Wellington Zoo

Wellington Zoo and its collection

Wellington Zoo, opened in 1906, is a zoo in Wellington, Greater Wellington, New Zealand.

Opened in 1906, it is the country's oldest public zoo and has long operated under the city council. Travel + Leisure named it in July 2026 among 25 top zoos worldwide on ethics, education and research investment, and a 2025 Seven Corners global ranking placed it thirteenth for animal encounters.

History

Backers met in April 1906 to propose part of Newtown Park as a site, having been offered a lion as a starting exhibit. The city received a young lion from Bostock and Wombwell's Circus on 4 June 1906 and caged it near the park lake; it was called King Dick for the premier Richard Seddon, who died on 10 June 1906, days after it arrived. The zoo was formally renamed on 27 March 2024 with a te reo trust name, signalling an ongoing move towards biculturalism.

Exhibits

Close encounters with giraffes, meerkats, lemurs and big cats are sold, along with group overnight stays.

Conservation and approach

It takes part in international studbook programmes that track species data for genetic diversity. The Kererū Discovery Project, aimed at helping the native pigeon, is run jointly with Zealandia, Te Papa and Pukaha.

What the venue says

• daily keeper talks and animal presentations
• Close Encounters
• themed playgrounds
• On-site food and beverage choices include cafes (such as the Banana Boat Cafe)
• Free parking options are available in designated parking lots and surrounding street spaces near the main entrance
• The zoo offers wheelchair-accessible entrances, parking areas, restrooms, and seating
• Because the grounds are set across steep Wellington hills, visitors using mobility aids should note that some paths involve inclines.