North Carolina Zoo

North Carolina Zoo The North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro, NC is the World's Largest Natural Habitat Zoo, with over 2,800 acres.
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Official account of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Celebrating our Golden Anniversary of 50 wild years! 1947-2024 ✨

World's largest natural habitat zoo. At the North Carolina Zoo, connect with wildlife from two different continents as you explore 500 acres of animals in natural habitats. Walk from Africa’s grasslands to North America’s Arctic coast. Escape to the

forests and streams of North Carolina’s beautiful Central Piedmont. Located at the foot of the Uwharrie Mountains, the Zoo is just outside the charming southern town of Asheboro. Discover more than 1,700 animals and 52,000 plants along five miles of shaded pathways.

We’re continuing our Avian Prop series where we highlight the special birds behind-the-scenes at the Zoo!💛 Meet the Gold...
08/11/2026

We’re continuing our Avian Prop series where we highlight the special birds behind-the-scenes at the Zoo!

💛 Meet the Golden-Crested Myna! Native to Asia, these omnivorous birds enjoy a wide variety of fruits and bugs. They’re known for their unique vocalizations, which are described as a variety of 'gurgles and croaks,' and they can mimic other bird vocalizations. Males have more yellow on their faces, while the females are primarily black.

We have successfully bred this species for many years at the Zoo. Most recently, in June 2026, a pair hatched 3 chicks! 🐣 And the father of these recent chicks hatched here in 2020…pretty cool, right?

08/10/2026

We’re celebrating World Lion Day with some bone tosses! 🦁 Keepers will toss frozen beef bones to the lions for enrichment. The bones also help clean their teeth as they gnaw and chew on them. Mekita is definitely a bigger fan of bone toss days than Haji. 🦴😂😴

National Geographic Explorer and photographer Joel Sartore has made it his life's mission to give every species a chance...
08/09/2026

National Geographic Explorer and photographer Joel Sartore has made it his life's mission to give every species a chance to be seen. Through the Photo Ark, he's traveled the world creating unforgettable portraits of THOUSANDS of species, from iconic animals to those many people have never heard of.

The Photo Ark serves as both a visual record and a powerful conservation tool, drawing attention to species that are endangered, threatened, or rarely seen.

He recently photographed his 18,000th animal for Photo Ark! And is well over halfway toward his goal of documenting at least 25,000 species living in the world’s zoos, aquariums and wildlife sanctuaries, preserving their images for future generations while raising awareness about the urgent need to protect global biodiversity before more species disappear.

We have had the honor of hosting Joel Sartore, Photographer here at the North Carolina Zoo several times over the years to photograph for the Photo Ark! Check out some of the Photo Ark photographs of animals right here at the Zoo!

Keep in mind, there are species pictured here that we no longer have at the Zoo.

All photo credits: Joel Sartore, Photo Ark

Since today is International Cat Day, we thought we would take this opportunity to post a photo dump of our sand cat kit...
08/08/2026

Since today is International Cat Day, we thought we would take this opportunity to post a photo dump of our sand cat kittens, Ziri and Zayn, and their mom, Sahara.🐾

Sand cat kittens grow remarkably fast! Even though Ziri and Zayn are only 6 months old, they are almost as big as their mom! 📈

Sand cats are the only species of cat that live exclusively in the desert. 🏜️ They are known to be elusive and it is extremely rare to see them in the wild. 🐱

Just a few things we think are ✨kinda chic✨
08/08/2026

Just a few things we think are ✨kinda chic✨

We recently partnered with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission to support freshwater mussel conservation. Nine hundred ...
08/07/2026

We recently partnered with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission to support freshwater mussel conservation. Nine hundred Eastern Creekshell mussels were placed in protected enclosures within Africa Lake, where they will grow to a larger size to improve their chances of survival before being released. Once a bit larger, these mussels will be released into the Deep River watershed to strengthen wild populations! Stay tuned as we share more about this unique opportunity for collaboration and conservation.

August is Antelope Month! ➡️ Swipe to see the species on Watani Grasslands! Which is your favorite to see on habitat? 💚 ...
08/06/2026

August is Antelope Month! ➡️ Swipe to see the species on Watani Grasslands! Which is your favorite to see on habitat? 💚 🌾

08/05/2026

“If children don’t grow up, knowing about nature and appreciating it, they will not understand it. And if they don’t understand it, they won’t protect it. And if they don’t protect it, who will?” - David Attenborough 🌎🌍🌏

08/04/2026

Ever feel like someone’s watching you on your way to Desert Dome? 👀🤔 It’s probably Ham the King Vulture! 🤭 This inquisitive gal notices everything!

🚨 OPERATIONS UPDATE: Monday, August 3, 2026 🚨Power has been restored to the Zoo. We will reopen at noon following normal...
08/03/2026

🚨 OPERATIONS UPDATE: Monday, August 3, 2026 🚨
Power has been restored to the Zoo. We will reopen at noon following normal hours. Thank you for your patience!

Address

4401 Zoo Pkwy
Asheboro, NC
27205

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

(800) 488-0444

Website

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