By: Kat Chen and Matt Meltzer | From: Conde Nast Traveler
The best zoos in the US are not only fun days out, but also some of the country's leading institutions in animal population and habitat restoration. While kids are most excited to see their favorite storybook and Disney movie characters come to life, the most exciting work that the best zoos in the US put forward isn't limited to the animal enclosures. From San Antonio Zoo's collaborative restoration projects with indigenous groups in the Amazon River basin to San Diego Zoo's over 12,000 rare and endangered denizens, the positive ecological impact these zoos leave extend far and beyond their own gates.
Below, we've gathered our favorite zoos across the country, with a quick overview of some of the conservation and restoration programs they fund, conduct fieldwork for, and sustain year after year, plus some of the coolest animals you can't miss on your next visit.
San Antonio Zoo — Texas
The San Antonio Zoo has several links to local population restoration efforts from its Texas horned lizard reintroduction project to Project Selva, a collaborative venture with indigenous groups local formed to the Amazon River basin to mitigate the risks of parachute research and forward the conversation on how local populations of humans can inform the lived experience of an ecosystem. Highlights for visitors include visiting the prehistoric-looking cassowaries at the Wild Australia exhibit, watching spectacled bears slam fresh fruit at the grottos section, and hopping around with the lemurs at pride plaza.