Shanghai Zoo
Shanghai Zoo is the second-largest zoo and one of the ten best ecological zoos in China. It has a total area of 743,000 square meters (184 acres), with an exhibition area of 47,237 square meters (12 acres).
Situated near Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport.
Shanghai Zoo is home to more than 6,000 animals including about 620 species.
There are indigenous animals like the giant panda, golden monkey, the South China Tiger, and foreign animals. They are introduced from other parts of the world, such as chimpanzees, giraffes, polar bears, and kangaroos. Shanghai Zoo has the largest number of gorillas in China.
There are a total of 100 thousand trees with nearly 600 species planted in the zoo. The green areas have an area of 100 thousand square meters (25 acres).
To provide better environments for the animals and a pleasurable experience for visitors, the zoo has been constantly developing and improving the animal enclosures and entertainment areas. The following are some major exhibition areas in Shanghai Zoo.
Panda House
It keeps both the two lovely animals of giant pandas and lesser pandas in two exhibition areas. Two areas are separated by a lower shelf. The bamboo forest has been built as the habitat for the pandas.
In 2010, ten pandas of the Shanghai Expo from Chengdu will also be kept in this panda house for the first half of the year.
Science and Education Pavilion
Situated in the west of the zoo's gate, the science and education hall covers a total area of 2200 square meters.
On entering the hall, you will see a large picture made of ceramic tiles on the wall showing the exact locations of 61 species of animals in the world. In the center of the hall, you will see a model showing the whole evaluation process of human beings.
There are three distinctive exhibition halls in the pavilion. The butterfly exhibition hall exhibits 1,000 specimens, including about 400 rare kinds of butterflies.
Nature Conservation Hall No.1 introduces models to visitors. It shows the consequences of water loss, soil erosion, and desertification caused by less and less ground vegetation.
Squirrel Monkey Ecological Zoo
The ecological zoo has a total area of 1,000 square meters. The ecological zoo imitates the real environments of the original tropical forest for the squirrel monkeys.
Visiting the zoo, people are able to feel the harmony between human beings, animals, and nature.
Ring-tailed Lemur Zoo
All kinds of grasses and bushes are planted in the zoo for the ring-tail lemurs to play with.
Visitors could watch the ring-tailed lemurs from a corridor up above the lemur house. It's also possible to appreciate the funny activities of the lemurs through a piece of one-meter high armored glass.
Chimpanzee Ecological Zoo
Being built in 1977, the Chimpanzee Ecological Zoo covers an area of 850 square meters, with six indoor exhibition halls.
It keeps animals like gorillas, chimpanzees, gibbons, and anthropoids. The zoo provides some toys for the animals to play with, and it is quite funny to watch them playing with those things.
Asian Elephant Exhibition Area
The exhibition area includes the elephant palace and outdoor playground.
The elephant palace was built in 1955 as the first permanent animal house in Shanghai Zoo. It covers a total construction area of 1,550 square meters. It includes indoor playgrounds, exhibition halls, and four hallways.
The outdoor playground has trees, and other facilities have already been prepared for the elephants to have mud baths and other activities. Children especially like the Asian elephants in Shanghai Zoo.
Tiger Hill
There are three parts on the Hill: east, center, and west. It respectively keeps Manchurian tigers, Bengal tigers, and South China tigers. The area for each part is about 300 square meters, and they are isolated a few distances from the visitors by a ditch.
Visitors can watch the tigers from far away. It would be a great time to appreciate the vigorous moves of the tigers and hear some tiger roars.
Ticket Price: 30 yuan, free for children under 1.2m(4 ft.)
Opening Hours: Nov-Feb: 7am-4:30pm; Mar and Oct: 7am-5pm; Apr-Sept: 6:30am-5pm.
Location: 2381 Hongqiao Lu, Xuhui district (one mile east of Hongqiao International Airport)