Jerusalem Biblical Zoo, Biblical zoo in Jerusalem, Israel

The Jerusalem Biblical Zoo, also called the Tisch Family Zoological Gardens, occupies the Malha valley about seven kilometres southwest of the city centre. Architect Lenny Raviv of Miller Blum Environmental Planning designed it so that animals live in open areas rather than cages, separated from visitors by deep trenches. The grounds are divided into zones by continent, with an African section around a lake holding giraffes, zebras and rhinos, plus a water-fowl lake with two primate islands.

The zoo opened in 1940 in central Jerusalem with a small animal collection and moved to its current site in 1993. The new facility offered more room for naturalistic enclosures and the growing number of residents.

The name refers to animals mentioned in religious texts of the region and features species that once lived in the area. Visitors today see enclosures where modern descendants of these historical animals share space with other international species.

Visitors should buy entry tickets in advance through the website to avoid waiting on busy days. Opening hours vary by season, so checking the current schedule before traveling is helpful.

The zoo runs the national incubation center for Israel's birds of prey: eggs collected from the wild under Nature and Parks Authority permits are hatched by zoo staff. In 2022 it also set up breeding nuclei for the Hermon slug and the Arbel iris, both endemic to Israel.