São Paulo Zoo, Animal preservation center in São Paulo, Brazil
São Paulo Zoo occupies 824,529 m² of original Atlantic Forest in the South Zone of São Paulo, with four kilometres of walkways and the springs of the Ipiranga Brook forming lakes for exotic, native and migratory birds. Its entrance has a shallow concrete canopy with wavy corrugated slabs on rectangular pillars, metal letters reading "...OLÓGICO DE SÃO PAULO" and a sign for "O ZOOLÓGICO". A wooden building nearby houses the "LEMBRANÇAS - ZOO" shop.
The zoo was created in June 1957 on the instruction of governor Jânio Quadros to Emílio Varoli, head of the Department of Fish and Game. It opened on 16 March 1958 with 445 animals, including the rhinoceros Cacareco, later elected city councillor in October 1958. The Fundação Parque Zoológico de São Paulo gained legal autonomy in 1959.
The zoo's name appears on the entrance canopy in metal letters reading "...OLÓGICO DE SÃO PAULO", and a hanging sign announces "O ZOOLÓGICO" and an educational campaign. A wooden building near the paths carries the sign "LEMBRANÇAS - ZOO" above its open storefront. The zoo runs lectures and workshops, and its library of more than four thousand volumes is open to the public.
Visiting typically takes three to four hours since paths between enclosures pass through forested slopes and include some inclines. Electric carts can be rented for guests with limited mobility, and several restaurants are located throughout the grounds.
The grounds sit partly within Atlantic rainforest, and some wild animals like toucans and capuchin monkeys move through the trees above visitor paths. Artificial termite mounds have been installed in some enclosures so anteaters can display their natural feeding behavior.
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