Zoos are places where animals are kept to be showcased to people. There are several zoos around the world. The first modern ‘zoo’ is the London zoological garden established in 1847 for public viewing. Zoos have come a long way and evolved the way in which they function.
In the old days, zoos exclusively belonged to wealthy individuals and couldn’t be viewed by members of the public. After a long period of time, zoological gardens and similar institutions were mainly educational in nature, although they were open to public view. This was because there was an absence of modern communication media and subjects like biology.
Modern zoos came into existence in the second half of the 20th century. At this time, zoos have their own operational principles, but at the advent of the 21st century, zoos around the world jointly established a standard of operation, ethical code, care guidelines and animal welfare principles. There was an association established to pursue the interests of animal care professionals and zoologists. Zoos are currently being morphed into biodiversity conservation centres, with the main goal of safeguarding endangered species and enlightening the public about biology and nature.
Here are ten of the best zoos in the world today (In no particular order):
Top 10 Zoos in the World
Loro Parque
San Diego ZooÂ
The San Diego Zoo is located in California and is home to many animals, numbering up to 5,000. San Diego Zoo is unique in that it recreates the natural habitats of the animals in its possession. It once housed a giant panda, which successfully led to its breeding. A lot of visitors have regarded the zoo as the ‘best zoo of all time.’ It is America’s most popular zoo.
Visitors to the zoo enjoy a bus tour that showcases the beauty of the zoo. There is equally a cable transport facility named’ skyfari’, which gives a beautiful view of the zoo.
The zoo showcases animals in their native habitat. For instance, gorillas reside in the African rainforest. The zoo exhibits animals in invisible wires, open-air moats and darkened blinds to reinforce naturalistic viewing.
Lisbon Zoo
Established in 1884, Lisbon Zoo is among the best in the world. It has as many as 800,000 visitors every year. It has in its enclosure more than 2,000 animals. There are lots of crocodiles, chimpanzees, Tigers, Lions, and many more in the zoo. It is one of the oldest zoos in Europe and is home to more than 200 species. The zoo has a ‘savanna’ style of animal conservation, as animals are kept in places that look like their natural habitat.
Berlin Zoological Garden
Berlin Zoological Garden is the most popular zoo in Germany. Established in 1844, it has more than 1,200 species and has more than 25,000 animals, making it among the world’s biggest.
The zoo is also the most popular in Europe, as over 2 million people visit the zoo yearly. The zoo is open throughout the year and is accessible via public transportation. The zoo also tries as much as possible to house animals in enclosures similar to their habitats in the wild.
The zoo has been termed the ‘best zoo’ globally. The zoo has popular animals like Bao Bao, Knut and polar bears.
Australia Zoo
The Australia zoo has received several accolades and awards from numerous organisations. The zoo is home to thousands of mammals, reptiles, crocodiles and mammals. The zoo is filled with exciting animal activities.Â
The Australian Zoo was founded in 1970. It was formerly called Beerwah Reptile and Fauna Park. The zoo’s name was later changed to Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park 14 years later. It was later changed to Australia Zoo.
The zoo is highly regarded in Australia, as it won the Australian Tourism Awards. It is also a veterinary hospital for animal care, opened in 2004.
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Toronto ZooÂ
Toronto zoo is located in Canada and is the biggest zoo in Canada. It has a land area of more than 700 acres. The zoo is divided into two viewing arenas: the indoor display and the outdoor display in naturalistic environments. There is also a children’s zoo, aquarium and taxonomical display, etc.
The zoo is unique in that there are seven zoogeographical areas for visitors to explore: Indo-Malaya, Africa, Americas, Tundra Trek, Australasia, Eurasia, and the Canadian Domain. The zoo currently has more than five thousand animals and up to 800 species. It exhibits animals all year long except on Christmas day.
The zoo is owned by the Toronto government.
Beijing Zoo
Beijing Zoo is located in China. It was established in 1906 and is currently among the oldest public park and zoos in china. The zoo also doubles as a research institute for the scientific study of rare animals.
The zoo currently has more than 14,000 animals, with more than 400 sea animals. It also receives more than 4 million tourists annually. The Beijing Zoo also has a collection of rare animals, including red pandas, Siberian tiger and alligator.
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The Pretoria Zoo
The Pretoria Zoo is the national zoo of South Africa, located in the capital, Pretoria. It was established in 1899 by a Dutch physician, Jan Gunning. It is among the world’s biggest and best zoos. The zoo has an aviary, and savannah for cheetahs, giraffes, horses and elephants. There are also enclosure facilities for waterbirds and chimpanzees. The zoo also has an aquarium and reptile park.
Singapore Zoo
The Singapore zoo was established in 1973 at a cost of 9 million dollars. It is located in a heavily forested area in Singapore. The zoo is home to a lot of threatened species and receives more than a million visitors annually. Singapore Zoo is one of the first zoological gardens that introduced animals’ display in an open habitat similar to their natural enclaves. It is home to the world’s largest zoological colony of Orangutans.
Saint Louis Zoo
Saint Louis Zoo is located in Missouri, United States. It is one of the world’s top zoological gardens and specializes in animal management and research. Visitors can visit the zoo for free as the zoo is heavily subsidized by the Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District. The zoo was launched in 1910 and has spent decades perfecting animal husbandry and public awareness of the value of conservation.
Conclusion
Now that you’ve seen the most popular zoological gardens in the world? What’s your take on this post? was it helpful? If yes, then kindly leave a comment below.