San Antonio, TX

San Antonio Zoo & Aquarium

Address: 3903 North St. Mary's St. - San Antonio, TX 78212 - MAP
Phone: (210) 226-5700
Web: www.sazoo-aq.org

An educational adventure of breathtaking beauty lies at the heart of the San Antonio Zoo & Aquarium. The famed zoo is home to more than 3,500 animals on 56 acres. Notable exhibits include two of the first-ever cageless areas: the Barless Bear Terraces and the Primate Paradise. For a globe-trotting experience, the zoo also houses simulated environments of the Amazon, African Plains and Austrailian rainforests.

The San Antonio Zoo dates back to 1914, when the founder of the local newspaper deeded land to the city and populated it with buffalo, elk, deer, monkeys, a pair of lions and four bears.

The Richard Friedrich Aquarium was added in 1948 and today the zoo is a marvel of conservation efforts, breeding programs and nature-sensitive displays.

Ongoing exhibits include:

• Africa Live - Recreates the harsh and rugged climate of the savanna, especially the scarcity of water and how animals have adapted to the terrain.
• African Plains - Features ostriches, zebras and giraffes, who tolerate each other in their shared mission of finding water, the most scarce resource in Africa.
• Amazonia - Watch anteaters, sloths and spider monkeys play and forrage for food.
• Butterflies! Caterpillar Flight School - A dazzling butterfly garden of 15 to 20 species. These curious creatures are known to inspect visitors up close, often resting on their shoulders before taking flight again.
• Cranes of the World - Elegant and endangered whooping cranes, blue cranes and hooded cranes can be found here.
• Gibbon Forest - Gibbons are lesser apes that are fast and agile. These sprightly creatures bridge the gap from ape to monkey, but are in imminent danger of extinction.
• Hixon Bird House - One of the world's largest bird collections. Includes multiple enclosures with open mesh roofs. Multiple species and habitats are represented here, including the American southwest (roadrunner, burrowing owl), coastal beaches (black-necked stilt, Inca tern), South American rain forest (quetzal, tinamou, sun bittern) and the jungles of Asia.
• Kronkosky's Tiny Tot Nature Spot - A world of discovery especially for naturalists 5 years old and younger. Hand-on activities vary daily, and have included include ladybug releases and digging for earthworms.
• Lory Landing - This Autralian rainforest environment features lorries, which are small parrots that dine on nectar. Guests can buy small cups of nectar and feed the lorries, who readily perch on visitors' shoulders or outstretched arms.

The San Antonio Zoo & Aquarium is open every day from 9 to 5 p.m., including holidays.