San Francisco Zoo

Receiving over 800,000 annual visitors, the San Francisco Zoo is spread out over 100 acres in the Bay Area. Situated along the Pacific Ocean, the zoo is home to over 1500 exotic, endangered and rescued animals brought here from over the world. The zoo aims at connecting its visitors with wildlife and promoting care for nature along with environment conservation on a major scale.

It was established in 1856 by Robert Woodward as Woodward Gardens during the Gold Rush days and consisted mainly of grizzly bears, captured by the famous hunter James Capen Adams. Woodward Gardens was an amusement park that spread out over 4 acres in 1866 but was shut down in 1890 due to the city being developed and property being cut to construct buildings. The San Francisco Zoo that we know today was reopened in the 1940s. 

The zoo is divided into 7 zones according to animal habitats for easy understanding and access, the Outback Trail consists of kangaroos, koalas and cassowary. The African region consists of giraffes, ostriches, zebras and others. The Cat Kingdom is home to lions, leopards , tigers and hippos. We recommend a good 5 hours to see the whole zoo and carry some snacks and water along.