦒

Tenzing + rain = 🥰🤩

Say hi to Nigel our 8-year-old burrowing owl! Don’t miss Nigel’s Big Adventure this fall at #SFZoo! Follow the clues, meet some of Nigel’s friends and learn some fascinating facts along the way! Have fun, it’s going to be a hoot!

Meet Gauhati, our 26-year-old greater one-horned rhino. When greater one-horned rhinos are not grazing, they like to emmerse themselves in water, which is where you will see Gauhati often throughout the day. Greater one-horned rhinos live in northern India and southern Nepal and are listed as Vulnerable. ⠀ ⠀ Thanks to strict protection by government authorities in India and Nepal, the greater one-horned or Indian rhino has rebounded from fewer than 100 individuals to more than 3,700 today. Beginning in 2005, IRF and their Indian Rhino Vision 2020 partners worked together to establish a new rhino population in Assam's Manas National Park. A total of 21 animals have been born in the park since 2012, and in February 2020, two more rhinos were translocated from Kaziranga National Park to Manas, bringing the population to 41 rhinos and growing #WorldRhinoDay

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Our Mission

The mission of San Francisco Zoo & Gardens is to Connect people with wildlife, inspire Caring for nature and advance Conservation action.

Open 365 days a year, San Francisco Zoo is home to more than 2,000 exotic, endangered and rescued animals in 100 acres of majestic and peaceful gardens located directly on the Pacific Coast.

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