Guayllabamba zoo
Guayllabamba zoo was opened to the public on August 18, 1997. The FZE (Zoological Foundation of Ecuador) has managed the Quito Zoo in Guayllabamba since March 1999.
It has the biggest collection of native fauna in the country opened to the public. Most of it comes from the old Zoo of the Military School, to which several animals recuperated from the illegal fur trade have been added.
The Zoo is in the town of Guayllabamba, 29 kilometers away from the north of Quito. It covers and area of 12 hectares, five of them occupied by 24 confinements where approximately 180 animals are exhibited. The Zoo includes, approximately, 45 species of native fauna represented from diverse Eco-regions of the country; from the mountains to the tropical forests of the Coast; the Amazon region and the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador.
From its opening, a very important success has been experienced for the population's massive reception (an average of 17000 monthly visitors) from the Quito city, its surroundings and from the whole country.
The Zoo offers the community a recreational and educational experience. It receives annually around 800 educational institutions, for whom, this space becomes an interactive didactic resource that promotes the value of our fauna. In addition, it has a live laboratory in which investigation and handling projects are carried out that support the conservation of Ecuadorian fauna. The main areas of the Guayllabamba Zoo are:
Harbored Species
Mammals: The jaguar is unique to South America as well as the Bear with Spectacles and the Moor Wolf. These species are threatened mainly by the loss of their habitats along with around 23 other species including monkeys, hedgehogs, pumas and others. The only exotic animal is the great African lion.
Birds: Twenty one colorful species such as macaws, parrots, eagles, toucans and others. The Andean condor is exhibited, the biggest flying bird in the world.
Reptiles: The Galapagos tortoise is unique in the world for its size and longevity.