Family trips to the zoo are always a great way to have fun, learn, and bond together. Fortunately for Philadelphia families, this city is home to one of the best zoos on the East Coast. We love visiting here with our families on the weekends to enjoy getting up-close looks at the wide range of wildlife. Our Philadelphia adoption agents recommend checking out the following exhibits during your next trip to the Philadelphia Zoo.

African Plains

In the African Plains section of the zoo, you can find a variety of African wildlife roaming in a habitat modeled after their homeland. Some of the zoo’s most popular animals roam here, including Tony the southern white rhinoceros, who is the heaviest animal at the zoo, a family of giraffes, and a hippo couple.

Other creatures found here include cheetahs, gazelles, zebras, and red river hogs.

Bear Country

The Philadelphia Zoo originally had bear pits, which were built in 1874 and lasted for over a century. In 1980, these pits were replaced by Bear Country. This new habitat features waterfalls, brooks, pools, and bears from all over the world. Species include a sloth bear from the Himalayas, Andean bears from the South American mountains, and an Asiatic black bear that lives in parts of Asia, Russia, and the Middle East.

Carnivore Kingdom

Carnivore Kingdom is a 1.5-acre habitat with rocky outcroppings and winding trails, along with a diverse cast of carnivores.

Some of the creatures you can expect to encounter here include:

  • Canada lynx
  • Dward mongoose
  • Giant otter
  • Southern ground hornbill
  • White-nosed coati

Although they’re vegetarians, red pandas are also found here. This is because the word “carnivore” has a second meaning beyond “meat-eater” – the word is also used as a grouping for all types of dogs, bears, cats, raccoons, ferrets, and hyenas, and red pandas are included in this category.

Monkey Junction

Located just inside the entrance, Monkey Junction will be your first stop during your trip through the Philadelphia Zoo. This exhibit is home to two black-headed spider monkeys and two white-bellied spider monkeys. These are some of the world’s most agile creatures, and delight audiences with their high-flying acrobatic performances including big leaps and swings from twenty feet above.

A spider monkey’s tail is like a fifth limb. They can use it to gather food and grip branches as they swing from the trees. The tail is also strong enough to support the monkey’s entire bodyweight.

Reptile and Amphibian House

With 47 naturalistic exhibits, the Reptile and Amphibian House is one of the largest sections of the Philadelphia Zoo. You can find a wide range of these creatures here, including:

  • African bullfrog
  • Aldabra tortoise
  • American alligator
  • Beaded lizard
  • Black Forest cobra
  • Chinese alligator
  • Cottonmouth
  • Dwarf caiman
  • Dyeing poison dart frog
  • Gaboon viper
  • Galapagos tortoise
  • Gila monster
  • Green anaconda
  • King cobra
  • Nile crocodile
  • Oriental fire-bellied toad
  • Panamanian golden frog
  • Pig-nosed turtle
  • Red-eyed tree frog
  • Timber rattlesnake
  • West African dwarf crocodile