San Francisco Zoo

Located in San Francisco, California, the San Francisco Zoo houses almost 200 animal species and is the very first zoo in America to offer "Zoo Ranger Tours."http://www.sfzoo.org/openrosters/ViewOrgPageLink.asp?LinkKey=13785&orgkey=1872 A zoo ranger is a hand held device that takes the user on a virtual tour of the zoo. Using this device allows visitors to meet the animals and go behind the scenes of popular exhibits, see how the animals are trained and much more.

The zoo was designed to be interactive and full of activity in the belief that it would promote conservation. With this in mind, there are several centers focused on different types of wildlife, including a bird sanctuary with a bird watchers area, a center that focuses on rare and endangered species, and a nature center for native plants and gardens.http://www.sfzoo.org/openrosters/vieworgpagelink.asp?orgkey=1900&linkkey=13943

Founded in 1929 in the Bay Area, the San Francisco Zoo is the oldest and largest zoo in Northern California. It spans 100 acres and houses almost 700 animals covering almost 200 species. The zoo has always had a conservation-based outlook, and in 1985 established their California Bald Eagle Recovery Program, which is the only large-scale captive breeding program for bald eagles in this region of the US. 2004 saw an endeavor to save the endangered San Francisco garter snake, and these two programs are only part of the conservation efforts the zoo has made since its inception.http://www.sfzoo.org/openrosters/ViewOrgPageLink.asp?LinkKey=14092&orgkey=1903