See the largest zoo

Introducing the largest zoo in the world located in the United States of America.

The North Carolina Zoo is nestled among 2,600 wooded forests centrally located in the heart of North Carolina, south of Asheboro in Randolph County. At 500 developed acres, it is the world's largest natural habitat zoo and one of only two zoos maintained by the state.

The North Carolina Zoo grew out of an idea initiated by the Relay Jays in 1967. Through a series of fundraisers, the Randolph County area was chosen because it was in the center of the state. The zoo is 75 miles west of Raleigh, 25 miles south of Greensboro, and 75 miles northeast of Charlotte.

In addition to providing encounters with wild animals living in natural settings, the North Carolina Zoo offers down-to-earth, authentic and memorable ways for families to play and stay together. The zoo also offers a variety of nature, educational programs and camps.

Conservation is at the heart of everything we do. From vultures to gorillas in Africa to endangered plants and amphibians in our own state, the North Carolina Zoo has been dedicated to conserving animals in the wild for more than two decades.

The North Carolina Zoo is home to 1,800 animals from over 200 species. It houses one of the largest groups of chimpanzees of any zoo in America, as well as the largest collection of Alaskan seabirds. The zoo is also one of the few AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) in the US with a breeding pair of polar bears as part of the species survival plan.

The North Carolina Zoo consists of Africa, North America, Global Aviary and Global Desert. There are car parks located at each end of Africa and North America, so during peak season visitors can start their day from either side. With approximately five miles of walking trails, the zoo offers trams and air-conditioned buses for visitors.

The North Carolina Zoo's founding philosophy has been to have natural habitats—to present animals along with plants in habitats that resemble the habitats they might be found in the wild.

The Cypress Swamp area is home to alligators, cougars, and various reptiles and amphibians. The Rocky Shore depicts the rocky shores of the Pacific Northwest, with peregrine falcons, polar bears, California sea lions, harbor seals, arctic foxes, thickbills, paracletes, and horned puffins. North Carolina's streams can be seen in the Streamside Habitat with Bobcats, river otters, as well as a number of snakes and fish, including the critically endangered Cape Fear. In the Prairie habitat, visitors can see bison and elk. Black bears, grizzlies and red wolves also have their own habitats.