San Francisco Zoo, Zoo at Lake Merced, San Francisco, United States
San Francisco Zoo is a zoological park in San Francisco at the southwestern edge of the city between Lake Merced and the Pacific Ocean, housing more than 2000 animals from around 250 species. The grounds cover roughly 100 acres (40 hectares) with enclosures for big cats, primates, African savanna animals, and penguins.
The zoological park opened in 1929 as Fleishhacker Zoo and received its first residents from Golden Gate Park. The facility gained its current name in 1941 and expanded its enclosures over the following decades.
The children's zoo area allows visitors to meet domesticated animal breeds up close. Education programs teach about threatened species through direct animal observation throughout the grounds.
The main entrance is on the ocean side, to the west, across from the Great Highway; a second entrance lies on the north side across Sloat Boulevard, one block south of the Muni Metro L Taraval line. The 100-acre grounds sit between Lake Merced and the Pacific Ocean. Indian peafowl roam freely, so watch for birds on the paths.
Indian peafowl wander freely across the grounds rather than staying in enclosures, so visitors meet them on the paths. The zoo also keeps two black bears rescued as orphans in Alaska in 2017, one found near Valdez and one near Juneau, and Henry, a blind California sea lion stranded in Humboldt County in 2010.
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