Pretoria Zoo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
National Zoological Garden of South Africa

Okapi at Pretoria Zoo
Date opened	21 October 1899 (125 years ago) (1899-10-21)
Location	232 Boom Street, Pretoria, South Africa
Land area	85 hectares (210 acres)
Coordinates	25°44′18″S 28°11′21″E / 25.73833°S 28.18917°E / -25.73833; 28.18917
No. of animals	About 9,000
No. of species	About 700
Annual visitors	More than 600,000
Memberships	WAZA, PAAZA, AKAA
Major exhibits	Aquarium, Aviary, Mammals, Reptiles
Website	https://www.pretoriazoo.org/

The Sammy Marks Fountain in the Zoological gardens

The National Zoological Garden of South Africa is a huge zoo in Pretoria, South Africa. People often call it The Pretoria Zoo. It covers about 80 hectares, which is like 160 football fields! This zoo is the national zoo of South Africa. It was started by J. W. B. Gunning way back in 1899. The Pretoria Zoo is one of the eight biggest zoos in the whole world.

History of the Pretoria Zoo

The land where the zoo is now was once a farm called Klein Schoemansdal. It was bought by the government in 1895. The zoo officially opened in 1899, right when the Second Boer War began. In 1916, it became the official National Zoological Gardens. Today, the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) manages the zoo.

In 2024, the zoo moved its last elephant, Charley, to a wildlife reserve. This happened after talks between the government and groups who wanted Charley to have more space.

Exploring the Zoo's Landscape

The zoo is built on two different types of land. Half of it is flat and easy to walk around. The other half is on the side of a hill. The Apies River flows right through the middle of the zoo. Two bridges help visitors cross the river easily.

Getting Around the Zoo

There are about 6 kilometers of paths for you to explore at the zoo. If you prefer not to walk, you can rent a golf cart. Most of the animal exhibits are reachable by golf cart. A cool cable car can take you from the bottom of the hill to the top. This gives you amazing views!

The zoo has two restaurants where you can grab a bite to eat. There is also a nice picnic area by the Apies River. Outside the zoo entrance, you can find a crafts market. Here, you might find some cool souvenirs.

Amazing Animal Exhibits

The Pretoria Zoo is home to many different kinds of animals. They have thousands of animals from hundreds of species!

When you enter the zoo, you can walk through a large aviary filled with birds. You will also see African penguins and Cape fur seals. There are enclosures for leopards, bright flamingoes, and playful lemurs. You can also find more bird aviaries and areas for hamadryas baboons and other monkeys.

In the center of the zoo, there are big sections designed like the African savannah. Here, you can see large animals like cheetahs, black and white rhinos, and tall giraffes. You might also spot hippos, plains zebras, and African buffaloes. There are also special areas for smaller animals like primates and African wild dogs.

On the northern hillside, you will find large homes for powerful lions and tigers. There are also brown bears, mountain-dwelling Nubian ibexes, and western lowland gorillas. The western part of the zoo has two aquariums with fish. It also has a reptile park, which you can enter separately.

Images for kids

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  Cableway over the zoo

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  Inside the aviary

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  Pretoria skyline seen from within the aviary

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  Apies River flowing through the zoo

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  African savannah exhibit

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  Lions in the hill enclosure

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  A shady walkway

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  Upper story of the Aviary

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  From inside the ramparts at the top of the hill

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  Pretoria skyline from the zoo

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  Pretoria from the zoo

See also

In Spanish: Jardín zoológico nacional de Sudáfrica para niños