Photo via Pexels
Virtual Zoo Tours
Spending the afternoon at the Zoo with my family is among the best childhood memories I treasure even today. Learning more about wildlife and connecting with animals is an engaging and inspiring experience for all children so why not spend some family time watching some of the best virtual safaris and Zoo Live Cams in the U.S. With a lot of species facing extinction on a massive scale, this is a great opportunity to introduce your children to polar bears and cheetahs to great apes and rhinos and so many more amazing creatures. Check out these great Virtual Zoo Tours and start exploring the wildlife!
For more virtual tours for the whole family, check out Virtual Museum Tours in New York Families Will Love
Meet the Wildlife From Home
The Bronx Zoo, New York Aquarium, Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, and Prospect Park Zoo bring the best of wildlife to you online! Bronx Zoo’s Instagram account is where you can take a virtual trip to the Zoo and watch animal routines even when the Zoo is closed. Special training sessions are physically and mentally stimulating for many of its residents, like the sea lions, who need to play with keepers regularly to socialize and have fun. Join them!
Managed by the Chicago Zoological Society, Brookfield Zoo is a world leader in high-quality animal care. The Zoo has captivated and educated visitors since 1934 and continues to do so now online. It is home to 2,000+ animal residents and is also an accredited arboretum. To see the animal caregivers in action, you can visit the Zoo’s YouTube channel, watch videos of animals’ everyday lives and learn more about them. You can chat with the Zookeepers and even vote for newborn animal names!
Photo via Columbus Zoo
The Columbus Zoo is one of only eight parks in the U.S. that hosts bonobos, an endangered ape species that originally came from Africa. Did you know that the bonobo shares more than 98% of our DNA? Bonobos were the last ape species to be discovered, and they are widely unknown to most people. However, a female bonobo at the Columbus Zoo named Unga will gladly meet you online! Check out the Zoo’s live cams and meet their extraordinary residents.
Denver Zoo may be closed, but the animal care staff is still giving vital care for the nearly 3,000 residents at the Zoo. Veterinarians and staff want to keep you informed, entertained and engaged with daily videos, wildlife-themed activity ideas and much more! Don’t forget to visit the Zoo Tales section for first-person stories from animal keepers and veterinarians, to watch video diaries of field conservationists doing work around the world, and everything in between.
Phoenix Zoo is devoted to creating content that drives people to learn and care for the animals and the natural world. Even in times of social distancing, it’s easy to stay close to nature with the Zoo’s LIVE educational programming, virtual safaris, an abundance of cute photos and videos, behind-the-scenes caretaking by the keepers, and in-depth stories of the Zoo and its residents! Check out Phoenix Zoo’s Instagram feed for inspiring and funny animal photos!
Photo via Columbus Zoo
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
While the Cincinnati Zoo is closed and the children are stuck at home homeschooling, let the Zookeepers help keep them engaged with some fun and educational zoo activities. Join them for a Home Safari Facebook Live each day at 3 pm EDT where you will meet the amazing animals and participate in activities you can do from home.
Little Rock Zoo invites you to visit exhibits and other parts of the Zoo on a Virtual Safari! Listen to Veterinarians’ personal stories and special introductions to the animals. See new corners of the Zoo and learn about creatures from around the globe! Each day at 2 pm, the kids can join Little Rock Zoo Facebook Live for engaging and interactive educational lessons on the animals that make up the Little Rock Zoo’s BIG family. Don’t forget to download the free activity pages, too!
San Diego Zoo’s Conrad Prebys Africa Rocks highlight the incredible biodiversity on the African continent. Enjoy the beautiful graphics of the unusual and striking animals ready for their rise to fame. Guiding you into the different habitats like the mountains of Madagascar or the smooth beaches of the South African coastline. The Zoo’s lineup includes the African Penguin, the Blue-eyed Black Lemur, the Baboon, and so many more fascinating animals.
Photo via Houston Zoo
Each weekday, The Houston Zoo is hosting an 11 am CST Facebook Live that brings the Zoo to the children! Zookeepers will be sharing daily updates of what the furred, flippered, and feathered creatures are up to and how the staff is caring for them while the Zoo is closed. Follow along and check out the free at-home-learning activities on their website!
From virtual visits and chats with the Zookeepers to showing what the animals are doing right this moment, you can get a close up of the quarantine life in the Dallas Zoo. Check out the activity ideas from veterinarians and conservation teams and learn how they are taking care of the aminals even in these difficult times. Dallas Zoo staff want to use this time to engage, educate, inspire – and, ultimately, bring a smile to your child’s face.
These Zookeepers believe that Zoological parks, together with museums and libraries, advance culture and knowledge, providing the opportunity for visitors to step back and look at the beautiful creatures that surround us. Classified as a marine mammal, the polar bear is as typical to the North Pole as the penguins are to Antarctica, but both of these species found a home in Kansas. If you want to learn more about the mating habits of the King penguin or the height of the Masai Giraffe, watch the Kansas Zoo Live Cams and keep in touch with the wildlife from home.
