Description

The Giza Zoo (Egyptian Arabic: حَدِيْقَة حَيْوَان ٱلْجِيْزَة) is a zoological garden in Giza, Egypt. It is one of the few green areas in the city and includes Giza's largest park. The zoo covers about 80 acres (32 ha) and is home to many endangered species, as well as a selection of endemic fauna.

The first to be built in the Middle East, rare species have been successfully bred in the zoo—including the first California sea lion to be born in the region.

The zoo was built by Khedive Ismail and opened on 1 March 1891. It was built on about 50 feddan (21 hectares (52 acres)) that was once part of the harem gardens. Ismail imported many plants from India, Africa, and South America, of which a banyan tree planted about 1871 can still be seen. The original 180 birds and 78 other animals in the zoo's collection were taken from Ismail's private menagerie.