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Bringing the zoo to you.

Can’t make it to the zoo today? Or maybe you’d like to share an amazing animal experience with friends and family around the world? We’ve got you covered with the Virtual Zoo. Be sure to bookmark this page to keep up with what’s new.

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Whether you've visited us in person, or fallen in love thanks to our Animal Planet TV show The Zoo, we want to officially invite you to become a part of our virtual community. Get insider info about the zoos, aquarium, and animals you love. Plus some swag to show off your support, wherever you live.

Check out a few of our favorite hotspots at the zoo: the lemurs at Madagascar!, the langurs in JungleWorld, the penguins in the Sea Bird Aviary, and more.

Madagascar!

Spiny forest.

JungleWorld

Ebony langurs.

Sea Bird Aviary

Virtual wild encounters.

We’re putting the ZOO in ZOOm with the meetings you’ve been waiting for! Come face to face with our amazing animals and the keepers who care for them.

Exclusive Experiences

To connect with wildlife like never before, book a private virtual encounter with the Bronx Zoo staff and animals. You can hear about our work and meet the animals in a personalized encounter.

Meet & Greets

During this interactive virtual event, you will meet your preferred animal ambassador plus two additional animals and their keepers in a group setting. You can ask questions in real time and learn about caring for animals from the experts.

Support Wildlife

You can support animals in WCS parks and in the wild around the world without leaving home! There are many ways to get involved and share the gift of wildlife with others virtually.

Symbolic Adoptions

Adopt an animal for yourself or as a gift and receive a plush, adoption certificate and an animal fact card.

Give a Gift

Find the perfect presents for the animal lovers in your life from gift memberships to exclusive animal encounters.

Learn Online

The Wildlife Conservation Society has resources available for teachers, students, families, and anyone looking to engage in exciting and enriching virtual science learning!

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View this post on Instagram Important little penguin chick update: the duo is testing the waters (literally) on exhibit. Take a look and see how much they’ve grown! . . #bronxzoo #penguin #penguins #littlepenguins #littlepenguin #fairypenguin #bluepenguin #babypenguins A post shared by Bronx Zoo (@bronxzoo) on May 14, 2020 at 7:11am PDT

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23 Virtual Zoo Field Trips, Tours, and Zoo Cams That Get You Up Close to the Animals

Bring the zoo to you.

We love field trips, but sometimes organizing an excursion just can’t happen. Fortunately, we live in a time when technology can bring the excitement to us. The pandemic encouraged many zoos and aquariums to put in the effort to bridge the gap for visitors at home. As such, we’re able to share this list of fantastic virtual zoo field trips, virtual zoo tours, and zoo cams you can enjoy from anywhere.

Best Virtual Zoo Field Trips, Virtual Zoo Tours, and Zoo Cams

San diego zoo.

The San Diego Zoo has a “Watch and Learn” section on its website. Here, students can check out the fantastic zoo cams including the burrowing-owl cam, giraffe cam, elephant cam, and many more.

Atlanta Zoo

While the Atlanta Zoo’s zoo cam is dedicated to pandas, they offer many videos and activities that feature bird watching, sloths, lemurs, monkeys, and more.

Reid Park Zoo

Located in Tucson, Arizona, this zoo features a variety of delightful zoo cams designed to give kids a virtual zoo tour of the elephants, giraffes, grizzly bears, lions, and more.

Tembe Elephant Park

Tembe Elephant Park is located in a remote area of South Africa. Renowned for having the largest elephants in the world, these zoo cams offer sights such as sand forests and wetlands, leopards, rhinos, and, of course, elephants.

GRACE Gorilla Forest Corridor

This extensive cam takes us inside the gorilla forest corridor in the Democratic Republic of Congo while connecting the habitat with the night quarters at the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center (GRACE).

Houston Zoo

Take a virtual zoo tour down to Texas and enjoy the live zoo cams set up by the Houston Zoo, allowing you to peer into the lives of giraffes, gorillas, elephants, and flamingos.

Explore the Arctic

Head to Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, to witness the annual polar bear migration. Discovery Education has teamed up with Polar Bears International to host a series that explores some of the biggest questions about the Arctic.

Bring your virtual classroom to life with animals from the Oregon Zoo. The Wildlife Live videos are aligned to different subject content areas, which are listed on the page. New videos are also posted regularly on the zoo’s social media channels. A few times every week, they go behind the scenes for a live interview with animal-care staff. Each live video is accompanied by a kid-approved activity related to the featured animal .

PBS Zoo Field Trip

Let’s all go to the zoo with PBS LearningMedia! At Zoo Miami, Penny and the KidVision VPK kids wash rhinos, feed giraffes, study a zebra’s stripes, and ride a camel. Lions and tigers and apes, oh my!

International Wolf Center

The cool wolf-pack cam live-broadcasts the adventures of four ambassador wolves: Denali, Boltz, Axel, and Grayson. The exhibit stretches across 1.25 acres and includes two dens, a filtered pond, and a forested area.

San Antonio Zoo

While San Antonio Zoo virtual field trips aren’t free, they’re very engaging. Enjoy virtual encounters with okapis, hippos, rhinos, and more.

From a virtual zoo tour and chats with staff to showing what the animals are up to and posting activity ideas from their education and conservation teams, the Dallas Zoo’s Bring the Zoo to You web series is perfect for a virtual field trip.

Australia Zoo

Australia Zoo was the home of the late Steve Irwin, best known as the Crocodile Hunter. His wife, Terri, and children, Bindi and Bob, have continued his legacy. This fantastic YouTube channel offers captivating videos of some of the world’s most fascinating animals.

Smithsonian’s National Zoo

This virtual zoo field trip takes us to the nation’s capital. Check out animal zoo cams that share a glimpse into the daily lives of black-footed ferrets, naked mole rats, giant pandas, and more.

Chester Zoo

This British zoo has been going live on Facebook and YouTube to offer a fun and engaging virtual zoo tour packed full of fantastic facts and adorable animal antics.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

The Monterey Bay Aquarium has created virtual zoo tour resources to support children’s learning for grades pre-K through 12. The site offers online courses, family-friendly science activities, crafts and printables, and fantastic video lessons (in English and en español) to help young learners who are excited about ocean animals.

Georgia Aquarium at Home

These wonderful guided virtual tours through Georgia Aquarium’s galleries allow you to explore the chilly unknown in Cold Water Quest , be immersed in a world of colors as a tropical diver , and more.

New England Aquarium Virtual Tour

Enjoy a virtual zoo tour of the New England Aquarium and check out the projects and activities available to both educators and families. New zoo cam videos premiere on Facebook , YouTube , and Instagram .

Folly Farm Sloth Cam

Witness the serene existence of Tuppee and Lightcap, two charming two-toed sloths residing in Sloth Forest, a habitat created as a comfortable “sloth retirement home.”

Aquarium of the Pacific Webcams

Peek into the lives of playful penguins, sleek sharks in the Shark Lagoon, the graceful sea nettles, the bustling Tropical Reef, the serene Honda Blue Cavern, and the intriguing coral predators. These webcams, complemented by resource kits, offer a vibrant, educational experience for all ages.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Giraffe Cams

Tune into the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s giraffe cams for a live peek into the lives of giraffes in the African Rift Valley exhibit. These cameras capture the giraffes as they roam, mingle, and interact with visitors hand-feeding them lettuce. It’s a “Way Beyond Watching” experience that brings you up close with these majestic animals from anywhere in the world.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium Webcams

Dive virtually into the world of marine rescue at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Their live webcams offer glimpses into the new Ruth & J.O. Stone Dolphin Complex, home to rescued bottlenose dolphins in a sprawling 1.5 million gallons of Clearwater Bay’s filtered water. Additionally, explore more live cams like the Otter Cam, Pelican Cam, and Mavis’s Rescue Hideaway Cam for a closer look at other rescued marine animals.

Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo Webcams

Catch a glimpse into the daily lives of Beardsley Zoo’s beloved animals with their live webcams. Be sure to switch between the Indoor and Outdoor Red Panda Cams, the Spider Monkey Cams, and the River Otter Cam to see these creatures exploring their habitats.

Did we miss one of your favorite virtual zoo field trips, virtual zoo tours, or zoo cams? Share it with us in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook!

Also, check out the best field trip ideas for every age and interest (virtual options too).

You Might Also Like

40 Amazing Educational Virtual Field Trips

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See the Smithsonian's National Zoo's Asian elephants — Spike, Bozie, Kamala, Swarna and Maharani — both inside the Elephant Community Center and outside in their yards.

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Virtual Reality Safari

Come face-to-face with wildlife in a stunning live-action virtual reality safari! Strap on VR goggles and experience lush jungles and endless savannahs as you journey across the wilds of Africa. Enter the world of the wild and see elephants, leopards and gorillas in their native habitats from the safety of your VR Transporter. 

General Admission: $12.00 per person 

Payment options include cash, credit card and Apple Pay.

Tickets sold on-site at the VR attraction. 

Conservation Pavilion (next to Mane Grill)

Accessibility

A modified version of the experience is available upon request for visitors who use wheelchairs, have restricted mobility, or who are prone to motion sickness.

Safety Requirements

Passengers must be 42 inches (107 centimeters) tall unless accompanied by an adult. Manufacturers recommend that users be at least 13 years of age. Children younger than 13 who are at least 42 inches tall may ride with consent of a parent or guardian.

Hats and eyeglasses may not be worn while wearing the VR headset.

These rides may make sudden movements from side-to-side and forwards and backwards. All passengers must be able to hold on to the safety bar throughout the ride. Ride is not recommended for expectant mothers and guests with a history of heart conditions, seizure disorders, or abnormal blood pressure, back, neck or shoulder conditions, and/or those who have a fear of enclosed spaces. Ride at your own risk. 

It is recommended that guests with medical devices (including implanted, connected and external) please follow the directions of the device manufacturer or consult their healthcare provider.

Virtual Field Trips: Zoos, Aquariums, Farms and Safaris

Take a virtual field trip to see all sorts of animals without leaving home. You can visit zoos, aquariums, farms, and even go on a virtual safari all in the same day!

We’ve rounded up an amazing list of zoos, aquariums, farms and nature preserves that have webcams, live streams, and youtube videos you can watch to learn more about animals. We’ve also included links to online lesson plans and activities for those families wanting to create a richer learning experience from their virtual field trips.

What is a Virtual Field Trip?

Field trips are awesome learning experiences because they get you out of the classroom and take you into an immersive environment. On a virtual field trip , you open a window to explore outside your home or classroom. You can simply observe, or you can add to the experience with some educational information or activities to go along with it.

The list we’ve compiled below is pretty extensive, so be sure to bookmark this page so you can come back to it.

Zoo Virtual Field Trips

Modern zoos are an amazing blend of entertainment and education, coupled with research and conservation. When you visit a zoo, you not only get to see and learn about animals you are unlikely to encounter, but you are also supporting efforts to protect wildlife and the planet.

Wildlife Curriculum

Try one of these resources to add to your virtual field trip experience.

• Virtual Field Trip Guide
• Free Zoo Field Trip Questions
• World Wildlife Federation’s “ Wild Classroom ” – They have 5 “days” of activites set up. There are also 9 educational toolkits currently available.
• National Wildlife Federation Lesson Plans and Webinars – broken up by topic and specifies appropriate grade level.
• Free Digital Versions of Ranger Rick Magazines – Through June 2020.
• Animal Books you can read or have read to you online
• Teacher Guides and Saving a Species Video Series + teacher toolkit from SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment.

San Diego Zoo (USA)

One of the most famous zoos in the world offers live webcams of baboons, penguins, apes, tigers, koalas, burrowing owls, elephants, polar bears, giraffes, and condors.

There is also archived webcam footage of pandas.

Houston Zoo (USA)

The Houston Zoo has webcams that let you look in on the giraffe feeding platform, the gorilla habitat, the elephant yard, the rhino yard, the chimp window, and even leafcutter ants!

The folks at the Houston Zoo have also been bringing the Zoo to You on their facebook page every weekday at 11am Central Time.

Kansas City Zoo (USA)

The Kansas City Zoo has live webcams showing two types of penguins, giraffes, and polar bears. The penguin cams are listed as separate cameras, but both show the same view. At the time of this post, the polar bear cam was not working.

Zoo Atlanta (USA)

We were fortunate to get to visit Zoo Atlanta a few years ago and we loved seeing the pandas! It’s so nice to know we can drop in and see Ya Lun and Xi Lun from home.

In addition to the webcam, Zoo Atlanta has three at-home learning guides for pre-k to 4th grade, as well as some animal games and crafts .

Philadelphia Zoo (USA)

Visiting the Philadelphia Zoo is unique because the animals are literally all around you as they have paths they can use to go over the walkways. When you can’t visit in person, you can view the penguin point webcam.

In addition, the Philadelphia Zoo has started doing Facebook Live sessions called “Philly Zoo at 2” at 2pm EDT daily.

Milwaukee County Zoo (USA)

On Zoo View TV, you can drop in on the Milwaukee County Zoo’s residents such as Polar Bear, Jaguar, Lions, Hyenas, Tigers, and Penguins… and even fish.

Elmwood Park Zoo (USA)

The Elmwood Park Zoo in Pennsylvania has a giraffe live camera from 10am-5pm EDT. They have also been going live on their facebook page with Zoo School from 11am-11:30am on weekdays.

Reid Park Zoo (USA)

The Reid Park Zoo in Arizona lists zoo cams for grizzly bears, lemurs, lions, elephants, and giraffes. Their zoo site also has a few zoo activity packets that were designed to be completed after a visit to the zoo, but could be done from home, as well.

Detroit Zoo (USA)

The Detroit Zoo in Michigan has live cams and videos they call “Virtual Vitamin Z” to help you get your daily supplement of zoo fun at home. Their live cams show you penguins, snow monkeys, falcons, and otters.

They also have past videos available on their site here.

National Zoo (USA)

The National Zoo has live webcams for you to virtually visit their giant pandas, lions, elephants, and naked mole-rats! And you can get updates on what’s going on at the zoo on the National Zoo Facebook page .

The site also has resources such as educational activities you can do at home and downloadable zoo activities .

Chattanooga Zoo (USA)

The Chattanooga Zoo in Tennessee has four live webcams on their zoo’s site. You can drop by and check out meerkats, snow leopards, tamarin, and the spotted genet.

Greenville Zoo (USA)

The Greenville Zoo has two cams set up to watch their giraffes. One gives you a look inside the barn. The other is a view of the paddock.

Alaska Zoo (USA)

As you might expect, the Alaska Zoo has a polar bear, and you can virtually visit it through its webcam. In addition, the zoo has started doing free live sessions via the Zoom app. Spots are limited and the schedule and links are being posted on the Alaska Zoo Facebook page .

Edinburgh Zoo (Scotland)

Did you know that the Edinburgh Zoo was the first zoo in the world to house and breed penguins? In addition to penguin cams, they also have live streams of pandas, tigers, and koalas.

In addition, the Wildlife Conservation Charity has some interactive learning from home courses for all ages.

Dublin Zoo (Ireland)

The zoo is also home to a scimitar-horned oryx, which is a species of antelope you can no longer find in the wild.

Ireland’s Dublin Zoo offers webcams of penguins and elephants, as well as their African Savanna where you might see giraffes, ostriches, zebras, or rhinos.

Marwell Zoo (UK)

The Marwell Zoo has a live video stream of their flamingos. They also have a photo streams (photos update every 30 seconds or so) of penguins, giraffes and lemurs.

Paignton Zoo (UK)

The Paignton Zoo has webcams set up looking at meerkats and sulawesi crested macaque. Their Flamingo webcam is currently unavailable. They also have a series of YouTube Videos about animals and working with them .

Starting Monday, March 23rd, the Paignton Zoo will be adding downloadable resources to their “ Wild at Home ” program for parents and teachers.

Zoos Victoria (Australia)

Zoos Victoria is an association of three zoos in Australia: Healesville Sanctuary, Melbourne Zoo, and Werribee Open Range Zoo. Their site features webcams where you can see snow leopards (indoor and outdoor), penguins, giraffes, lions, and zebras.

More Zoos for Virtual Field Trips

• Live Tiger Cam
• Virtual Adventures on Facebook @brecsbrzoo
• Live Webcams : Aquatic Bird Cam, Sea lion Pups (not working)
• Videos on Social Media @BronxZoo
• Remote Learning Resources
• Virtual tour (Series of Short Videos)
• Online Learning Resources
• Live Giraffe Cam (9:30am – 4:45pm MT)
• “Abnormally Normal” Video Series (Facebook)
• Home Safaris daily at 3pm ET on Facebook
• Daily Virtual Classrooms on Facebook at 11am ET @ClevelandMetroparksZoo.
• Live Webcams – Discovery Reef, Bonobos
• YouTube Videos
• Live Webcams – Meerkats, Penguins
• Animal Update Videos (Facebook)
• “Zoo to You” Facebook Lives weekdays at 3pm ET @DenverZoo
• More Videos on Denver Zoo Youtube channel
• Live Webcams : Giraffes, Sea Lions, Meerkats, Siamangs, and Orangutans
• Animal Videos on Facebook @ElPasoZoo
• “Keeper Chats” on Facebook Live @FortWorthZoo
• “ School of Croc ” lives at 10am ET on Facebook
• Live Webcams : Macaque, Macaw, Penguin, Tiger, Walrus
• Videos on the Indianapolis Zoo Facebook page
• Live Webcams : Penguin, Lion, Giraffe, Flamingo, Goat
• Behind the Scenes on Your Screen – learn about Zoo Jobs
• “Zoo to You” Facebook Lives Weekdays 11am ET
• Updates on Facebook @MNZoo
• Learning Corner – Activities and downloadable curriculum for grades 1-12.
• Live Cams with Chat
• Bear Lesson Plans
• “ Do the Zoo at Home “
• Facebook updates and videos @OmahaZoo
• Live Penguin Cam (9am – 5pm daily)
• #BringtheStlZootoYou Videos on Facebook
• Live Webcams : Snow Leopards, Elephants, Amur Leopards (must have Flash Player enabled)
• #ZooOpenOnline with Facebook Lives and YouTube Videos .
• “Zoo School” Facebook Lives (Mondays 11am ET) + random story times and craft videos.
• Archived Live Videos + themed activities for kids that go with each video.
• “ Virtual Voyage ” daily at 2pm on Facebook
• Videos bringing the Zoo to you on YouTube
• Downloadable Activities
• Augmented Reality Zoo Tour (via Zappar App)
• Live Webcams: Bears, Bats, and Tigers
• Updates on the Woodland Park Facebook page
• Live Grizzly Bear Cam
• Updates on Facebook @ZooMontana
• Learning Resources : Activities and Printables
• Facebook Live Q&As – Weekdays 11am ET @ZooAmerica

If you know a zoo with great virtual field trip content like live cams, videos, or activities that isn’t on this list, let us know to add it!

Aquarium Virtual Field Trips

Aquariums focus mainly on ocean life, though many have animals that live out of the water, but live in or near the water.

One Big Ocean Online Curriculum

“One Big Ocean” is an online curriculum from Ocean.org. They have three different programs customized for the level of school. These can be used by themselves, or paired with a real or virtual visit to any aquarium.

• One Big Ocean Elementary
• One Big Ocean Middle
• One Big Ocean Secondary

Online Ocean School

You can also learn about the various creatures and habitats of the Gulf of St. Lawrence at “ Ocean School “, with three weeks of lessons online and more being added.

National Aquarium (USA)

The National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland has cameras placed in three exhibits: Blacktip Reef featuring blacktip sharks, rays, and colorful fish; “Jellies Invasion” which you can guess features jellyfish; and “Pacific Coral Reef”. You can also take a virtual tour of the National A quarium with 360 degree images.

Georgia Aquarium (USA)

The Georgia Aquarium is ranked as the best aquarium for families in the United States. We’ve been there, and it is AMAZING! And they have some great, high quality live feeds from their exhibits, too!

You can watch the Ocean Voyager cam where you can see sharks, rays, fish, sea turtles and even huge whale sharks! There’s also the Indo-Pacific Barrier Reef, Southern Sea Otters, Jelly Cam, California Sea Lions, African Penguins, Piranhas, and Beluga Whales.

And while they haven’t been going live, they have been posting videos to the Georgia Aquarium Facebook page .

Shedd Aquarium (USA)

You might have seen the video going around of the Shedd Aquarium’s penguins taking their very own personal tour of the aquarium’s exhibits. If you haven’t, you should check it out.

In addition to the one live stream we found on their site so far, the Shedd Aquarium also has a great series of videos just for kids called “Sea Curious”. They also have some really cool 360 degree videos of sharks!

The Aquarium of the Pacific (USA)

The Aquarium of the Pacific is located in Long Beach, California. They have several webcams that allow you to visit virtually. You can see penguins both above and below the water, a shark lagoon, sea jellies, a tropical reef, blue cavern, and colorful anthias and wrasse exhibit.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium (USA)

The Clearwater Marine Aquarium located on the Gulf Coast in Clearwater, Florida is home to Winter and Hope, the rescued dolphins whose stories were the basis for the movies “Dolphin Tale” and “Dolphin Tale 2”.

You can virtually visit Winter and Hope, along with Nicholas and PJ. The aquarium also has views of its otters, pelicans, and sea turtles.

The Clearwater Aquarium even has downloadable lessons in language, math, and science to go along with a real or even virtual visit to the aquarium. There is also an online Kid Zone with games, activities, and experiments.

California Academy of Sciences (USA)

As the name suggests, the California Academy of Sciences is not just an aquarium. The San Francisco facility is also a natural history museum with a rainforest exhibit and planetarium.

There are a few webcams that allow you to visit right from home. You can look in on penguins, stingrays, a coral reef, and even take control of a camera at the top of a lighthouse on the nearby Farallon Islands.

The site also has lesson plans and materials for kids from preschool through high school.

Tennessee Aquarium (USA)

Live webcams of the secret reef, penguin, and sea otter exhibits. And on their facebook page, they are live streaming Aquarium at Home sessions.

Vancouver Aquarium (Canada)

Canada’s Vancouver Aquarium is home to more than 50,000 animals and features 30 exhibits to explore. When you can’t visit in person, you can still drop in on the sea otters, jellyfish, and penguins via the webcams on their homepage.

Atlantic White Shark Conservancy

Facebook Lives weekdays at 10am @AtlanticWhiteShark . Resources on the website.

Farm Virtual Field Trips

While farms are different than zoos, they can be just as educational and rewarding in connecting us to nature, whether we visit in person or virtually.

Hen Cam (USA)

The Hen Cam comes from a backyard outside Boston, Massachussetts. The feed switches automatically between 3 cameras showing the hens outside and inside. You might also see goats and a bunny named Phoebe.

Peter’s Farm (Holland)

You can see a live stream of the cows, and maybe even some baby calves, at Peter’s Farm in Holland. The stream is only during operating hours, but there is also some YouTube footage for when it isn’t live.

Folly Farm (UK)

Folly Farm has a cute webcam that gives you a peek at its farm animals like sheep, goats and donkeys. The website also lists penguin, giraffe, and lion webcams from the zoo, but they were not working when we visited.

Farm Sanctuary (USA)

This sheep barn camera is at the Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen , New York. They also have a recorded virtual tour of the farm showing you some of their other animals.

Goats Live (??)

Not sure where it is coming from, but this camera is pointed at some goats and streams 24 hours a day.

Farm Food 360 (Canada)

Farm Food 360 has virtual tours of all different kinds of farms. There are milk & cheese, dairy cow, sheep, pig, mink, grain, egg, and oat farms, feed mills, and an apple orchard.

Chatsworth Farm (Canada)

Chatsworth Farm is an over 2,000 acre family-run farm in Canada where they grow grain and legume crops, alfalfa, and raise beef cattle, sheep, turkeys, ducks, and chickens for eggs and meat. They have a few video tours on their webpage and they’ve also been live streaming recently on the Chatsworth Farm Facebook page .

Horse Shoe Farm (USA)

This camera pans back and forth showing the outdoor pens of the Horse Shoe farm in Hendersonville, North Carolina. The horses are not always outside, though.

Virtual Farm Field Trips on YouTube

We found a whole bunch of Farm tours and Q&As on YouTube. Here are links to those. Some are individual, but others are whole playlists with multiple videos.

• American Dairy Association Indiana (4 videos)
• Ohio Pig Farms (50+ videos, several very recent)
• Grow Next Gen (discusses various topics)
• Ohio Beef Council (18 videos)
• New York Beef Council (4 videos)
• American Dairy Association Northeast (12 videos)
• Pennsylvania Beef (no playlist, but at least 3 tours among their many videos)
• Milk Means More (4 tours to a Michigan Dairy farm)

Safari Virtual Field Trips

SafariLive (Africa)

Live Streamed safaris from the African wilderness. You never know what you are going to see, and your tours are guided by knowledgeable guides who sometimes answer questions from viewers.

SUNRISE SAFARI (Monday to Sunday)

• Central African Time (CAT): 06:00am – 09:00am
• East African Time (EAT): 07:00am – 10:00am
• Eastern Standard Time (EDT): 00:00pm – 03:00am

SUNSET SAFARI (Monday to Sunday)

• Central African Time (CAT): 15:30pm – 18:30pm
• East African Time (EAT): 16:30pm – 19:30pm
• Eastern Daylight Savings Time (EDT): 09:30am – 12:30pm

Cumbria Wildlife Trust (UK)

Over on the Cumbria Wildlife Trust webpage, you can drop in on webcams of a few different animals from across the United Kingdom. There is a camera pointed at the bird feeders at Plumgarths Wildlife Garden, Grey Seals at the South Walney Nature Preserve (archive footage when cam is not working), a Badger cam from Rydel, Ambleside, and an Osprey cam from Foulshaw Moss Nature Preserve (says cam will be available late March 2020).

Explore.org Webcams (Worldwide)

Explore.org has countless live streams from all over the world that you can choose from, including several locations already mentioned in this post. But our favorites are the ones you can view outside of a zoo, aquarium, or farm setting.

Some of these also have great audio, so you can make it full screen, turn up the volume, and have a window to the world. Great for background or meditation.

• Tembe Elephant Park (Africa)
• Honeybees going in and out of a hive
• Flying Foxes (bats)
• Hear Orcas (and occasionally see them) underwater
• Sea Lions hauled out onto rocks
• Polar Bear Cubs

Wolf Conservation Center

The Wolf Conservation Center in New York is dedicated to protecting and preserving wolves in North America. They have several live feeds of various species of wolves. And if you want to learn a little about wolves , you can do that, too.

Bald Eagle Cam (USA)

Despite being the national symbol of the United States, we don’t get to see Bald Eagles all that much. But with the camera set up at Duke Farms in New Jersey, we can look right into a Bald Eagle’s nest! They even have a scavenger hunt you can print out for the kids to watch the nest and see if they spot any of those things.

18 Best Virtual Zoos & Aquariums in the World

Strap on your ‘seatbelts’ and virtual reality headset (if you own a pair), we’re about to take you on a wild ride through four continents to experience a string of virtual field trips to the zoo and aquariums like you’ve never experienced before.

North America: Virtual Zoo Tours & Aquariums

Home to world-class zoos and one of the most remarkable aquariums we’ve ever set foot inside *ahem* Georgia Aquarium, North America is one virtual trip you have to take to ogle at pandas, Beluga whales and even piranhas via 24-hour live cams.

San Diego Zoo

If there’s one virtual zoo trip to place on top of your online ‘travel’ bucket list – it’s San Diego Zoo.

Slide into their live cams to take a peek at the daily shenanigans of tigers, elephants, baboons and more adorable four-legged fur friends that will steal your hearts away.

But wait, guys. There’s more to your San Diego Zoo virtual tour and online experience. Way more. Ensure that you pop a visit to the dedicated kids’ section of the website for a myriad of animal-focused learning activities, art and crafts video tutorials, home experiment ideas and educational games.

Oh, and if you have a VR headset handy, now’s the time to pop them over your head and check into their YouTube channel to immerse yourselves in 360º videos, like this one of giant tortoises eating watermelon.

Atlanta Zoo

In need of a cute animal fix that’s not your own household pet? Atlanta Zoo has got you covered with their world-famous live PandaCam . Meet the ridiculously adorable panda twins, Ya Lun and Xi Lun, who are melting hearts across the globe with their playful antics and just all-round cuteness.

Don’t forget to swing by their Facebook page to experience what basically feels like virtual field trips to the zoo, featuring regular keeper talks and behind-the-scenes insight into animals and their diets and lifestyle.

The website also offers a host of fun activities and lessons that support ‘at home learning’, like animal arts and crafts, backyard bingo and a storybooks packed with hands-on activities.

TIP: Download the WILDEVERSE mobile game, which features real-life characters from Atlanta Zoo. Transform your home into a digital jungle and embark on research quests and missions to find endangered apes. 

Cincinnati Zoo

Hopping over a couple of states north to Ohio, we’re going to spring into Cincinnati Zoo to meet the world’s most famous hippopotamus, Fiona. Follow this immersive virtual zoo tour to get a feel of the space, exhibits and animals.

Swing by their Facebook page to tune into The Fiona Show where you can watch videos of her birth and follow her astonishing progress and growth. She’s the only hippo ever to survive an almost 2-month premature birth.

They also host daily virtual safari live streams, in which you can learn all about the zoo’s resident animals, including their diets, personalities and lifestyles.

Toronto Zoo

Slip into your down jackets because I’m about to beam you further up to the chillier regions of the northern hemisphere. Ready? Get set. Click away.

Explore Toronto Zoo’s YouTube channel to get up close and personal to mighty grizzly bears,  fluffy white Arctic foxes, lynxes, and even Masai giraffes.

If you’re keen to experience a virtual zoo trip to this beautiful destination, take a look at this complete walkthrough which lets viewers enjoy the zoo on a snowy winter day.

Georgia Aquarium

Yes. We’re parents and.. yes, we love to travel, so I can safely say that we’ve been to a crapload of aquariums around the world. If there isn’t an aquarium on our city itinerary, then something has gone horribly wrong in the planning process.

Of all the aquariums we have visited, none have, so far, compared to Georgia Aquarium. Not even close. If you’re an aquarium nut like we are – you need to put a  physical visit to this spectacular place on your travel bucket list.

For now, you can, of course, experience this epic aquarium virtually via their virtual aquarium tour and live cam feed where you can soothe your soul gazing at dancing jellyfish or stare in awe at the Beluga whale. 

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Attention, please. It’s time to choose your snack, sink into the couch and get cozy; your self-guided Monterey Bay Aquarium virtual tour is about to begin.

Step one. Cast this 360° aquarium walkthrough to your TV or don your virtual reality headset ’cause things are about to go down in underwater town.

Virtually meet and learn about Monterey Bay Aquarium’s resident marine animals on their interactive website, or stalk your favourite sea animal’s live cam . 

You can even enrol in free online courses comprising guided activities to support learning at home or engage the kiddos in free virtual zoo games that both educate and entertain.

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Asia: Virtual Zoos & Aquariums

Exotic rainforest virtual zoo tours and thrilling night safaris – discover Asia’s most enchanting zoos and aquariums without having to peel yourself off the couch. 

Singapore Zoo

Okay, so Asia is off-limits right now. I mean, pretty much every continent is out of reach at this moment, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take a virtual field trip to this incredible zoo in South East Asia that everyone raves about.

Get a feel of Singapore Zoo and what animals you can expect to encounter in our very own walkthrough guide that we filmed on one of our visits or read up on the zoo’s resident animals.

Hold up a second though. Your journey doesn’t end at the Singapore Zoo. Drop into the Singapore River Safari for a virtual walkthrough tour and meet weird and wonderful creatures that inhabit rivers around the world.

Your adventure continues onwards to the Singapore Night Safari where you can view a hypnotising fire show , witness an impressive animal show , and hop on a tram car to discover nocturnal animals in their open exhibits.

Check out our Singapore virtual zoo guide to see the highlights of this open zoo concept.

Jurong Bird Park

While we’re in Singapore, let’s take a hot moment to visit one of the biggest bird parks in the world where you can make a feeble attempt at identifying up to 3,500 birds across 400 species from all over the world.

Discover the diverse zones inhabited by bird species from all corners of the Earth, meet the winged residents of Jurong Bird Park or take a virtual stroll through the lush, green space that will give you all the jungle vibes 

YOU MIGHT LIKE:  30 Fun Places to go in Singapore with Kids

Aquaria KLCC

Swing into Aquaria KLCC in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on one of your free virtual field trips to zoos and aquariums around the world and tune into marine animal feedings and educational talks on their 24-hour live streaming cam .

Don’t forget to check their Facebook for the schedule.

Meet the spine-chilling Sand Tiger Shark and his stingray buddies, or chill out with laid-back Green Sea Turtles that all dwell inside the Living Ocean tank.

Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo

Set off on a virtual aquarium tour at the magnificent Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo located in the glittering capital of the United Arab Emirates.

The tour isn’t just an ordinary virtual field trip of your average aquarium; this epic space also doubles as a zoo. Be prepared to encounter fruit bats, desert hedgehogs, cobras, chameleons.

Pop over to their Facebook page to learn fun animal facts and binge on videos of iguanas, hedgehogs and racoons freely roaming the empty aquarium.

Australia: Virtual Zoos & Aquariums

Kangaroos? Check. Koalas? No doubt. Tasmanian Devil? Yeah, baby. It’s time for a trip downunder to meet friendly Aussie animals and not-so-friendly creatures and crawlies that either bite or kill.

Taronga Zoo 

To experience one of the southern hemisphere’s best virtual zoos, you can’t go past Sydney’s newly launched Taronga TV . Tune into the live cams to view animal exhibits, shows, keeper chats, and even take a peek inside the Wildlife Hospital.

Hit up Taronga’s YouTube channel to witness funny animal antics and catch up on missed shows and performances. This video of a lemur baking in the sun is basically all of us right now when the sun touches our windows in quarantine.

Sea Life & Wild Life Sydney

Sea Life and Wild Life Sydney have recently launched their fun and super educational online virtual zoo and aquarium experiences. Prepare yourselves for hours worth of fun family activities and homeschooling content.

Dive into the virtual aquarium experience and meet dugongs and King penguins in live streams, or gape at aquarists throwing themselves into the shark tank to feed hungry sea predators.

If you’re running low on learning activities for the kiddos, you’ll also find a bunch of marine animal-themed craft activities and free downloadable homeschooling resources and activity sheets .

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tina ft. 2 boys & 1 man child (@hangrybynature) on May 8, 2019 at 4:37am PDT

A virtual visit to Sea Life wouldn’t be complete without popping into Wild Life Sydney to learn all about Australian animals that are slightly more.. grounded.

Peek into live streams to see what Rocky the croc is up to or join in on storytime events run by the zoo staff on the virtual zoo tours page. You’ll also find printable animal-themed colouring pages, plus fact and activity sheets.

Before you leave, don’t forget to drop by  Merlin’s Education Toolbox for even more activities and workbooks, especially helpful for parents seeking homeschooling resources or teachers looking for lesson content. 

READ MORE: 21 Romantic Date Ideas in Sydney

Europe: Virtual Zoos & Aquariums

The last continent we’ll be virtually teleporting you to on this worldwide virtual safari, zoo and aquarium tour is, of course, good ole Europe. Home to the world’s oldest zoo and the first zoo in the world to house and breed penguins – your roundtrip will end with a little history and class.

Germany’s capital can proudly claim to have the most popular zoo in all of Europe. Berlin Zoo houses a whopping collection of over 20,000 animals across 1,500 different species – more than any zoo on the planet.

Considering none of us can currently visit in person, we can thank the Internet once again for this high-resolution walkthrough , making it possible to meet some of the friendly furry residents of the zoo, virtually.

Oh, and I’m just gonna casually mention that they have PANDA CUBS, guys. *Hyperventilating*. Jump onto their Facebook to meet the twinning cuties, Pit and Paule. Right now. It’ll be the most adorable thing you’ll see all week.

You can stalk them trying to catch some snoozy time below…

Speaking of stalking animals (cos that’s socially acceptable, right?), Prague Zoo houses a baby elephant that online visitors can attempt to spot on their live Elephant Valley cam . Pop by their YouTube channel for more adorable moments and to follow its journey from birth.

Watch this 4k  walkthrough of the zoo and try to spot mighty Western Lowland gorillas, polar bears, hippos, Asian elephants, red pandas and many more cute and intimidating animals.

RELATED: 13 Ways to Stay Healthy While Travelling

Edinburgh Zoo

This was the first zoo in the world to house and breed penguins – in fact, Edinburgh Zoo is popularly known for its Penguin Parade, where waddling little penguins are let free their enclosure for a stroll around the space.

Observe the antics of King and Rockhopper penguins on live cams , as well as koalas, tigers and pandas.

They’ve made their learning portal readily accessible – the online hub is packed with free activities, games, quizzes and fact files for kids of all ages.

Hang tight – just gonna beam you over to our final leg of virtual zoo tours around the world in Vienna. The city is home to the world’s oldest zoo, Tiergarten Schönbrunn, which opened its doors in 1752.

Soak in this gorgeous space in this virtual zoo stroll and meet animals from all around the world and, of course, explore the picturesque landscape that surrounds the zoo. 

Keep an eye out for the zoo’s newest sensation, Finja – a polar bear cub. Watch her birth and everyday life on Vienna Zoo’s YouTube channel .

Have you got more ideas to add to the list?

Hit me up in the comments and let me know what virtual little gems you’ve found in isolation, so that together, we may survive being confined inside four walls with perpetually bored kids.

Explore more Virtual Travel Guides

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Bored at Home? Here's a Massive List of Museums, Zoos, and Theme Parks Offering Virtual Tours

You can see Frida Kahlo at MoMA or visit the Shedd Aquarium without leaving the couch.

"Walk" through some of the world's most prestigious cultural institutions, like The Met and The American Museum of Natural History, then go for a "ride" on Disney's new Frozen rollercoaster with the kids. And regardless of your age, we think everyone will enjoy some live footage of pandas playing at the zoo!

• The Louvre: You don't have to book a ticket to Paris to check out some of the famous pieces in the world's largest art museum. The Louvre has free online tours of three famous exhibits, including Egyptian Antiquities.
• Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum: The works of Pablo Picasso, Piet Mondrian , Jeff Koons, and Franz Marc are just some of the 625 artists whose work are a part of the Guggenheim's Collection Online .
• Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: Move at your own pace through the 360-degree room-by-room tour of every exhibit in the museum .
• Van Gogh Museum: You can get up close and personal with the impressionist painter's most famous work thanks to Google Arts & Culture .
• Getty Museum: Los Angeles's premiere gallery has two virtual tours , including "Eat, Drink, and Be Merry," which is a closer look at food in the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
• The Vatican Museum: The Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, and Raphael's Room, are just some of the sites you can see on the Vatican's virtual tour .
• T hyssen-Bornemisza Museum: Madrid's must-see art museum has the works of some of the continent's most celebrated artists like Rembrandt and Dali available online .
• Georgia O’Keeffe Museum: Six virtual exhibits are available online from this museum named for the "Mother of American modernism."
• National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City: Dive into the pre-Hispanic history of Mexico with 23 exhibit rooms full of Mayan artifacts.
• British Museum, London: The Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies are just a couple of things that you're able to see on a virtual tour of the museum.
• N ASA: Both Virginia's Langley Research Center and Ohio's Glenn Research Center offer online tours for free. Also, you can try some "augmented reality experiences" via The Space Center Houston's app .
• National Women's History Museum: Have a late International Women's Day celebration with online exhibits and oral histories from the Virginia museum.
• Metropolitan Museum of Art: Though the Met Gala was cancelled this year, you can still have a peak at the The Costume Institute Conversation Lab, which is one of the institution's 26 online exhibits .
• High Museum of Art, Atlanta: This museum's popular online exhibits include "Civil Rights Photography " — photos that capture moments of social protest like the Freedom Rides and Rosa Park's arrest.
• Detroit Institute of Arts: Mexican art icon Frida Kahlo is the focal point of two of the four available online exhibits .
• Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam: The Golden Age of Dutch art is highlighted in this museum which includes the work of Vermeer and Rembrandt .
• National Museum of the United States Air Force: You can't take a ride in Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidential airplane, but you can check it out, in addition to other military weapons and aircraft, online in the Air Force's official museum .
• MoMA ( The Museum of Modern Art): New York's extensive collection is available for view online .
• Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: The 16 virtual exhibits include a special section on 21st Century Designer Fashion.

Zoos and Aquariums

• The Cincinnati Zoo: Check in around 3 p.m., because that's the time the Zoo holds a daily Home Safari on its Facebook Live Feed .
• Atlanta Zoo: The Georgia zoo keeps a " Panda Cam " livestream on its website.
• Georgia Aquarium: S ea-dwellers like African penguins and Beluga Whales are the stars of this aquarium's live cam .
• Houston Zoo: There are plenty of different animals you can check in on with this zoo's live cam , but we highly recommend watching the playful elephants.
• The Shedd Aquarium: This Chicago aquarium shares some pretty adorable behind-the-scenes footage of their residents on Facebook .
• San Diego Zoo: With what may be the most live cam options , this zoo lets you switch between koalas, polar bears, and tigers in one sitting.
• Monterey Bay Aquarium: It can be Shark Week every week thanks to live online footage of Monterey Bay's Habitat exhibit .
• National Aquarium: Walk through tropical waters to the icy tundra in this floor-by-floor tour of the famous, Baltimore-based aquarium.

Theme Parks

• Walt Disney World: Set aside some time, because there's plenty to see here. Virtual tours you can take include Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Epcot, just to name a few. There are also unofficial YouTube videos that feel just like you're on famous rides like the Frozen Ever After ride , It's a Small World , Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! , and Pirates of the Caribbean .
• LEGOLAND Florida Resort: The Great Lego Race and Miniland USA are just two of the attractions you can check out in a virtual tour of the park .

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15 Fun Virtual Zoo Field Trip Options

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Fun field trips to the zoo are awesome, but sometimes it just isn’t possible to go. That is okay though!  As long as you have access to the internet, you can take your kids on a virtual zoo field trip at any time. 

Maybe the zoo you want to visit is too far away. Or maybe one of your kids is sick.  Sometimes the weather doesn’t cooperate. Perhaps zoo admission tickets are just not in your budget right now. 

Whatever the reason, a virtual zoo tour for kids can be a great alternative to a traditional field trip.

A virtual field trip has lots of advantages:

• It is free – some zoos offer a virtual field trip rate, but every zoo listed here offers free online options
• You can visit multiple zoos in one day, regardless of location
• See just the animals you are interested in
• No need to pack a bag full of snacks, bottled water, and sunscreen
• You can ‘visit’ every day
• You are not limited to zoos just in your area
• It is quicker – there is no traveling, walking around, or time spent dealing with crowds
• See wild animals from the comfort of your own home

Taking a virtual zoo field trip can be a great motivator for kids.  I admit that sometimes I offer this ‘reward’ for finishing schoolwork. They finish their lesson and then go on a virtual zoo field trip to visit their favorite animals.

Virtual zoo field trips can include webcams, live cameras, and live streams on their Facebook page.

Take a Virtual Zoo Field Trip

I listed the animals that are featured on webcams at each zoo because, if your kids are anything like mine, they want to see a specific animal. It is also handy for times when kids love different zoo animals.

Updated 9/23

1. Smithsonian National Zoo

(Planning an in-person visit to the National Zoo?  We went all the time when we lived in Northern VA!  Check out my post full of tips to make the most of the National Zoo .)

Check out these animals on the National Zoo webcam:

• Naked Mole Rats
• Cheetah cub
• Giant Pandas

The zoo offers printable zoo webcam bingo cards to encourage kids to watch the wild animals for a while.

2. Greenville Zoo

3. milwaukee county zoo.

• Humbolt Penguins
• Lake Wisconsin

4. Chattanooga Zoo

• Snow leopard

5. Houston Zoo

• Giraffe (This is my favorite live zoom cam for giraffes!)
• Elephant (most visible between 10:30am and 3:00pm CDT)
• Leafcutter Ant
• Giant River Otter

6. San Diego Zoo

• Panda (the pandas have recently returned to China, however, there is a prerecorded video available)
• African Penguins
• Burrowing Owl

Related Post: Great And Tango Makes Three Penguin Book Activities

7. Oakland Zoo

• Grizzly Bear
• Mountain Lion

The Oakland Zoo offers a variety of free lesson plans for multiple grade levels.

8. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

9. kansas city zoo.

• Bornean Orangutan (currently on the critically endangered species list )

10. Woodland Park Zoo

(We visited the Woodland Park Zoo when we lived in Washington.  Don’t let the small number of webcams fool you.  It is a huge zoo!  Check out my tips for a successful visit to the Woodland Park Zoo if you live in the Seattle area.)

• Grizzly Bears

Woodland Park Zoo offers downloadable educator resources to help students of all ages learn about these amazing animals.

11. Alaska Zoo

An educational polar bear activity packet is available to download.

12. Detroit Zoo

• Snow Monkeys

13. Zoo Atlanta

14. bronx zoo.

The Bronx Zoo offers a few great digital resources. My favorite are the Quests. Kids click an interactive map to learn about a region of the world and the animals who live there.

15. Edinburgh Zoo

Many zoos also offer virtual programs for small groups hosted by zoo educators, but they can come with a steep price. I suggest taking advantage of all the free educational resources first. Find all of the activity ideas by visiting the education department section of the web page.

If you decide to book an official program, get together with a few other families to make the expense more reasonable.

Do you know of any other zoos with webcams?  Leave it in the comments and I will add it to the list so more families can enjoy the animals.

Visit a zoo today!

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Keep reading . . .

Welcome! My name is Jennifer. I am a teacher at heart. Before my children were born I was a public school teacher. Now, I am a homeschooling mom of two.

As i was looking though the zoos i was thinking i have never heard or seen them and i thought ” those are so cool” and i just really was paying attention to the animals and i saw a few that i new,And i thought is was cool and interesting to find more zoos to go and explore.

I like the San Diego because they have some animals I like!Like: Panda, Kola Bear, Penguins & Tigers! Maybe in Woodland Park Zoo should have more animals because it only has 3 types of animals and you could put more like the San Diego Zoo!But I really like this site.

Thank you. This is an excellent resource. I can have my students visit the zoo as part of their remote learning experience.

I am glad it helped 🙂

the cats are so cute

but of corse they can be deadly

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Smithsonian Voices

From the Smithsonian Museums

SMITHSONIAN EDUCATION

Imaginations Run Wild with a Virtual Visit to the National Zoo

This spring, reading about the rainforest was reinforced by virtual field trips to the National Zoo, as D.C. Kindergarteners connected with a Zoo educator and a cast of Amazonian animals

Erika Novak & Kaden Borseth

“Good morning, kindergarteners! I am joining you from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Today we’re going on a virtual walk through the Amazon rainforest. What do you think we will find?” T hink about a five - year-old ' s answer to this question , p o sed by Zoo Educator , Kaden Borseth . What do you think they would say ?

Kindergarteners unmute to shout, “Monkeys!” “ Giraffe!” “Lions!” “Animal merry-go-round!”

Whether in person or virtual, kids’ responses to educators’ questions are always a program highlight. But particularly for a vi rtual kindergarten program during a pandemic , imaginations seemed to run wild.

Since the start of the pandemic, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute has offered virtual school programs for K-5 students around the nation. Each program transports classes to the Zoo on a virtual field trip where students learn more about animals and conservation. Themes include lifecycles, ectotherms, adaptations, habitats, nature walks, and zoo walks . The newest program, Rainforest Walk , was specially designed for Washington, D.C. public school (DCPS) kindergarteners as part of the spring English Language Arts unit on c onservation . In the program, students read " The Great Kapok Tree" by Lynne Cherry with their teacher and then attended a virtual field trip to explore the rainforest with a Zoo educator.

Kaden , who leads digital school programs, shares their perspective:

The Rainforest Walk program was a highlight for me in a year of teaching virtu al ly during the COVID -19 pandemic , especially considering that many DCPS kindergarteners have never visit ed their local Zoo . Seeing students ’ faces light up , still behind screens in this digital world, and being able to bring them a new experience of exploring a rainforest together , brought me joy every day . While I welcomed students into the Zoo’s Amazonia r ainforest exhibit, they welcomed me into their classroom s and home s . We connected through the sights and sounds of the rainforest and explored this new world together . One of my favorite moments was when I arrived at the guinea pig habitat in Amazonia and a student ran off - camera and returned with her pet guinea pig , “ Cookie, ” and she proudly held Cookie’s ad orable whiskered face right up to the camera.

Throughout the last year , Zoo educators have honed their skills in teaching, adapting, engaging, and connecting students to wildlife in an online platform . One lesson many educators learned is to keep it a ctive with movement activities . For the Rainfore st Walk program, students swam like piranhas , climbed like monkeys, f lew like bird s , splash ed in puddles, and ch ew ed imaginary rainforest treats like chocolate and avocados.

And Kaden swam, climbed, flew, splashed, and imagined right alongside students. As the only one physically in the rainforest habitat, except the plants and animals of course, Kaden reflects :

While I may have looked a bit ridiculous at times , we were all smiling and having fun while learning, and that’s what it’s all about . It is so important to bring enthusiasm and creativity to every program . And students always kept me on my feet. Like one student who was convinced there was a jaguar cleverly following me around in the rainforest, as he connected characters in " The Great Kapok Tree" to our rainforest adventure.

Another key lesso n for adapting digital wildlife programs for kindergarteners was to engage the ir senses, even when remote. When walking through the rainforest, Kaden would feel tr ee bark and leaves to highlight different textures of plants and ask what they imagine it feels like. Students also clos ed their eyes and listen ed to bird calls and the rushing waterfall , they look ed closely at fish and millipedes , and they even received the most exciting “ homework assignment ” of all - smelling and tasting some of the rainforest treats they learned about, like chocolate, a fter the program ended. Students hit that unmute button again to exclaim, “I didn’t know chocolate is from a forest!” and “best homework assignment ever!” . When engaging their sense of smell, students were prompted with a thought exercise , “what do you think a rainforest smell s like?” With questions like this, educators know to be prepared for any answer. “The rainforest smells like gorillas and monkeys!” “The rainforest smells like berries!” “In the rainforest, you'll smell walrus and fish.”

Kaden remembers these spontaneous answers and anecdotes most fondly, noting,

There were many silly moments during these programs, like the sheer joy from kids every time an animal poop ed on camera or hearing “ Holy smoley ! That’s the biggest fish I’ve ever seen! ” B ut these silly moments are what they , and I , will remember. Silly moments that helped to transport them out of their home and out from behind their screens . F or a moment they were just exploring a rainforest. They were learning about habitats, animals that call the rainforest home, that everybody poops, and conservation messages on how they can help support the biodiversity of this amazing rainforest ecosystem .

D igital or not , by the end of the Rainforest Walk program, " The Great Kapok Tree" came alive through this experience . These silly moments helped students create real connections with their classmates, the Z oo, and places far away like the Amazon R ainforest.

The Zoo’s goal with these programs was to bring literature alive and transport students to a new “world” but to also encourage them to connect with these local habitats and animals . Every program ended with a call to action for students to explore wildlife close to home – a tree in their local park or birds flying outside their window. While their imaginations can place a merry-go-round in a rainforest , the reality is that nature is all around them , and we hope they have a fun, educational , and silly time explor ing it .

Erika Novak | READ MORE

Erika Novak is Manager of Leaning Innovation at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. She leads a team in the development and delivery of digital education programs focused on wildlife, habitats and the actions audiences can take action to save species. Her favorite animals include American alligators and the Zoo’s Komodo dragons.

Kaden Borseth | READ MORE

Kaden Borseth is a Learning Program Specialist at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. They develop and deliver interactive educational experiences focused on empathy and conservation, both virtually and in-person. While they love all the amazing animals at the Zoo, their two favorites are naked mole rats and salamanders.

Enjoy a virtual tour of some of your favorite areas around the Zoo!

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‍ We only partner with ethical zoos and animal sanctuaries.

We are on a mission to help everyone foster a deeper connection with animals.

Frequently asked questions., what is zoolife.

zoolife is the world's first online zoo. Giving 4 billion animal lovers access to wildlife animals up-close through live 24/7 user-controlled cameras, with behind-the-scenes zookeeper talks and feeding times daily from the best ethical zoos & animal sanctuaries. Each stream is designed to bring you closer to wildlife and offers innovative ways of learning, protecting and engaging with the animals, from the comfort of one’s screen. zoolife's state-of-the-art technology allows users to control the camera from their device, zoom into a tiger’s whiskers, or move the camera around to explore a gorilla's habitat. Streaming live 24/7, zoolife features a growing collection of remarkable animal species, daily keeper talks, and interactive Q&As with animal experts for in-depth learning and so much more.

Can I try zoolife for free?

Yes! Absolutely! Sign up to create an account and you will receive two surprise habitats to watch for free, FOREVER .

How is zoolife any different from other free online animal content?

zoolife is not just a content platform, it's an online zoo experience. Our users LOVE  how interactive zoolife is, specifically: camera control, taking pictures & clips, and chatting live with animal experts. zoolifers also build a deeper connection with the animals, similar to when watching them in real-life because zoolife is live and not curated. In addition, 50% of every pass funds wildlife & conservation efforts.

What is an ethical zoo? How does zoolife fund animal care & conservation?

50% of every zoolife pass directly funds animal care & conservation efforts led by our partners – accredited zoos, animal sanctuaries and rehabilitation centers from around the globe. These fully accredited institutions are fundamental to conservation as they provide expert care, high quality nutrition and enrichment to the at-risk species in their care, while supporting field work to save species & ecosystems in the wild.

What's included in a zoolife pass?

Anyone who signs up gets unlimited access to two free habitats. FOREVER . However, with a zoolife pass you get unlimited access to our full collection of animal habitats and expert talks, streaming live 24/7 from around the world. 50% of every purchase directly funds animal care & wildlife conservation efforts led by our partners. The zoolife experience includes:

• Dozens of iconic animal habitats streaming live from accredited zoos, sanctuaries & rehabilitation centers worldwide.
• Camera control features to observe animals and explore habitats stunningly close, or simply take a picture or a clip of your favorite animal.
• Daily live Q&As with zookeepers and wildlife experts.
• A library of recorded talks, led by our hosts, about a variety of wildlife topics.
• A community of wildlife and animal lovers that you can directly connect and chat with.

Where does zoolife stream animals from?

zoolife only partners with fully accredited zoos, sanctuaries and rehabilitation centers who demonstrate the highest standards in animal care. ‍ Our current participating partners are:

• Toronto Zoo 🇨🇦
• Lincoln Park Zoo 🇺🇸
• Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary 🇦🇺
• Santa Barbara Zoo 🇺🇸
• Orana Wildlife Park 🇳🇿
• Phoenix Herpetological Sanctuary 🇺🇸
• Akron Zoo 🇺🇸
• Northumberland Zoo 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
• Clearwater Marine Aquarium 🇺🇸
• Butterfly Pavilion 🇺🇸
• Endangered Wolf Center 🇺🇸
• Great Plains Zoo 🇺🇸

Straight from our users.

An intimate window into the lives of real animals, the camera gets you so close you feel like you’re there. Nothing comes close to zoolife!

It’s always changing. I’ve watched newborn animals grow up before my eyes ❤️

On YouTube lives, you had to be lucky to see the animal. On zoolife, the camera control and interactiveness are incredible!

For disabled people like me, a trip to the zoo and walking through is no longer a possibility. I love that I can visit the zoo from home.

This is amazing! What a great idea. Can get up and close to the lions while I'm in the safety of my house. Love it 😍

On zoolife I enjoy a healthier space while I draw, journal, stretch, or work. It feels like I’m hanging out with the animals.

Virtual Visit

Live events schedule, past live events and videos.

Zoo Classroom - Virtual Programs

We are bringing many of our education programs right into your classroom. 

Zoo EDventures Online Series

A live Facebook series with fun, educational presentations about animals and nature on the 3rd Wednesday of every month at 10 A.M. EST.

Untamed Science

Bite size video series with activities!  Join Rob Nelson from Untamed Science as he learns more about the North Carolina Zoo.

Art Projects

Arts & More

Dig out your craft paper and glue. It is time to make something new. 

Coloring Pages

Enjoy our animal coloring pages.

At-Home Science and Nature Activities

Zoo Science

Come explore the scientific world with us. We will present a new science experiment you can try at home. We will have lots of fun and you may even learn something.

Learning Resources

Our developmentally appropriate educator resources provide lesson plans and activities for all ages and ability levels while meeting curriculum standards.

Wild About Nature

Looking for fun new activities for your family? Our Wild About Nature gives you the tools to make nature play.

Student Resources

Wildlife Conservation at the Zoo

From vultures and gorillas in Africa to endangered plants and amphibians in our own state, the North Carolina Zoo has been involved in the conservation of animals in the wild for over two decades. 

Animal Habitats

The North Carolina Zoo is the largest natural animal habitat zoo in the world. Journey along shaded trails to discover more than 1,700 animals in habitats ranging from African grasslands to Arctic tundra.

For Your Reading Pleasure and Other Virtual Resources

North carolina zoo blog.

Check out our new Blogs on Animal Care, Saving Animals and It's a Zoo!

NCLearn @ Home

NCLearn @ Home  is a gathering place for NC DNCR (North Carolina's Department of Natural and Cultural Resources) online content and educational resources in one place for teachers, students, parents, and anyone needing enriching experiences, regardless of their location.

Fact Sheets

Animal Fact Sheets

Fact sheets that contain basic natural history information on some of the animals at the North Carolina Zoo.

Plant Fact Sheets

Fact sheets that contain basic natural history information on some of the plants at the North Carolina Zoo.

• Virtual Zoo

Since you can’t come to us, let the

Zo0 come to you, everything you need to know about our virtual zoo days, virtual visits are back, don’t miss out, watch our original live virtual zoo days ., we have been going live on our facebook and youtube pages for a whole day of amazing animal antics packed full of fantastic facts … it’s the perfect way to learn, all from the comfort of your own sofa.

From AMAZING aardvarks, an elephant POOL PARTY and fantastic fossa!

Don’t miss out on red pandas, giraffes, butterflies, tigers, fish and MORE!

TREAT YOURSELF OR A LOVED ONE TO A ROARSOME CARE PACKAGE – WITH A CHESTER ZOO TWIST …JUST BECAUSE!

Give a loved one a little something to show you care, whether you know someone who needs a little break, a sweet treat, or a hand with making home schooling more FUN – we have something for everyone!

EXPLORE OUR CARE PACKAGES

Some of our best bits so far.

Get in on the action and join some of our zoo keepers and animals for brunch!

Catch up on all of our    VIRTUAL ZOO   days! 

• Virtual Zoo Day 1 
• Virtual Zoo Day 2
• Virtual Zoo Day 3
• Virtual Zoo Day 4
• Virtual Zoo Day 5
• Virtual Zoo Day 6

BRAND NEW VIRTUAL ZOO!

• Virtual Zoo Day 7
• Virtual Zoo Day 8
• Virtual Zoo Day 9

Catch up and join the FUN!

Missed any of our virtual zoo days? You can find all of our VIRTUAL ZOO DAYS on our Chester Zoo TV/YouTube page. The animals are waiting…

WATCH LIVE ON FACEBOOK       WATCH LIVE ON YOUTUBE

Bring home a small piece of Chester Zoo magic!

Since you can’t come to the zoo right now, why not bring a little bit of Chester Zoo into your home? Our online gift shop is now LIVE, and all purchases help SAVE wildlife and PREVENT EXTINCTION!

EXPLORE THE SHOP!

How long is a Giraffe’s neck ? How fast can a cheetah run ?

Feed your animal curiosities and check out our  incredible learning resources , virtual zoo visits ,  workshops  and loads more amazing activities to keep you busy in lockdown! Whether you’re a learner, a teacher or just passionate about animals and conservation, we have something for everyone!

Find out more

THE FIGHT ISN’T OVER YET…

Your incredible support has given us a vital lifeline, but we still NEED YOUR HELP

ZooAmerica Hosts Virtual Tours to Bring the Zoo to You

Families can watch educational facebook lives featuring north american animals.

While  ZooAmerica  North American Wildlife Park is temporarily closed to the public given the global health concern, the Zoo team is hosting virtual visits to "bring the zoo" to fans everywhere from the comfort of their homes.

• Canada Lynx at ZooAmerica
• Desert Tortoise at ZooAmerica
• Arizona Mountain Kingsnake at ZooAmerica
• Burrowing Owl at ZooAmerica

Parents and their children (or those young at heart!) are invited to visit the  ZooAmerica   Facebook page  weekdays at 11 a.m. EDT to watch, learn and ask questions about specific animals. Please note that as of April 13, 2020, a new Facebook Live will take place at 11 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The team will also post the recordings and some information about the featured animals below at the conclusion of each Facebook Live.

Virtual Visit with Seals

Join the Zoo team for a virtual field trip to Hersheypark to visit with our friends from the sea! Viewers will learn about two Atlantic harbor seals, Mango and Cocoa, and see a training session with  Oceans of Fun . While Hersheypark and ZooAmerica remain closed, the seals continue to receive expert care.

Virtual Visit with Ocelot for Endangered Species Day

May 15 is Endangered Species Day! In this Facebook Live, viewers will get to see an  ocelot  named Ozzy. Ocelots are at high risk of extinction in the U.S. They  are found only in southern Texas (primarily the Laguna Atascosa Wildlife Refuge), and it is estimated that there are less than 40 individuals left in that state. 

Virtual Visit with Gray Wolves

ZooAmerica  is home to a pack of two gray wolves , Twister and Husker. Watch this Facebook Live to see them up-close in their habitat as they enjoy some enrichment activities. 

Virtual Visit with Black Bears

Tune in to this Facebook Live to see and learn about Chief and Murphy, the resident black bears at  ZooAmerica . T he American black bear is the only one found exclusively on this continent.

Virtual Visit with Vampire Bats

Zoo naturalists went live with a colony of 15 vampire bats . These bats survive solely on a diet of cow's blood. Viewers can watch as the bats receive their morning meal, hop and fly around.

Virtual Visit with Canada Lynx

Zoo naturalists were live at the Canada lynx habitat for a virtual visit with Woody (14 years old) and Wren (6 years old). These two medium-sized cats have shared the space since October 2019 and have been getting along quite well! Lynx have many unique physical features, including their big paws that act as snowshoes so they can easily walk on top of the snow in the wild. 

Virtual Visit with a Skunk

In this Facebook Live, Stella the skunk will paint on a canvas using nontoxic paint as part of the Zoo's enrichment and training program. Some of her paintings are available for sale in the  ZooAmerica  gift shop when it's open. Stella is one of four striped skunks in the Education Department at  ZooAmerica . She is 6 years old and weighs about three pounds. 

BONUS ACTIVITY : As a fun activity, ask your kids to paint their own pictures and post a photo to the ZooAmerica Facebook page.

Virtual Visit with River Otters

ZooAmerica  is home to two river otters that live in a special habitat in the Eastern Woodlands region of the Zoo. In this video, viewers will meet Iris, a 7-year-old river otter who arrived at  ZooAmerica  in November 2019 from another zoo in Indiana. In the wild, river otters span a wide range. They are carnivores and eat mainly aquatic animals, such as fish, crayfish, crabs and other invertebrates. Their favorite snack at  ZooAmerica  is a fish called capelin.

Virtual Visit with Reptiles

Three reptile species are the stars of the show in this next Facebook Live. Viewers will be introduced to Houdini the Iguana (6 years old), Zorro the Arizona Mountain Kingsnake (5 years old), and Huey, Dewey and Lewey the Desert Tortoises (2 years old).

Virtual  Visit with a Porcupine

There are three porcupines on habitat at ZooAmerica . Zoo naturalist Alicia was joined by Penny the Porcupine for this Facebook Live. Viewers will also get a look at Juniper and Carmine relaxing in their tree in the porcupine habitat. Penny will be turning 8 years old on April 4. Juniper is going to be 4 on April 1. Carmine will be 7 in May.

Virtual Visit with Turtles and Tortoises

Ever wonder the difference between a turtle and a tortoise? Watch this Facebook Live to learn about their similarities and differences. 

Virtual Visit with Eagles

In this Facebook Live, Zoo naturalists Tim and Theresa share information about the golden eagle and bald eagle. ZooAmerica  has two female  bald eagles named Percy and Bertha on habitat. Both were injured in the wild and considered to be non-releasable. Bliss, the golden eagle, is one of the ambassador species at the Zoo. Watch this video to learn more about these beautiful birds.

Virtual Visit with American Alligators

ZooAmerica is home to five American alligators . Viewers will have a sweet opportunity to see the two alligators on habitat, Xavier and Yoshi, enjoy their lunch during this behind-the-scenes Facebook Live. 

Virtual Visit with Bobcats

Another cat species featured on Facebook Live is the bobcat . ZooAmerica is home to a family of three bobcats - Keira, the mom, Fuzzy and Boy. The bobcat is named for its short "bobbed" tail. Bobcats have the widest distribution of the seven cat species found in North America. They are found throughout the United States, including as close as 20 minutes from Hershey, Pa. where  ZooAmerica  is located.

Virtual Visit with Mountain Lions

ZooAmerica is home to two mountain lions , Rosa and Rainier. Watch as they receive special Easter-themed treats and toys for enrichment. Though rarely seen, the mountain lion may cover twenty miles a night while hunting for deer and other animals.

Virtual Visit with a Peregrine Falcon

This Facebook Live is all about the peregrine falcon , which is a bird of prey. Viewers will virtually meet Comet, a 12-year-old ambassador species that helps to educate people about the importance of peregrine falcons in nature. Chuppy and Flappy, the two peregrine falcons on habitat at  ZooAmerica , will also make an appearance. Peregrines are swift and agile predators that often capture their prey in mid-air. In fact, a peregrine falcon can reach speeds of more than 200 miles per hour when hunting.

Virtual Visit with Rabbits

ZooAmerica  has two resident rabbits - Dudley and Nimbus.  Rabbits have long ears for excellent hearing, especially from predators like owls and hawks.  They like to eat kale, broccoli, cauliflower and pellet food at the Zoo. 

Virtual Visit with Snowy Owls

Any Harry Potter fans out there might recognize the type of owl seen in this Facebook Live. Rinna, the female snowy owl , hatched in captivity in Estonia in 2007. She arrived at  ZooAmerica  in 2009. Nash, the male owl, arrived at  ZooAmerica  in March of 2019 from the Nashville Zoo, hence his name. The snowy owl is the heaviest of all North American owls and well-adapted for life in the open tundra. 

Virtual Visit with a Virginia Opossum

Viewers will meet Orville, a 3-year-old rehabilitated marsupial who lost his foot when he was just a baby. This opossum is an ambassador species at ZooAmerica  and has captured the hearts of staff and guests, alike. Virginia opossums are the only marsupial (animal with a pouch) found in North America. 

Virtual Visit with Venomous Lizards

Of the 3,000 lizard species in the world, only the gila monster and the Mexican beaded lizard are venomous. ZooAmerica  introduced viewers to both of these lizards, which are found in the Great Southwest building of the Zoo.  Meet Eros the beaded lizard and Diego the gila monster.

Virtual Visit with Eastern Screech Owls

Join  ZooAmerica  on a virtual visit to learn about Eastern screech owls. Viewers will meet Rufus, a red phase screech owl, and Luna, a gray phase screech owl. Both are rehabilitation animals. 

Virtual Visit with Roseate Spoonbills

Roseate spoonbills are birds with a distinct flat spoon-shaped bill and pink color, the latter of which is similar to a flamingo. These spoonbills get their spectacular color from special pigments in the food they eat. There are four spoonbills at ZooAmerica - two males and two females.

Virtual Visit to the Desert Garden

Zoo naturalists went live from the open Desert Garden area with roadrunners , burrowing owls and tortoises . The burrowing owls were hiding in their burrows during the video, but viewers can see roadrunners and tortoises. 

Virtual Visit for Earth Day

In celebration of Earth Day on April 22, the ZooAmerica  team shared some ideas of ways to honor the Earth while staying home. Viewers will learn how to make a mason bee house out of materials from around the house; discover the animals in the backyard and why it is essential to protect them; receive tips on ways to keep the yard friendly to important pollinators and other animals; and more.

Virtual Visit with Deer and Turkeys

ZooAmerica  is home to  three white-tailed deer and six eastern wild turkeys . These animals live in a mixed exhibit in the Eastern Woodlands region of the Zoo. In this video, viewers will have the opportunity to see AND hear these animals. 

Virtual Visit with Armadillos

Viewers will meet Annie and Oakley, two nine-banded armadillos at  ZooAmerica , during this Facebook Live. Of the 20 armadillo species, the nine-banded armadillo is the only species native to the U.S. They are recognizable by the  bony armor-like plates covering their bodies.

Virtual Visit with a Rattlesnake

The eastern diamondback rattlesnake is the largest venomous snake in North America.  ZooAmerica  has one eastern diamondback rattlesnake on habitat in the Southern Swamps building of the Zoo. Watch to learn more about this type of pit viper. 

Virtual Visit with a Common Raven

In this Facebook Live, viewers will have the opportunity to learn all about Honey, the common raven on habitat in the Big Sky Country region of the Zoo. Honey chose not to participate in the video, but the Zoo team walked through some of her enrichment activities with those who tuned in. The common raven is the largest member of the corvid family.  Ravens are skilled fliers and considered to be one of the most intelligent of all bird types. Honey works with the education staff on a daily basis to keep her mind stimulated.

Virtual Visit with Invertebrates

In this Facebook Live, viewers will discover some interesting invertebrates, including millipedes, vinegaroons, scorpions, walking sticks, cockroaches and a tarantula. For those with spider phobias, the video ends with the spider so they are able to exit the Live without missing anything!

Do you know the main differences between snakes and lizards? Watch this Facebook Live featuring several reptiles, including a legless lizard!

Virtual Visit with Barred Owls

Viewers will learn some interesting facts about the second largest owl in Pennsylvania - the barred owl . This Facebook Live in the Southern Swamps region of the Zoo is a real hoot!

Virtual Visit with Ferrets

The Zoo team went to the Great Southwest in this Facebook Live to visit with Haymitch, a black-footed ferret , and Parker, a domestic ferret.  Black-footed ferrets are one of the most endangered mammals in North America.  

Virtual Visit with Big Brown Bats

There are nine different species of bats in Pennsylvania. This virtual visit focuses on big brown bats. These bats are vital to the ecosystem, as they can eat up to 1, 200 insects in an hour. 

Virtual Visit with a Crow

Viewers will virtually meet Russell the Crow in this Facebook Live and learn all about him, including the difference between crows and ravens. 

Virtual Visit with American Martens

In this Facebook Live, viewers will get to learn about American martens . These small and agile members of the weasel family are excellent climbers. Watch to see Dean and Mitzi!

Virtual Visit with Red-Tailed Hawk

One of the most common North American raptors, red-tailed hawks inhabit a wide variety of open country. Watch this recording to virtually meet PeeWee, our red-tailed hawk, and Sooper, our harris hawk. 

Virtual Visit with American Elk

Join the Zoo team on a virtual visit to the Big Sky Country of ZooAmerica  to see our two female elk , Hannah and Becky. Elk are among the most vocal members of the deer family.  

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Bring the zoo to life from anywhere around the world with live cams, Keeper Talks and other virtual updates.

GO TO: Virtual visit Healesville Sanctuary | Virtual visit Werribee Open Range Zoo | Virtual visit Melbourne Zoo | Watch all Keeper Talks | Watch Live Streams

Live streams (running 24/7)

Check out the 24/7 live streams of some of your favourite animals. You can catch up on what you missed by clicking back on the red line underneath the video. 

Can’t see the animals on the live cams? That’s because our animals live in areas that are much bigger than what a camera can capture.

Please note feeding times are subject to change.

Otters at Melbourne Zoo - Den Cam #1

Meet the Asian Small-clawed Otter family at Melbourne Zoo.  Papa Odie has been teaching his pups at Melbourne Zoo to play wrestle and all the important life skills an otter needs to know!

Can't see the otters? Try Otter Den Cam #2!

Otters at Melbourne Zoo - Den Cam #2

Can't see the otters? They might be exploring their exhibit. Check back in soon!

Lions at Werribee Open Range Zoo

Meet the lazy African Lions of Werribee Open Range Zoo. How many can you spot?

Penguins at Melbourne Zoo

Feeding times.

Between 9-10.30am and between 3-4pm 

Get to know our Little Penguins

• Miss Wing (female) - Two white wing tags
• Nippet (female) - Red and white wing tags
• Wicket (male) - Green and dark blue wing tags
• Homer (male) - Green and yellow wing tags

Snow Leopards at Melbourne Zoo

Between 9am and 10am

Giraffes Melbourne Zoo

FEEDING TIMES

8.45am, 12pm and 4pm

GET TO KNOW OUR GIRAFFES

• Nakuru  (female) - Born in 2012. Our biggest Giraffe. 
• Klintun  (male) - Born in 2018 at Altina Wildlife Park in NSW.
• Iris (female) - Born in 2020 at Darling Downs Zoo in Queensland.

Virtual visit: Healesville Sanctuary

Head out to the Yarra Valley and say hello to some of our native animals.  

Tour the sanctuary

Keeper Talk: Wombat

Keeper Talk: Lyrebird

Animal cam: Land of Parrots

Animal cam: Echidnas

Animal cam: Tree Kangaroos

Animal cam: Koalas

Virtual visit: Werribee Open Range Zoo

Get a taste of Africa as you watch the animals on the open plains. 

Tour the zoo 

Tour the Savannah

Keeper Talk: Serval

Keeper Talk: Lions

Animal cam: Savannah

Virtual Visit: Melbourne Zoo

Take a tour through a world of wildlife, right from the comfort of your home. 

Tour the zoo

Keeper Talk: Orangutans

Keeper Talk: Tiger

Animal cam: Meerkats

Animal cam: Red Panda

Animal cam: Butterfly House

Animal cam: Elephants 

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Access other online content, virtual talks and behind-the-scenes content.

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Cams at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and San Diego Zoo.

*Wildlife may not be visible on the cam if they are in their bedrooms or out of camera frame.

Penguin Cam

Platypus Cam

Giraffe Cam

Burrowing Owl Cams

Red Panda Cam

Elephant Cam

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New Utah-focused exhibit comes to Hogle Zoo

‘the wonders in our backyards’ setting will provide hands-on learning about native wildlife.

By Emma Everett Johnson , KSL.com

Hogle Zoo’s new Aline W. Skaggs Wild Utah exhibit opened Thursday, giving visitors a chance to discover “the wonder in our backyards,” zoo president and CEO Doug Lund said.

Barton the porcupine officially welcomed zoo visitors Thursday by chomping through a ribbon made out of biscuits. People flocked into the highly interactive Utah-focused exhibit.

The three-acre indoor and outdoor exhibit houses native wildlife such as cougars, badgers, desert bighorn sheep, gray foxes, skunks and more.

It also provides hands-on opportunities where children and adults can explore a campsite, help prepare food at an animal-care kitchen and decorate wooden houses for local birds, bees and bats.

“You will be awestruck when you see what’s in here, and the education that goes alongside it,” said Justin Shirley, director of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

The exhibit’s opening also marks the return of the zoo’s train, which stopped services in August 2022 and is now a zero-emissions electric locomotive.

Wild Utah has been in the works for five years and reflects a desire to showcase animals native to Utah, Lund said.

“As our population grows, we need to really have that respect and admiration for the animals we’re sharing space with,” he said.

In Lund’s view, people are all a part of a collective — just like a hive of honey bees. This vision of working together for a balanced ecosystem inspired the zoo to collaborate with artist Matt Willey, who painted a mural of some of his signature honey bees for the new exhibit.

The mural is the latest in Willey’s ongoing project to paint 50,000 honey bees around the world. So far he’s painted 11,000, and the Hogle Zoo bees are his first in Utah.

The zoo hopes the entire exhibit will show visitors how to “live and recreate safely with wildlife,” Lund said. Aline W. Skaggs, the exhibit’s namesake, was a champion of this.

“Mom was always making sure the bird feeders were full, the hummingbirds had plenty of nectar and the raccoons had their share of peanuts,” said Claudia Luttrell, a daughter of L. Sam and Aline W. Skaggs.

And the zoo isn’t just asking visitors to take care of the environment — they’re doing their own part to be environmental stewards.

“The zoo used to be one of the largest water users (in Utah),” marketing and public relations manager Rachael Eames said. In the last 20 years, it has made some changes. The facility, which operates on 42 acres of donated hillside, no longer drains its large pools every day, instead, using human divers to clean tough-to-reach spots. In its newest exhibit, solar panels power the train, Eames said.

“We’re really trying to learn from other zoos,” she said.

For local officials, the zoo is worth protecting. Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson asked county residents to vote for the Zoo, Arts and Parks fund, which is back on the ballot this year.

Lund echoed Wilson’s appeal for local support: “Most of the money (for this exhibit) came from zoo operations.”

For tickets, hours and more information about the exhibit, visit the zoo’s site .

The 10 Best Zoos in America to Visit This Summer

Planning a family vacation this summer? Add on a pitstop at a zoo to create a fun immersive itinerary for the whole family.

Dorian Smith-Garcia • May 14, 2024

For many Americans, one of the earliest memories people have of childhood family outings is a trip to the local zoo. There’s something nostalgic about spending time marveling at exotic animals and in some cases, getting up close and personal with them. While most people have probably visited the local zoo in their city, these world-famous venues also make for great attractions when traveling to new places. If you’re staying on America’s shores, here are 10 iconic zoos to add to your itinerary. 

San Diego Zoo (San Diego, CA)

Sunny California is a popular destination, but the San Diego Zoo is world-renowned for good reason. The San Diego Zoo is best known for its open-air cageless exhibits. Most importantly, this zoo is one of the few located outside of China that is home to Giant Pandas. For a real thrill, guests can also visit their sister site, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park for their popular 2-hour safari park rides. This excursion offers a closer look at African and Asian big animals while riding in a covered open-air truck. 

Indianapolis Zoo (Indianapolis, IN)

Most people only talk about Indy (as it’s called by locals) when discussing the Indianapolis 500 — one of the biggest racing events of the year. But this city is also home to the Indianapolis Zoo. While not as large as other zoos across the US, this one offers a chance to swim up close and personal with the dolphins. For more adventurous visitors, opt for the Indianapolis Zoo’s animal artist excursion that allows people to paint works of art with select animals like elephants, dolphins, rhinos, penguins and seals and the help of zookeepers.

Woodland Park Zoo (Seattle, WA)

For a zoo that’s swimming in accolades, don’t miss Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo. This is the second most awarded zoo in North America. Especially for travelers that prefer authenticity in their excursions, the Woodland Park Zoo should be at the top of the list. This particular zoo focuses on recreating the natural habitats for the animals that call Woodland Park home. Check out the African Savannah where zebras and other native animals roam freely. And older travelers can enjoy Brew at the Zoo , an immersive craft beer tasting event.

The Bronx Zoo (Bronx, NY)

The Bronx is known as a cultural zeitgeist that gave society Hip Hop and the Yankees. But the Boogie Down Bronx is actually where the largest metropolitan zoo in the world is located. Set on 265 acres of land in the northernmost borough in New York City, The Bronx Zoo is home to over 6,000 animals that enjoy painstakingly recreated natural habitats. Get up in the air with the Nature Trek exhibit which is a safe climbing activity that allows visitors to get an aerial view of the grounds. Little ones will enjoy the daily penguin and seal interactive feedings. The Bronx Zoo is located across Pelham Parkway from the New York Botanical Gardens, making this a great all-day activity. 

St. Louis Zoo (St. Louis, MO)

Most people would never guess that the star of the St. Louis Zoo is a polar bear. Of all the animals from the 600 species housed here, Kali the polar bear is a fan favorite. His home, a 40,000-square-foot habitat, is one of the most popular exhibits in the zoo. Beyond the exhibits, the St. Louis Zoo is well known for its efforts in animal conservation, management, research, and education. 

Living Desert Zoo (Palm Desert, CA)

Can a desert be exciting? There’s only one way to find out and that’s by visiting the Living Desert Zoo . Fans of niche zoos will find this one particularly ideal as it is a grassy oasis that focuses exclusively on plant and animal life that’s native to desert regions. Plant lovers will appreciate the 50 gardens situated throughout the park dedicated to desert specific flora. 

Henry Doorly Zoo (Omaha, NE)

Omaha might seem like an unlikely place for a popular zoo but don’t sleep on the plains states. The Henry Doorly Zoo is prepared to blow visitors’ minds with its unique exhibits.. This zoo has recreated the American southwestern Sonoran Desert, Africa’s Namib Desert and Australia’s Red Center Desert to serve as a habitat for animals indigenous to those regions. When you’re tired of the desert, visit Kingdoms of the Night which is the world’s largest nocturnal animal exhibit. 

Cincinnati Zoo (Cincinnati, OH)

Some people prefer zoos with a historical angle. For this type of visitor, the Cincinnati Zoo is ideal as it’s one of the oldest running zoos in the U.S. Opened in 1894, this zoo is best known as being home to some of the world’s most endangered species such as the Malayan tiger, Sumatran rhinoceros, and Masai giraffes to name a few. 

Pittsburgh Zoo (Pittsburgh, PA)

Fans of a two-for-one deal will love the Pittsburgh Zoo. It is a must-see because it’s a rare combination with a zoo and an aquarium. This zoo is organized by thematic exhibits. Set on 77 acres of land, the Pittsburgh Zoo is perfect for children because it emphasizes interactive activities. Adults will appreciate the numerous sip & learn events on the zoo’s calendar. 

Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute

If Washington, D.C. is on the travel lineup, try to carve out time to check out the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. Also known simply as the National Zoo , animal preservation is a key tenet and the organization has been caring for protected species for over 100 years. Beyond caring for animals on the endangered or vulnerable lists, the zoo also works to treat animal diseases which can also threaten animal populations. Highlights here include the Elephant Community Center and the Kid’s Farm Exhibit which is essentially a petting zoo where tots can feed farm animals. 

Honorable Mention Zoos 

With a country as large as the United States, it’s impossible to limit the best zoos to a top 10 list. However, it’s also unrealistic to create an article that’s impossibly long to read. The zoos listed above are known for their biodiversity and usually center conservation or create an immersive environment for people to learn about the animals in their care. However, here’s a quick list of zoos that should be considered because of their unique location or niche focus. 

• The Alaska Zoo
• Fort Worth Zoo
• The Houston Zoo
• Busch Gardens Tampa
• The Columbus Zoo
• Audubon Zoo New Orleans
• Brevard Zoo

Get Up Close and Personal with the Animals

Zoos are fun for all ages and a great way to create an immersive learning experience for everyone. Whether they’re the anchor excursion or an add-on to round out an itinerary, it’s a great way to spend time in a laid back environment while also learning a thing or two about the animals that roam this planet. 

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San Antonio Zoo celebrates 110th birthday with $11 tickets on Monday

Zoo will host several activities to celebrate its birthday.

Ivan Herrera , Digital Journalist

SAN ANTONIO – It’s the San Antonio Zoo’s 110th birthday, and everyone’s invited to get a special-priced ticket on Monday in honor of each decade of its history.

“We’re turning 110 and you’re invited to party with us! Mark your calendars for May 13th and join the party with a celebratory $11 admission ticket for a WILD day at San Antonio Zoo,” the zoo said on its ticket website.

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The San Antonio Zoo will be having lots of different activities to celebrate its birthday on Monday, including education stations, entertainers and a DJ.

The schedule is as follows:

• 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. - DJ Mayhem at Zootennial Plaza
• 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Education Station at Zootennial Plaza
• 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. - Animal Ambassador Team Presentation at Ambassador Theater
• 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. - Roaming Entertainment at Zootennial Plaza
• 11:30 a.m. to 11:35 a.m. - Happy Birthday Sing-a-long, led by Zoo School at Zootennial Plaza
• 11:35 a.m. to noon - Free Cupcakes at Zootennial Plaza (while supplies last)
• 4 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. - North East School of the Arts Performance at Zootennial Plaza

Anyone who wants to participate in the Zoo La-La! A Taste of San Antonio experience can get $25 on Monday using the promo code ZOOBDAY at checkout.

Copyright 2024 by KSAT - All rights reserved.

About the Author

Ivan herrera.

Ivan Herrera has worked as a journalist in San Antonio since 2016. His work for KSAT 12 and KSAT.com includes covering breaking news of the day, as well as producing Q&As and content for the "South Texas Pride" and "KSAT Money" series.