On July 25, 1959, the Manila Zoological and Botanical Garden opened its doors to the public. It serves as one of the educational centers in the country where the viewing public can observe, discover and learn interesting facts about the beauty of Philippine fauna and flora.
The zoo has 30 different kinds of mammals, 63 reptile species and 13 types of birds. The Manila Zoo also has a "kinder" zoo where children can play with tamed animals and learn about them and their environment. The "kinder" zoo features a butterfly dome, exotic birds aviary, koi pond, a petting zoo, turtle pond, party barn, a hanging bridge, playground, and a flamingo pond. Here you can also see exotic animals like the Kayman Crocodiles, peacocks, Peahen Ducks, different types of chickens from all over the world, rabbits, snakes, Sulcata Tortoises and Ostriches.
The zoo occupies 5.5 hectares of land and it houses several endemic and indigenous animals such as the long tailed macaques, crocodiles and the bearcats.
