San Francisco Zoo

San Francisco Zoo To connect all people with wildlife, inspire caring for nature & advance conservation action

The San Francisco Zoo connects people with wildlife, inspires caring for nature and advances conservation action.

Red-ruffed lemurs are stunning, but would you call their body color red, reddish-orange, rust or chestnut? And along wit...
08/25/2025

Red-ruffed lemurs are stunning, but would you call their body color red, reddish-orange, rust or chestnut? And along with the reddish body coloration, you’ll note they have a black forehead, snout and face, black belly, feet and bushy black tail, with black ear tufts and of course, a bright white patch of fur on the back of their neck. Stunning!

📷: Steve Franks.

08/23/2025

Each day, our carnivore staff spreads a variety of produce around the habitat for black bears Juneau and Valdez to forage, and what they don’t find right away, you can bet they’ll find later in the day!

08/22/2025

We finally had our August (instead of Fogust) this week, albeit brief!

08/21/2025

It’s World Goat Day! Meet two of our goat caretakers, Amber and Ynez, as they share some fascinating facts about our herds!

As one of the first animals to be domesticated by humans over 9,000 years ago, the estimated 200 domestic goat breeds play vital roles around the world, from serving as a source of milk and meat, for their hair as fiber, w**d control, companionship and even as therapy animals.

They are social animals, known for their intelligence, are actually picky eaters, and are excellent climbers (you might see our goats up high on climbing structures!).

Happy World Goat Day – come on down to the Family Farm soon to meet our goats up-close and personal!

Thanks to Amber’s son Lucas for helping to create this video! Great job!

Black-and-white ruffed lemur Aang using selfie mode.📷: Aang
08/20/2025

Black-and-white ruffed lemur Aang using selfie mode.

📷: Aang

On this World Orangutan Day, we recognize the three orangutan species – Bornean, Sumatran and Tapanuli – all critically ...
08/19/2025

On this World Orangutan Day, we recognize the three orangutan species – Bornean, Sumatran and Tapanuli – all critically endangered. Their primary threats are habitat loss and fragmentation from palm oil operations, illegal hunting and trafficking. To grow more palm trees and extract palm oil, dense rainforests, the habitat where orangutans live, are cut down to make more farming land.

Rainforests once covered 14% of the earth’s surface, but due to human interference and deforestation, they now cover approximately 6%. The last population survey in 2012 posted on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, estimated 104,700 Bornean orangutan individuals in the wild, and today there is a projection of just 47,000 left.

SF Zoo participates in the AZA’s Orangutan Saving Animals from Extinction (SAFE) program, which focuses on conserving wild orangutan populations and their habitats. You can meet our two Bornean orangutans, male, Berani and female, Judy at the Great Ape Passage.

Join us on Saturday, August 23 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. as we celebrate World Orangutan Day with a pop-up conservation table and keeper talks where you can learn more about how SF Zoo is committed to the conservation of these great apes and what you can to help.

📷: May Woon

When the camera gets your best side! Waldrapp ibis by Steve Franks.
08/18/2025

When the camera gets your best side!

Waldrapp ibis by Steve Franks.

08/17/2025

Keeper Ynez making sure alpaca Ozzie’s favorite blue bucket has plenty of water!

Alpacas naturally like to dip their feet so there’s always going to be an extra bucket for foot dipping!

08/16/2025

Ocelot Pepita gets a “A for effort” here (and yes, she was finally able to fully enjoy her treat!). Happy Caturday!

08/15/2025

With the arrival this week of our new silverback, Cecil, from the Louisville Zoo, we asked Robbie Graham, our Senior Curator of Mammals and Louisville’s General Curator, Ron Evans, to share some insight on how Cecil came to lead SF Zoo’s troop. Thanks to Ron and Cecil’s long-time keeper, Kelly, for making this a smooth transition!

Over the next several weeks, Cecil will acclimating to his new home and being slowly introduced to his new family (called “the ladies”!). Stay tuned for more news and when he will be available to see for the first time.

Photo of Cecil by Callie Wells

It’s World Lizard Day! You can currently see many of our lizard species along the Nature Trail this summer and learn fun...
08/14/2025

It’s World Lizard Day! You can currently see many of our lizard species along the Nature Trail this summer and learn fun facts from our knowledgeable youth volunteers! Also, you’ll find lizards, such as our caiman lizard, Ladybug Lotusflower, at the South American Tropical Rainforest & Aviary, and of course Rinca, our male Komodo dragon, at Komodo Crossing.

If you’re visiting today, don’t miss our pop-up lizard conservation table located at the Exploration Zone from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and meet some lizards along the Nature Trail!

📷: Tara C.

Happy International Wolf Day! Our four female Mexican gray wolves serve as important ambassadors of this subspecies once...
08/13/2025

Happy International Wolf Day! Our four female Mexican gray wolves serve as important ambassadors of this subspecies once on the brink of extinction, and thanks to the work of U.S. Fish & Wildlife, conservationists and zoos, this keystone subspecies has seen a recovery since 1998.

Wolf species continue to face threats from humans, and this day is an important one to celebrate the vital role wolves play in their ecosystems.

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Sloat Blvd And The Great Highway
San Francisco, CA
94132

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Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

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+14157537080

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Our Mission

The mission of San Francisco Zoo & Gardens is to Connect people with wildlife, inspire Caring for nature and advance Conservation action.

Open 365 days a year, San Francisco Zoo is home to more than 2,000 exotic, endangered and rescued animals in 100 acres of majestic and peaceful gardens located directly on the Pacific Coast.