Woodland Park Zoo Animals: A Zone-by-Zone Guide

Woodland Park Zoo is laid out by habitat rather than by animal type, so the animals you meet depend on which zone you walk into. Gorillas and jaguars share the Tropical Rain Forest, giraffes and lions sit on the African Savanna, and brown bears, wolves and lynx live on the Living Northwest Trail, the zone that replaced the former Northern Trail.

Around 900 animals from about 250 species live across the 92 acres, which makes a little planning worthwhile. This guide walks through each zone, names the animals the zoo lists there, and suggests an order that keeps backtracking to a minimum. For entrances, food and rentals, see our Woodland Park Zoo visitor guide.

Tropical Asia is the zoo’s largest section and is split into three areas. On the Trail of Vines you will find orangutans and siamangs; the zoo cares for both Sumatran and Bornean orangutans, which are critically endangered in the wild.

Banyan Wilds continues along the main loop path with Malayan tigers, sloth bears and Asian small-clawed otters, plus a variety of birds. Visayan warty pigs are also on the zone’s animal list.

The third area is the Assam Rhino Reserve, which opened for rhinoceros in May 2018 in the space that was once Elephant Forest. It is home to a greater one-horned (Indian) rhinoceros.

The Living Northwest Trail reimagines the former Northern Trail and focuses on wildlife from this part of the world. It is home to brown bears, gray wolves, river otters and Canada lynx, with elk among the other local species.

The Pigott Family Lynx Exhibit is new to the trail and gives a close look at a carnivore that is rarely seen in the Northwest. At Cathy Herzig Basecamp Northwest you can look into the zoo’s conservation lab, where keepers rear endangered western pond turtles each year for release into protected wetlands.

Look for the carved panel along the trail: it was designed by storyteller Roger Fernandes and carved by master carver Toma Villa, and it shows animal symbols from local Indigenous stories.

Australasia covers Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific islands. The zoo lists emus, kookaburras, wallaroos and wallabies here, and the snow leopard habitat sits next to this zone.

The Temperate Forest is the place for red pandas, maned wolves, Chilean flamingos and red-crowned and white-naped cranes. It also holds the Temperate Wetlands, a Conservation Aviary and Bug World, where beetles, tarantulas and scorpions live alongside Partula snails, one of the zoo’s conservation species.

Younger children head for the Family Farm and Animal Contact Area, with goats, sheep, pigs, chickens, donkeys and mini-cows; in summer, visitors can touch a gentle sheep or goat. Other stops on the map include the Humboldt Penguins habitat by the West Entrance, Reptile Realm and the seasonal Butterfly Garden.

From the South Entrance, start on the African Savanna, continue into the Tropical Rain Forest for the gorillas and jaguars, then follow the main loop through Banyan Wilds and the rest of Tropical Asia. Finish with the Living Northwest Trail, the Temperate Forest and the penguins near the West Entrance.

From the West Entrance, reverse the order: penguins first, then the Temperate Forest and the Living Northwest Trail, ending at the savanna. Allow at least two hours, and a full day if you want keeper talks, a carousel ride and a long lunch at 1899 Grove, which is open all day across from Zoomazium.

Hours change with the season, so check our opening hours guide for your date and pick an entry time with the ticket options on this page.