The Manila Zoo, formally known as the Manila Zoological and Botanical Garden, is a zoo located in

Malate Malic acid is an organic compound with the molecular formula . It is a dicarboxylic acid that is made by all living organisms, contributes to the sour taste of fruits, and is used as a food additive. Malic acid has two stereoisomeric forms (L ...

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populated ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

History

The Manila Zoological and Botanical Garden first opened to the public on July 25, 1959, during the tenure of Manila Mayor

Arsenio Lacson Arsenio Hilario Sison Lacson Sr. (December 26, 1912 – April 15, 1962) was a Filipino journalist and politician who gained widespread attention as mayor of Manila from 1952 to 1962. An active executive likened by '' Time'' and '' The New Yor ...

. The zoo, also known colloquially as ''Manila Zoo'', underwent construction for one year and cost more than to create. Its inauguration was attended by

First Lady First lady is an unofficial title usually used for the wife, and occasionally used for the daughter or other female relative, of a non- monarchical head of state or chief executive. The term is also used to describe a woman seen to be at the ...

Leonila Garcia. It is erroneously referred to as the oldest zoo in Asia by the Manila city government, partly for which it is marked as a city landmark, despite the establishment of

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...

’s

Ueno Zoo The is a zoo, managed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and located in Taitō, Tokyo, Japan. It is Japan's oldest zoo, opened on March 20, 1882. It is served by Ueno Station, Keisei Ueno Station and Nezu Station, with convenient access ...

in Japan in 1882. In the mid-2000s,

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA; , stylized as PeTA) is an American animal rights nonprofit organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. PETA reports that PETA entities hav ...

(PETA) launched a campaign against Manila Zoo calling for its closure as part of its global campaign against zoos. The animal rights organization supported plans to convert the zoo into a sports complex. The Manila city government led by Mayor

Alfredo Lim Alfredo "Fred" Siojo Lim Jr.. (; December 21, 1929 – August 8, 2020) was a Filipino politician and police officer who served as a Senator of the Philippines from 2004 to 2007. He also served as the Mayor of Manila twice: first from 1992 to ...

, as well as local vendors operating in the zoo, opposed PETA's campaign against Manila Zoo. Manila Zoo was indefinitely closed on January 23, 2019 by Manila Mayor

Joseph Estrada Joseph Ejercito Estrada, (; born Jose Marcelo Ejercito; April 19, 1937), also known by the nickname Erap, is a Filipino politician and former actor. He served as the 13th president of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, the 9th vice presi ...

after the

Department of Environment and Natural Resources The Department of Environment and Natural Resources ( fil, Kagawaran ng Kapaligiran at Likas na Yaman, DENR or KKLY) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for governing and supervising the exploration, developmen ...

(DENR) identified it as a major pollutant of Manila Bay. The zoo was found to be dumping untreated sewage into an estuary that empties into the bay. Estrada's government planned to renovate the zoo, but the project was placed on hold. Animals which remained in captivity continued to be taken care of by zoo employees and volunteers despite the closure. Plans to renovate the zoo once again surfaced following the election of

Isko Moreno Francisco Moreno Domagoso (born October 24, 1974), popularly known by his stage name Isko Moreno or Isko Moreno Domagoso (), is a Filipino politician and actor who previously served as the 27th mayor of Manila from 2019 to 2022. Before headi ...

as Manila mayor, and in July 2020, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the rehabilitation and redevelopment of the zoo. The project's budget was a reported and was initially expected to be finished in 19 months. The zoo was planned to introduce a 30-foot lagoon waterfall, a big cat enclosure, a marsupial exhibit, a monkey enclosure, and a restaurant. The Zoo reopened on December 30, 2021. As of January 19, 2022, the Zoo is temporarily used as a

COVID-19 vaccination A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID19). Prior to the COVID19 pandemic, an est ...

site for minors and

senior citizen Old age refers to ages nearing or surpassing the life expectancy of human beings, and is thus the end of the human life cycle. Terms and euphemisms for people at this age include old people, the elderly (worldwide usage), OAPs (British usage ...

Animals

The Manila Zoological and Botanical Garden is home to more than 550 specimens of exotic wildlife, representing at least 13 species of mammals, 38 species of birds, and 21 species of reptiles. Principal animals include an Asian elephant named Ma'ali (Vishwama'ali), and a White Siberian Tiger named Kois. The zoo formerly housed a hippopotamus named Queen Bertha, but it has since died in 2017 as the oldest captive hippopotamus in the world at age 65. The zoo's animal collection is divided into four categories: mammals, birds, reptiles, and aquatic life.

Mammals

African Lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large cat of the genus '' Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphic; adu ...

(''Panthera leo'') *

Asian Elephant The Asian elephant (''Elephas maximus''), also known as the Asiatic elephant, is the only living species of the genus '' Elephas'' and is distributed throughout the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, from India in the west, Nepal in t ...

(''Elephas maximus''), gifted by the government of Sri Lanka in 1977 *

Bengal Tiger The Bengal tiger is a population of the '' Panthera tigris tigris'' subspecies. It ranks among the biggest wild cats alive today. It is considered to belong to the world's charismatic megafauna. The tiger is estimated to have been present i ...

(''Panthera tigris tigris'') * Celebes Black Ape (''Macaca nigra'') * Hebra (''Equus caballus'' x ''Equus burchelli'') * Philippine Deer (''Cervus marianus'') *

Siberian Tiger The Siberian tiger or Amur tiger is a population of the tiger subspecies '' Panthera tigris tigris'' native to the Russian Far East, Northeast China and possibly North Korea. It once ranged throughout the Korean Peninsula, but currently inh ...

(''Panthera tigris altaica''), gifted by the Clark Safari and Adventure Park (''Zoocobia'') in Pampanga in 2021 * Philippine Monkey (''Macaca fasicularis philippinensis'') * Philippine Palm Civet (''Paradoxurus philippinensis'')

Birds

* Bleeding Heart Pigeon (''Gallicolumba luzonica'') * Blue Peafowl (''Pavo cristatus'') *

Brahminy Kite The brahminy kite (''Haliastur indus''), formerly known as the red-backed sea-eagle in Australia, is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors, such as eagles, buzzards, and harrie ...

(''Haliastus indus'') * Double Wattled Cassowary (''Casuarius casuarius'') *

Egret Egrets ( ) are herons, generally long-legged wading birds, that have white or buff plumage, developing fine plumes (usually milky white) during the breeding season. Egrets are not a biologically distinct group from herons and have the same buil ...

(''Egreta alba'') * Eurasia Collared Dove (''Streptopelia decaocto'') * Multi Colored Stork (''Ibis leucophalus'') * Palawan Pheasant (''Poyplectorn emphenum'') *

Philippine Serpent Eagle The Philippine serpent eagle (''Spilornis holospilus'') is an eagle found in the major islands of the Philippines. It is sometimes treated as a race of the crested serpent eagle ('' Spilornis cheela''). This species is usually found in forest cle ...

(''Spilornis holospilus'') *

Philippine Swamphen Philippine swamphen (''Porphyrio pulverulentus'' Temminck, 1826) is a species of swamphen occurring in The Philippines. It used to be considered a subspecies of the purple swamphen The purple swamphen has been split into the following species: * ...

(''Porphyrio porphyria'') * Severe Macaw (''Ara severa'' x ''Ara auricollis'') * Sulfur Crested Cockatoo (''Cacatua galerita'') * Black Crowned Night Heron (''Nycticorax nycticorax'') * Catalina Macaw (''Ara macao'' x ''Ara ararauna'') *

Cockatiel The cockatiel (; ''Nymphicus hollandicus''), also known as weiro (also spelt weero), or quarrion, is a medium-sized parrot that is a member of its own branch of the cockatoo family endemic to Australia. They are prized as household pets and c ...

(''Nymphicus hollandicus'') * Crested Mynah (''Acridotheres cristatellus'') *

Eagle Owl The American (North and South America) horned owls and the Old World eagle-owls make up the genus ''Bubo'', at least as traditionally described. The genus name ''Bubo'' is Latin for the Eurasian eagle-owl. This genus contains 19 species that ar ...

(''Bubo philippensis'') *

Giant Scops Owl The giant scops owl (''Otus gurneyi''), lesser eagle-owl or the Mindanao eagle-owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to the Philippines. In size and structure, it is considered intermediate between a scops owl and an ...

(''Mimizuki gumeyi'') *

Green-Winged Macaw The red-and-green macaw (''Ara chloropterus''), also known as the green-winged macaw, is a large, mostly-red macaw of the genus ''Ara''. This is the largest of the genus ''Ara'', widespread in the forests and woodlands of northern and central ...

(''Ara chloropterus'') *

Moluccan Cockatoo The salmon-crested cockatoo (''Cacatua moluccensis''), also known as the Moluccan cockatoo, is a cockatoo endemic to the Seram archipelago in eastern Indonesia. At a height of up to and weight of up to , it is among the largest of the white ...

(''Cacatua moluccensis'') *

Ostrich Ostriches are large flightless birds of the genus ''Struthio'' in the order Struthioniformes, part of the infra-class Palaeognathae, a diverse group of flightless birds also known as ratites that includes the emus, rheas, and kiwis. There ...

(''Struthio camelus'') * Rufous Night Heron (''Nycticorax caledonicus'')

Reptiles

* African Ball Python (''Python regius'') *

Burmese Python The Burmese python (''Python bivittatus'') is one of the largest species of snakes. It is native to a large area of Southeast Asia and is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Until 2009, it was considered a subspecies of the Indian pytho ...

(''Python mulorus bivitatus'') * Elongata Tortoise (''Geochelone elongate'') *

Monitor Lizard Monitor lizards are lizards in the genus ''Varanus,'' the only extant genus in the family Varanidae. They are native to Africa, Asia, and Oceania, and one species is also found in the Americas as an invasive species. About 80 species are rec ...

(''Varannus marmoratus'') * Philippine Crocodile (''Crocodylus mindorensis'') * Philippine Splitting Cobra (''Naja philippensis'') * Pig Nosed Turtle (''Carettochelys insculpta'') *

Rat Snake Rat snakes are members – along with kingsnakes, milk snakes, vine snakes and indigo snakes – of the subfamily Colubrinae of the family Colubridae. They are medium to large constrictors and are found throughout much of the Northern Hemi ...

(''Elaphe spp'') * Red Iguana (''Iguana iguana'') *

Reticulated Python The reticulated python (''Malayopython reticulatus'') is a python species native to South and Southeast Asia. It is the world's longest snake, and is among the three heaviest. It is listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List because of its ...

(''Pyhton reticulatus'') * Sail Fin Lizard (''Hydrosaurus pustulatus'') *

Box Turtle Box turtle is the common name for several species of turtle. It may refer to those of the genus '' Cuora'' or '' Pyxidea'', which are the Asian box turtles, or more commonly to species of the genus '' Terrapene'', the North American box turtles. ...

(''Cuora amboinensis'') * Chinese Golden Thread Turtle (''Mauremys sinensis'') *

Estuarine Crocodile The saltwater crocodile (''Crocodylus porosus'') is a crocodilian native to saltwater habitats and brackish wetlands from India's east coast across Southeast Asia and the Sundaic region to northern Australia and Micronesia. It has been liste ...

(''Crocodylus porosus'') * Red-eared Slider Turtle (''Trachemys seripta elegans'') *

Soft-shelled Turtle The Trionychidae are a taxonomic family of a number of turtle genera, commonly known as softshell turtles. The family was erected by Leopold Fitzinger in 1826. Softshells include some of the world's largest freshwater turtles, though many can a ...

(''Trionix spp'')

Aquatic Life

Alligator Gar The alligator gar (''Atractosteus spatula'') is a ray-finned euryhaline fish related to the bowfin in the infraclass Holostei . It is the largest species in the gar family, and among the largest freshwater fish in North America. The fossil rec ...

(''Atractosteus spatula'') * Giant Pangasius Catfish (''Pangasius sanitwongsei'') *

Goldfish The goldfish (''Carassius auratus'') is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It is commonly kept as a pet in indoor aquariums, and is one of the most popular aquarium fish. Goldfish released into the wild have bec ...

(''Carassius auratus'') * Japanese Carp (''Cyprinus Spp'') *

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology) ...

(''Astronotus ocellatus'') * Red Pacu (''Lepisosteus osseus'') Many of the animals of the zoo were born in captivity, with three month-old juveniles recently born in April 2015.

Plants

The Manila Zoo's Botanical Garden nurtures more than 10,000 plants in its botanical garden. Housed plant species include: * Aglaonema Silver King (''Aglaonema modestum'') * Aglaonema Dona Carmen (''Aglaonema commutatum'') * Banka Bangkaan Oyster Plant (''Tradescantia spathacea'') * Basket Plant (''Callisia fragrans'') *

Bougainvillea ''Bougainvillea'' ( , ) is a genus of thorny ornamental vines, bushes, and trees belonging to the four o' clock family, Nyctaginaceae. It is native to eastern South America, found from Brazil, west to Peru, and south to southern Argentina. ...

* Blue Plumbago (''Plumbago auriculata'') * Bulb Plant Rain Lily (''Zephyrantes'') *

Spider Lily Spider lily is the common name for a number of different plant species within the family Amaryllidaceae which belong to the following genera: * ''Crinum ''Crinum'' is a genus of about 180 species of perennial plants that have large showy flo ...

Calathea ''Calathea'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Marantaceae. They are commonly called calatheas or (like their relatives) prayer plants. About 200 species formerly assigned to ''Calathea'' are now in the genus '' Goeppertia''. ...

* Cophea (''Cuphea'') * Copper Leaf (''Chrysothemis pulchella'') * Crossandra * Golden Duranta (''Duranta erecta'') * Chinese Duranta * Emerald Gaiety (''Euonymus fortunei'') *

Episcia ''Episcia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the African violet family, Gesneriaceae. The ten species it contains are native to the tropical regions of Central and South America. The species are perennial herbaceous plants characterized by a sto ...

* Forever Rich (''Ledebouria'') * Fortune Plant (''Dracaena fragrans'') * Gumamela (''Hibiscus rosa sinensis'') *

Iresine ''Iresine'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Amaranthaceae. It contains 20 to 25 species, all of which are native to the American tropics. The generic name is derived from the Greek word εριος (''erios''), meaning "wooly", refer ...

Japanese Bamboo is a form of and a traditional , with a range of different applications, weaving styles and appearances. Japanese bamboo weaving is particularly well known for its use in basket weaving. History More than six hundred species of bamboo, some e ...

(''Drcaena surculosa'') * Love in the Mist (''Nigella damascena'') * Luhang Dalaga (''Euphorbia tithymaloides'') * Lucky Bamboo (''Dracaea sanderiana'') * Mandarin (''Citrus reticulata'') * Mayana (''Coleus blumei'') * Mexican Petunia (''Ruellia simplex'') * White Moa (''Psilotum nudum'')

Facilities

Manila Zoo covers an area of , and is under the direct management of the Manila City Government through its Public Recreation Bureau. * Animal Museum * Zoo Lagoon * Sewage Treatment Plant * Botanical Garden * Butterfly Garden * Children's Park * Reptile House * Outdoor Reptiles

Former facilities

Wildlife Rescue Center

The Wildlife Rescue Center served as a temporary shelter and repository for confiscated, donated, retrieved, sick, injured and abandoned wildlife species. The Wildlife Rescue Center has been the subject of public scrutiny in regard to their animal welfare standards. The area was permanently closed on January 23, 2019.

Kinder Zoo

The Kinder Zoo within Manila Zoo was a result of a private-public partnership between Kinder Zoo, Inc. and the city government. Kinder Zoo, Inc. redeveloped of the zoo into an area named Kinder Zoo. The area was designed as a child-friendly area where children can interact with some animals of the zoo. The area featured a butterfly sanctuary, a hanging bridge, a flamingo pond, a barn for events, and a petting zoo upon its opening on June 23, 2000. The area was permanently closed on January 23, 2019.

References

{{Manila attractions Zoos in Metro Manila Botanical gardens in the Philippines Parks in Manila Buildings and structures in Malate, Manila Tourist attractions in Manila Zoos established in 1959 1959 establishments in the Philippines