Zoologico de Chapultepec — Zoo in Primera Sección del Bosque de Chapultepec

Zoologico de Chapultepec and its collection

Zoologico de Chapultepec, opened in 1924, is a zoo in Ciudad de Mexico, Disrito Federal, Mexico.

The zoo takes up 17 hectares in the first section of the Chapultepec woodland. It is the most visited zoo in the country, topping five million visitors a year. It ranks second largest nationally behind the Guadalajara zoo and holds a herpetarium, a butterfly house and an elephant museum.

History

Porfirio Díaz signed a commitment in 1890 to build a zoo at Chapultepec, but it opened only on 6 July 1923, under the biologist Alfonso Luis Herrera. In 1929 it was added to the list of city-subsidised institutions. Between 1950 and 1960 it functioned purely as a recreation spot.

Animals and collection

One giant panda, Xin Xin, remains after the death of Shuan Shuan in July 2022. The pandas Pe Pe and Ying Ying had arrived as a gift from China in September 1975.

Exhibits

The grounds are divided into seven climate and vegetation zones: desert, grassland, coastal strip, tundra, aviary, temperate forest and tropical forest.

What the venue says

• There are casual food stands and quick-service refreshment zones inside and immediately surrounding the zoo grounds.
• Dedicated parking right at the zoo is very limited.
• The main pathways are generally flat and paved, making them relatively accessible for strollers and wheelchairs, though weekend crowds can make navigation slower.