Manila Zoological & Botanical Garden

Manila, Philippines, Philippines

---

The Manila Zoological & Botanical Garden, commonly known as Manila Zoo, is a 5.5-hectare public zoo located in Malate, Manila, Philippines, and is the only public zoo in the City of Manila. First opened on July 25, 1959, during Mayor Arsenio H. Lacson's tenure, it was recently renovated and reopened on November 21, 2022, after a period of closure, now featuring state-of-the-art facilities including a lagoon waterfall, spacious big cat enclosure, and dedicated exhibits for marsupials and monkeys. The zoo houses more than 550 specimens of exotic wildlife representing at least 13 mammal species, 38 bird species, and 21 reptile species (about 1,000 animals from 90 species as of April 2015), including notable animals such as Kois, a male white Siberian tiger donated in 2021, and previously housed Ma'ali (Mali), the beloved female Asian elephant gifted by Sri Lanka in 1977 who passed away in November 2023. The facility also includes a botanical garden with more than 10,000 plants being grown and propagated, plus a Kinder Zoo where children can interact with tamed animals including exotic birds, pot-belly pigs, miniature animals, crocodiles, peacocks, rabbits, snakes, ostriches, and tortoises.