Animals Overview

The Rosamond Gifford Zoo is home to more than 900 animals of all shapes and sizes.  From the smallest animal (milkweed bug) to the largest (Asian elephant), the Zoo offers unique viewing opportunities for its guests.

Begin your journey in the U.S.S. Antiquities, home to a variety of fish, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates.  Walk through the submarine cave to learn how life forms changed over time and explore present day habitats of the plants and animals that live here.

Continue through the Diversity of Birds Aviary where you will catch a glimpse of the colors, shapes, sizes and lifestyles in our diverse world of birds.  This free-flight aviary is home to dozens of birds from nearly two dozen different species.

Your next stop is a visit to the animals in Adaptation - Natural Selection at Work. As many of these animals are nocturnal, this section of the Zoo is frequently referred to as the "dark" area.  Here you will learn about various animals that have inherited unique features over time, which help them survive and reproduce.

Pass through Lion Corridor where our three lions, Joshua, Kierha and Mindine, reside and enter the Social Animal and Rainforest Area. You're sure to enjoy the lemurs, monkeys, apes, meerkats and fossa (among others) that live here.

As you venture outdoors, you'll see dozens of birds residing on the main pond and in several exhibits.  Members of the Outdoor Bird community include a variety of ducks, raptors, flamingos and other birds.

Follow the blue footprints to Penguin Coast.  Watch the penguins as they dive, swim and waddle about their exhibit.  There are six viewing windows which provide a number of angles to see the birds in action.

Continue around the 1/2-mile path on the Wildlife Trail where you'll encounter gray wolves, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, Amur tigers, red wolves, white-lipped deer, red pandas, snow leopards, spectacled bears and more!

Don't forget to stop by the Domestic Animal Barn where you can feel wool in your hands and meet our barn dog, Emma.  You might even catch a training demonstration with our Guinea hogs, Gus and Briggs.  

Complete your animal viewing at the Asian elephant exhibit.  The Rosamond Gifford Zoo is home to four elephants: Indy, Siri, Romani and Kirina.  During the summer and on school breaks, guests will have the opportunity to meet one of our elephants in person and experience what it's like to feel the unique texture of an elephant's trunk.