Hawaii is boundless in natural beauty — but it is also a flourishing environment for many exotic animals, making the islands the perfect location for primates, zebras, farm animals, tropical marine life, and even tigers to thrive — in the wild, and in captivity. The most well-known of these destinations is the Honolulu Zoo, a magnificent attraction that’s home to some incredibly unique animals you’ve likely only seen pictures of. Let’s take a look, shall we?
The only zoo in the United States to be established by grants made by a sovereign monarch, the 42-acre Honolulu Zoo was opened in 1916 as part of the 300-acre Queen Kapiolani Park.
The Honolulu Zoo/Facebook
The Honolulu Zoo is currently home to more than 1,200 animals in specially designed habitats, but that wasn’t always the case. During the Great Depression, the zoo was almost shut down due to a lack of cash, but through the difficulty, the zoo expanded in 1949 with the purchase of an elephant, a Bactrian camel, sea lions, spider monkeys, and a tortoise.
sharium/Flickr
More animals have been added throughout the years, and today, the four main habitat areas — African Savannah, Pacific Islands, Tropical Forest, and Children’s Zoo — are home to roughly 300 animal species, including mammals, birds, and reptiles.
The Honolulu Zoo/Facebook
From river terrapin, bongos, and Kookaburras to klipspringers, African wild dogs, and siamang, It’s likely that you’ve never seen many of these animals in person before. Let’s be honest, you may not have even heard of some of the zoo’s inhabitants before — I know I haven’t.
The Honolulu Zoo/Facebook
Discover more than forty unique species of birds from across the globe, including Hawaii, North and South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia, as well as frogs, lizards, turtles, and snakes (the only snakes you’ll find in Hawaii, by the way: they’re outlawed outside of zoos).
The Honolulu Zoo/Facebook
Of course, you’ll also find a variety of common zoo animals here, too, including barn owls, sheep, lemurs, hippos, goats, giraffes, flamingos, and lions.
J.Byerly/Flickr
Located between the slopes of Diamond Head and Waikiki, the Honolulu Zoo is visited each year by more than 600,000 individuals, including school children and adults as well as tourists and locals, and is one of our favorite destinations.
The Honolulu Zoo/Facebook
The Honolulu Zoo also hosts a variety of unique events throughout the year, including movie nights, twilight tours, zoo camps, and more.
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The Honolulu Zoo is located at 151 Kapahulu Ave., Honolulu, HI 96815, and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $19 for adults, $11 for children aged 3 to 12, and free for keiki 2 and under. With your Kama’aina or U.S. Military ID, admission is only $8 for adults and $4 for children. For more information, visit their website or follow them on Facebook.
The Honolulu Zoo/Facebook
sharium/Flickr
J.Byerly/Flickr
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If you’re looking to discover another incredible zoo hiding in Hawaii, visit the Panaewa Rainforest Zoo — it’s the nation’s only rainforest zoo.
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