Our Animals

Our Animals

Animals in our care.

Taronga cares for over 5,000 animals from over 350 species, many of which are threatened. Find out more about some of the animals you might meet on your visit below.

Download our app to discover more of the animals you can see when you visit Taronga Zoo Sydney.

Visit our roar-some African Lion Pride at Taronga Zoo Sydney!
Visit our roar-some African Lion Pride at Taronga Zoo Sydney!

African Lions

Lions are living on the edge of their existence. As the continents top carnivore they play a pivotal and essential role in maintaining the balance across diverse habitats.

Get to know our lion pride at the The African Savannah at Taronga Zoo Sydney.

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Visit our roar-some African Lion Pride at Taronga Zoo Sydney!
Get up close to our tiger family at Tiger Trek
Get up close to our tiger family at Tiger Trek

Sumatran Tigers

Wild tigers are facing a difficult future, but Taronga are fighting for a wildly bright one! With as few as 400 Sumatran Tigers left, we are deadly serious about protecting this wild species and their habitat.

Taronga is proud to be part of a regional conservation management plan for Sumatran Tigers including breeding, research, fundraising and community action to support sustainably produced palm oil.

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Get up close to our tiger family at Tiger Trek
Asian Elephant calf Jai Dee plays at Taronga Zoo Sydney
Asian Elephant calf Jai Dee plays at Taronga Zoo Sydney

Asian Elephants

The largest living land mammal, elephants are super smart, really social and vital to their ecosystems.

At Taronga we have made a conservation commitment to the Asian Elephant. Taronga’s successful breeding program, driven by our experts and partner zoos, is a vital part of the international effort for this endangered species. 

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Asian Elephant calf Jai Dee plays at Taronga Zoo Sydney
Baby Cebele with mother Ceres. Photo: Rick Stevens
Baby Cebele with mother Ceres. Photo: Rick Stevens

Chimpanzees

Chimpanzees are our closest living relatives, sharing nearly 99 percent of our genetic blueprint. 

Taronga works closely with the Jane Goodall Institute Australia's Tchimpounga Reserve in the Republic of Congo to support orphaned chimps threatened by war, disease and habitat loss. Our support provides expertise, resources and facilities for a safe-release of chimps back into their natural habitat in a sanctuary.

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Baby Cebele with mother Ceres. Photo: Rick Stevens
Giraffe. Photo: Rick Stevens
Giraffe. Photo: Rick Stevens

Giraffe

The Giraffe is the tallest of all animals, with males sometimes growing up to 5.5 metres in height and weigh over 1000 kg!

Giraffe are facing a silent extinction in the wild with numbers decreasing due to habitat loss and human conflict, however Taronga's successful breeding program is working towards developing a better future for these graceful animals.

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Giraffe. Photo: Rick Stevens
Meerkat. Photo: Chris Wheeler
Meerkat. Photo: Chris Wheeler

Meerkats

They might look cute and cuddly, but these compact critters are capable of killing a cobra!

Taronga has successful Meerkat breeding programs at both Taronga Zoo Sydney and Taronga Western Plains Zoo Dubbo.

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Meerkat. Photo: Chris Wheeler
Western Lowland Gorilla
Western Lowland Gorilla

Gorillas

Don't be fooled by their size; these gentle giants are big softies at heart. And with rapidly declining numbers, they need your help to survive. 

Taronga is proud to be a part of a regional breeding program for the critically endangered Western Lowland Gorilla.

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Western Lowland Gorilla
Ariel the Kangaroo. Photo: Felicia Eccles
Ariel the Kangaroo. Photo: Felicia Eccles

Red Kangaroo

The Red Kangaroo is an iconic Australian animal of the outback and the world’s largest marsupial.

The Red Kangaroo is nocturnal and largely spends the daylight hours sleeping or resting in the shade of trees.

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Ariel the Kangaroo. Photo: Felicia Eccles
A Koala rests on a tree
A Koala rests on a tree

Koalas

Koalas are not only an Australian icon they have an important place in Aboriginal culture through shared stories, dance and rock art. Koalas are a marsupial meaning they give birth to live, under-developed young that continue to grow in the mothers pouch while feeding on milk.

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A Koala rests on a tree
Goodfellow's Tree Kangaroo. Photo: Paul Fahy
Goodfellow's Tree Kangaroo. Photo: Paul Fahy

Tree Kangaroos

A superb climber and capable of leaping long distances, this Tree Kangaroo spends much of its time hanging out up high and has all of the specialised adaptations needed for an arboreal life. 

Like many forest dwellers, the Goodfellow’s Tree Kangaroo is fast losing its habitat. You can help protect forest wildlife including the Tree Kangaroo by choosing the FSC eco-label when purchasing paper products.  

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Goodfellow's Tree Kangaroo. Photo: Paul Fahy
Mary the Sun Bear at Taronga Zoo Sydney
Mary the Sun Bear at Taronga Zoo Sydney

Sun Bears

Sun Bears are one of the world’s rarest species of bear. They are also the world’s smallest bear standing at around 1.5m high.

Clever and curious, this rare bear may be the smallest on the planet but gee wizz it can pack a punch!

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Mary the Sun Bear at Taronga Zoo Sydney
Regent Honeyeater
Regent Honeyeater

Regent Honeyeaters

This handsome honeyeater is returning to the Ironbark forests through Taronga’s breeding efforts and restoring resilient landscapes.

You can help protect Australian wildlife including Regent Honeyeaters by choosing the FSC eco-label when purchasing paper products.

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Regent Honeyeater
Southern Corroboree Frogs
Southern Corroboree Frogs

Southern Corroboree Frogs

Taronga's insurance colony is a lifeline for the Corroboree Frog, one of Australia’s most critically endangered species.

Taronga is heavily involved in breeding and releasing Corroboree frogs into the wild in a National Recovery Program to help save the species. 

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Southern Corroboree Frogs