Parque Zoológico Nacional Simón Bolívar, Zoo and botanical garden in Carmen, Costa Rica.
The Simón Bolívar National Zoo and Botanical Garden is a roughly 14-hectare (35-acre) space in San José that combines animal enclosures with collections of native plants. The grounds are divided into different sections where visitors can explore both wildlife and garden areas.
The site has roots in a 19th-century garden but was formally established as a botanical garden in 1916 and expanded with a zoo section in 1921. This gradual development made it one of the early facilities of its kind in Central America.
The facility was created to bring people closer to local wildlife and plants while promoting awareness about the natural world. Visitors can observe how the space serves as a meeting point between conservation efforts and public learning.
The park is open on weekdays during morning and afternoon hours and has extended hours on weekends. Bring water and sun protection as the grounds have limited shade in many areas.
The grounds house a specialized breeding program for the red-eyed tree frog, a species found only in Costa Rica and facing population pressures. This program demonstrates how a public facility actively participates in species recovery efforts.
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