Dublin Zoo is located in the Phoenix Park in the centre of Dublin city. It is one the oldest zoo’s in the world having opened its doors back in 1831. Set amongst seventy acres of lovely landscaped grounds, it is home to an impressive collection of animals, where the focus is on education, study and conservation. A trip to the zoo makes for an exciting, stimulating and thoroughly enjoyable day out. In fact it is one of Dublin’s most popular family attractions and just continues to grow in popularity.
The zoo is well laid out and has a pleasant natural feel about it. Many of the animals are housed in replicas of their natural habitat, where they can roam freely in these large open areas. The African Savannah is home to rhinos, giraffes, ostriches and zebras. The gorillas can be found hanging out at the Gorilla Rainforest, and the Asian elephants are located in the Kaziranga Forest Trail, and the Asian Forests is where you will find the Asian lion cubs, Sumatran tigers and Sulawesi crested macaques.
There are loads of animals to discover here not least, orang utans, hippos, seals, penguins, red pandas, meerkats, rare monkeys, reptiles and many, many more, in fact there are around four hundred animals here. There is lots of information displayed about the different animals on the boards.
The Family Farm serves to educate people about modern Irish farming, it is home to many domestic livestock, including sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, cows and a rabbit.
Dublin Zoo is a fabulous place to learn about the animals, see the animals being feed, meet the keepers and listen to the talks from the keepers.
Visitors will find several play areas dotted about the zoo for the enjoyment of younger visitors, where they can play and explore.
There are several restaurants where you can purchase hot food and snacks, as well as kiosks and a gift shop selling a good collection of associated merchandise.
Dublin Zoo is open all tear round. Throughout the year a number of event camps and workshops are run aimed at both children and adults, keep an eye out for these.