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San Francisco Zoo & Gardens

Giraffe at Feeding Time at San Francisco Zoo
Giraffe at Feeding Time at San Francisco Zoo - © lovetoeatandtravel.com

San Francisco Zoo & Gardens is home to 2,000+ exotic, endangered and rescued animals. The spacious zoo, nestled on 100 acres of land, is located in the Sunset District, near the Pacific Ocean. Explore this fun family-friendly attraction. Get up close to the animals as they interact and roam about the open-landscaped setting.  

Animals & Exhibits

In addition to seeing Giraffes, Penguins, Grizzly Bears, African Lions, and Gorillas, San Francisco Zoo is also home to Red Kangaroos, Koalas, Meerkats, Lemurs, Zebras, Red Pandas, Black Rhinos, Sumatran Tigers… and more! Here are just a few of the most popular animals and exhibits.

Giraffe Feeding Time at Giraffe Lodge

Visiting the Giraffe Lodge was one of the highlights of our last visit to the zoo. Every day at 3:45pm, visitors can go inside the lodge and get an up-close view of the giraffes during feeding time (pictured above). They’re fed acacia branches, alfalfa, bananas, giraffe chow, romaine lettuce, and vegetables.  It’s worth a trip to the zoo just to see these magnificent animals.

Penguin Island

Home to Magellanic penguins since 1984, it’s the largest colony in North America. Penguin Island, located across from the Lion House, is one of the zoo’s most popular attractions.

Grizzly Bears

See sister grizzly bears, Kachina and Kiona (pictured below) playing together in their deluxe one-acre habitat at Hearst Grizzly Gulch. Watch as they eat their breakfast, served to them daily at 10:30am.

Grizzly Bears at San Francisco Zoo
Sister Grizzly Bears at San Francisco Zoo - © lovetoeatandtravel.com

African Lions

See African Lions as they roam around their outdoor enclave in Cat Kingdom. They have access to the outdoors 24 hours a day. And they sleep for a whopping 20 hours a day, so chances are they will be resting when you see them.

Gorillas & Chimpanzees

We love watching the Gorillas – and enjoy watching them watch us back! The Gorillas can be found in one of the largest habitats in the country, at the Jones Family Gorilla Preserve, located next to the African Savanna. Chimpanzees and Orangutans are located in the spacious Great Ape Passage habitat.

Hours

San Francisco Zoo is open daily 10am-5pm. 

More Info

Visit SF Zoo’s website for more info on reservations, admission prices, exhibits, docent tours, and animal talks and feedings.

San Francisco Zoo & Gardens

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