Top 10 biggest zoos in the world

Any zoo is big because of the animals therein but the biggest zoos in the world have something more than animals – the area. Among the best memories of our childhood are the trips to zoos and zoological parks, aren’t they? An outing with family and children often leads one to a zoo which house exhibits and animals from around the world. From the innumerable zoos in the world, below is a list of the biggest zoos on the planet.

10. National Zoo & Aquarium Canberra:

The National Zoo & Aquarium is located in Yarralumla Canberra, the capital of Australia. It spreads over 25 acres and is owned by Canberra businessman Richard Tindale. The zoo houses animals like koalas, red and west grey kangaroos, little penguins, White lions, Sumatran and Bengal tigers among others. The aquarium includes a vast variety of marine and freshwater fishes.

(img source: flickriver.com)

9. Taronga Zoo:

The Taronga Zoo is located in Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It was opened in the year 1916 and is spread over 52 acres of land. It has over 2,600 animals of about 340 species. It is located on the shores of Sydney Harbour and is a major tourist attraction of the city. It is divided into eight zoogeographic regions. Wild Australia, Great Southern Oceans, Moore Park Aviary, Serpentaria, South American Aviaries, African Waterhole, Chimpanzee Park, Gorilla Forest, Wild Asia, Himalayan Mountains are some of the exhibits of the Taronga Zoo.

(img source: sydneyshowcase.com.au)

8. Moscow Zoo:

The Moscow Zoo is located in Moscow, Russia. With and area of 53 acres, it is undoubtedly one of the largest zoos in the world. Opened in the year 1864, it has around 8,270 animals of around 972 species. It was founded by professor-biologists, K.F. Rulje, S.A. Usov and A.P. Bogdanov, from the Moscow State University. A great place to go with family, it certainly deserves a mention in this list.

(img source: english.ruvr.ru)

7. Berlin Zoological Garden:

Among the oldest zoos and aquariums in Germany, the Zoo of the Berlin Zoological Garden was opened in 1844. The aquarium was opened in 1913. It spreads across 84 acres and is the most visited zoo in Europe.  It has over 17,727 animals of about 1,571 species. The zoo is also known for its famous animals such as Knut, the polar bear, Bao Bao and the Giant Panda.

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6. San Diego Zoo:

The San Diego Zoo is located in Balboa Park, San Diego, California. It was opened in the year 1916 and spreads over 100 acres. It has over 3,700 animals of over 650 species. The most popular exhibits of the San Diego zoo are Monkey Trails, Absolutely Apes, Elephant Odyssey, Panda Trek, Children’s Zoo, Ituri Forest and Polar Bear Plunge.

(img source: biophysics.org)

5. Henry Doorly Zoo:

Henry Doorly Zoo is located in Omaha, Nebraska. It was opened in the year 1894 and is spread in an area of over 130 acres. It can claim to be one of the biggest zoos in the world because it houses around 17,000 animals of about 962 species. The major exhibits include Lied Jungle, Scott Kingdom of the Seas Aquarium, Garden of the Senses, Desert Dome, Kingdoms of the Night, Hubbard Gorilla Valley, Hubbard Orangutan Forest, Cat Complex, Durham Family Bear Canyon, Exploration Station at the Wild Kingdom Pavilion, Butterfly and Insect Pavilion, Simmons Aviary and Expedition Madagascar.

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4. Beijing Zoo:

China is big and so is its zoo. The Beijing Zoo is located in the Chinese capital. It spreads over an area of 220 acres and was opened in the year 1906 during the Qing Dynasty. It has around 14,500 animals of about 950 species. Rare animals found only in China can be seen preserved in the Beijing Zoo. Siberian tiger, yak, Przewalski’s horse, snow leopard, Tibetan gazelle, Giant Pandas, Chinese Alligator and more are some of the animals housed in this zoo.

(img source: beijingholiday.com)

3. Bronx Zoo:

The Bronx Zoo is located in Bronx borough of New York, United States. It has an area of around 265 acres and is one of the biggest zoos in the world. It was opened in the year 1899 and houses around 4,000 animals of around 650 species. Congo Gorilla Forest, JungleWorld, Wild Asia Monorail, Madagascar, Tiger Mountain, African Plains, World of Birds, World of Monkeys, World of Reptiles and Zoo Center are among the major exhibits of the zoo.

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2. Columbus Zoo and Aquarium:

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is located in Powell, Ohio and is a non profit zoo. It was opened in the year 1927 and has a land area of 580 acres. It has around 9,000 animals representing about 793 species. It is quite popular as a zoo and has over 2.3 million visitors every year. The zoo is divided into regions which are North America, Polar Frontier, Pachyderms, Asia Quest, Shores, African Forest and Voyage to Australia and the Islands. Each region houses animals unique to it.

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1. Toronto Zoo:

The Toronto Zoo is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was opened in the year 1974 and is owned by city of Toronto. Spread over 710 acres and housing around 16,000 animals of about 491 species, it is the world’s biggest zoo. The zoo has exhibits divided into several regions which are Indo-Malaya, Africa, Americas, Tundra Trek, Australasia, Eurasia and the Canadian Domain.

(img source: whattodotoronto.com)