ABQ BioPark Zoo Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
ABQ BioPark Zoo
Main entrance
Date opened	1927
Location	Albuquerque Biological Park, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
Land area	64 acres (26 ha)
Coordinates	35°04′39″N 106°39′46″W / 35.0776°N 106.6627°W / 35.0776; -106.6627
No. of species	200+
Memberships	AZA

The ABQ BioPark Zoo is a fantastic place to visit in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It's part of the larger Albuquerque Biological Park. This zoo first opened its doors in 1927. It covers a huge area of 64 acres (26 ha)!

The zoo was once known as the Rio Grande Zoo. It has many cool areas to explore. You can find exhibits about Africa and Australia. There's also a "Cat Walk" and a special area for reptiles. In 2016, a fun carousel with endangered animals was added. A special train connects the zoo to other parts of the BioPark. You can walk about 2.27 miles (3.65 km) to see everything at the zoo.

The Albuquerque Biological Park is a trusted member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). This means it meets high standards for animal care.

Amazing Animal Exhibits
Gallery
See also

Amazing Animal Exhibits

Flamingo Crossing

Right at the start of the zoo, you'll find Flamingo Crossing. This is an island surrounded by water. It's home to the zoo's beautiful Caribbean flamingos. The island is full of green bamboo plants.

Reptile House

A huge Saltwater crocodile lives at the zoo.

The Reptile House got a new look in 2012. Now, it mainly shows off many kinds of reptiles. You can see different snakes, tortoises, and lizards here. There are two big areas for the zoo's Komodo dragons.

Nearby, another building houses a large adult saltwater crocodile. You can also see slender-snouted crocodiles there. Outside the Reptile House is the new Gator Swamp Exhibit. This is a big, warm outdoor pool. Several adult American alligators live there. The Reptile House was updated again in 2017. These changes added cool digital signs and interactive displays.

Five Texas horned lizards were born at the zoo in August 2019. You can now see them in the reptile building. The zoo has been helping these lizards breed since 2017. Texas horned lizards have lost about half of their natural homes. This is because their food (ants) is disappearing. The zoo has released about 70 young lizards into the wild. They went to Socorro County, New Mexico.

List of animals

Raptor Roost

This area has several large bird homes. They are for amazing birds of prey. You can see Andean condors, golden eagles, and great horned owls. Steller's sea eagles also live here.

Mexican Wolf Exhibit

A fast Mexican Wolf.

This exhibit is home to the zoo's Mexican wolves. They are the most endangered type of wolf in the United States. In June 2020, two Mexican gray wolves, Kawi and Ryder, had seven pups. This was their second group of babies. There were five boy pups and two girl pups.

Inukshuk Bay

This big exhibit lets you see the zoo's polar bears in many ways. You can watch them through windows underwater. Or, you can walk to the top of the exhibit. From there, you can see the bears relax, eat, and slide down a waterfall.

Catwalk

The Catwalk has special areas called grottos. These are home to the zoo's big cats and other animals. Some African lion siblings, Kenya and Dixie, moved to the Abilene Zoo in March 2023. This was because the Catwalk was being updated.

List of animals

Amphibians: Life on a Limb

When the Reptile House was updated in 2012, this new exhibit opened. It replaced an older area for young alligators. This building is now home to many kinds of frogs. It also has other amphibians. The zoo is the only place that has locust coquis in captivity. These frogs from Puerto Rico are critically endangered.

List of animals

Asia Exhibit

This area used to be just for the zoo's Asian elephants. There were two male and four female elephants. In 2023, the area got bigger. It now has flexible exhibits for orangutans, siamangs, tigers, and snow leopards.

List of animals

Australia/Koala Creek

In September 2018, the zoo started big plans to make this area larger. The old seal pool was closed and will be used for new things. New animals coming to this area include dingos and little penguins. Wallabies and koalas will also return to the zoo. The zoo will update exhibits for its current animals. It will also be a new home for the zoo's saltwater crocodile.

List of animals

Africa Exhibit

This large area covers six acres of land. It has 17 separate exhibits. You can see 23 different types of mammals and birds from Africa here.

List of animals

Ape Walk

An orangutan at the Ape Walk exhibit.

This walking path is home to the zoo's apes. You can see siamangs here. It also houses western lowland gorillas.

Birds of the Americas

This aviary mixes five types of birds from North and South America. You can spot burrowing owls and Gambel's quails. There are also greater roadrunners, hyacinth macaws, and sun conures.

Penguin Chill

The exciting Penguin Chill exhibit opened in July 2019. This multi-million dollar exhibit was paid for by city taxes. It features gentoo penguins, macaroni penguins, and king penguins. It's the first exhibit of its kind in the Southwest!

The building is 14,550 sq ft (1,352 m²) big. It has a main tank that holds 75,589 US gal (286,140 L; 62,941 imp gal) of water. You can view the penguins from above ground or underwater. There's also a large area for learning and an outdoor deck. This deck overlooks the main park and has restrooms and a snack bar.

The exhibit starts with a themed viewing deck. It offers a wide view for visitors. The main pool is 5 to 12 feet (1.5 to 3.7 m) deep. This gives the penguins lots of space to swim and play. You can even watch keepers feed them! There's a glass floor area too. It lets you see penguins swimming right under your feet. The exhibit uses natural light cycles. This helps the penguins stay healthy and breed. In 2020, two macaroni penguin eggs were found. But sadly, both eggs were not fertile.

Birds of the Islands

This exhibit opened in 2020. It is located where the old parrot habitat used to be. Birds of the Islands is part of the Zoo's Americas Trail. Next to the bird homes, there is an exhibit for Aldabra giant tortoises.

List of animals