NegevZoo, Former zoo in Be'er Sheva, Israel

The Negev Zoo in Be'er Sheva is located on the city's western edge and holds approximately 150 different animal species in arranged habitats. The grounds feature separate sections designed for various types of animals.

This facility began in 1954 as a small petting zoo near a school and gradually expanded with support from the city and various organizations. Over the decades it developed from that modest beginning into a larger zoological collection.

The zoo grew out of a petting corner that teacher Mania Orieli started at the Shorashim school in 1954, and she ran it even after retiring, winning a Ministry of Education prize in 1977. Peacocks wandered freely among the visitors, and the reptile house displayed turtles, lizards, snakes and crocodilians. The zoo also took in injured wild animals brought by Israel Nature and Parks Authority rangers and private individuals, rehabilitating them and returning some to the wild.

The zoo closed permanently at the end of 2022 and its cages were demolished; the animals were moved to the Midbarium, which opened to visitors in February 2024. The former Negev Zoo grounds lay in Kiryat Meir Batz, south of the western entrance road to Be'er Sheva.

The zoo focuses strongly on desert animals, with specialized sections for hoofed animals, turtles, snakes, and lizards that live in the Negev region. This focus on local species makes the collection particularly interesting for visitors wanting to learn about animals found in this area.