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.

07/30/2026

Who knew that a pile of acacia branches would elicit such enthusiasm! Instead of scattering browse throughout the black-tailed prairie dog habitat as she normally does, Keeper Christina tried something different by placing it all in one large pile. The prairie dogs were thrilled!

Sometimes the simplest changes create the most engaging enrichment.

Keeper Stephanie eyed brother/sister emerald tree boas Bert and Spot “being cute.” And we agree! We’ve been asked how tw...
07/29/2026

Keeper Stephanie eyed brother/sister emerald tree boas Bert and Spot “being cute.”

And we agree!

We’ve been asked how two of them can reside together. It’s the case that if they have a large habitat and the individuals are compatible and monitored, like ours, they will do well together.

And as for reproduction – Spot was spayed years ago, so they will not reproduce.

Aren’t they adorbs?

07/28/2026

What a way to cool off!

Keeper Selena made some special fruit popsicles for our Bornean orangutans, blending strawberries and diluted apple juice and frozen on popsicle sticks. Here’s Berani, who makes eating a popsicle a joyful experience.

07/27/2026

Who would have thought that seeing a camel drink water from a hose would elicit a mega, worldwide response!

Recently, we posted a video of our Bactrian camel, Bactrius Maximus II, drinking water from a hose with great gusto! We were astounded when the video reached 10 million in two days, and now a little more than 2 weeks later, the video has way over 32 million impressions on Instagram! That’s a lot of views!

And IG is not the only place where Ben’s slurping skills were seen: Facebook garnered 21 million views, plus 8.8 million more views on TikTok. If you get a moment, check out the comments - they are hilarious!

Here’s his caretaker, Mary, showing him how well his video did on social. Alas, he was more interested in his romaine snack, so no worries - this adulation won’t get to his head! 🐫

07/26/2026

Happy 24th Birthday to our female mandrill, Lulu!

Keeper Bryan went all out with a colorful, summery enrichment presentation, and since she loves “bags” (who doesn’t?), they were filled with some of her favorite treats, including popcorn, dried cranberries and yam!

The rest of the troop got to join in after she got first dibs!

Happy Birthday Lulu!🎊

07/25/2026

Earlier this week Zoo Docents hosted their annual keeper luncheon in honor of National Zookeeper Week. Thank you Docents, everyone enjoyed the event – it was quite a spread!

We end the week as we started it, celebrating our amazing keepers!

07/24/2026

Komodo dragon Rinca was out and about today, enjoying the sun and exploring his outdoor yard. On warm days, he has access to both his indoor and outdoor habitats.

And as you can see, Rinca is quite a big fella! He currently weighs about 40kg (about 88 lbs.) and is still growing!

07/23/2026

Keepers wear a lot of different hats – animal caregivers, dieticians, behaviorists, exhibit designers, enrichment creators, custodians, gardeners, veterinary assistants, educators, biologists, and in some cases, as doting parents!

For the first time in many years, the Zoo has both penguin and flamingo chicks here at the same time! And while this vid showcases just two individuals, the rearing and oversight of the chicks takes a village, with curators, keepers and vet staff involved.

During this National Zookeeper Week, we salute our entire animal care team! 🐧🦩

07/22/2026

Take this moment to enjoy the sweet sounds of Little Mebo munching on a sunny day, courtesy of keeper Christina!

Our red panda's diet consists primarily of fresh bamboo leaves and shoots, which she receives daily. Her diet is supplemented with a variety of fruits, with apples being her favorite treat. She also receives a specially formulated, complete lifecycle chow designed to meet the nutritional needs of leaf eating animals, providing the high fiber diet they require.

Fun Fact: A Mostly-Vegetarian Carnivore

Although red pandas eat mostly bamboo, they are classified as carnivores because they belong to the biological order Carnivora. This classification is based on their biological order, not their diet. Over time, red pandas adapted to a primarily bamboo-based diet, making them one of the few members that are mostly herbivorous.

07/21/2026

A mini heat wave here but still cooler than everywhere else as we are in the 70s today!

Check out our squad of Chacoan peccaries, who found some mud to wallow in, thanks to keeper Mary! Peccaries do not have sweat glands and wallow in mud to regulate their body temps to keep cool. They also wallow to protect their skin from the sun, and also to deter bugs in their native habitat.

Address

Sloat Boulevard And The Great Highway
San Francisco, CA
94132

Opening Hours

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

Telephone

+14157537080

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