The zoos primary goal is to educate the public about various animals and proper conservation. As one of the oldest zoos in the United States, the zoo has been in operation since 1889, and it belongs to Smithsonian Institution, the world's biggest research and museum complex. Some zoos have a particular style that is established, such as the African Safari style, but if you are new to this business, then it is going to be difficult to figure out what kind of style you want your zoo to have. There is no admission charge and the zoo is open 364 days every year. Establishments that were only petting zoos, public parks, or were being investigated for animal abuse were excluded. Zoo names are not always easy, but we will try to make it fun. The ranking is based on the average rating and number of reviews. Only zoos with at least 50 Yelp reviews were considered. To identify the 20 best zoos in the United States, 24/7 looked a total of 272 zoos, all of which were within the zoo category on Yelp in or near the top 1,000 U.S. Some focus on housing animals that are endangered or nearly extinct, largely because people are putting them in danger - these are the animals humans are driving to extinction.Ĭlick here to see the best zoos in America Many go beyond what we may think of as the traditional zoo to include safari parks, reserves, animal sanctuaries and places where animals are rehabilitated and can live in a naturalistic habitat. Today, it’s estimated that there are over 2,800 zoos and aquariums around the world, including more than 355 in the United States.Įven though the concept of keeping animals in captivity for human entertainment has been getting more and more controversial, many zoos in the country are accredited by independent organizations and have adopted policies to benefit the animals and to preserve their natural way of life as much as possible. Zoos, first established as private collections by the wealthy to display power, have evolved into places where people come to not only see animals that they would never get to view otherwise, but as a way to educate the public and for species conservation.

Best zoo s u.s.a