Location San José, Costa Rica Operated by Fundazoo Phone +506 2256 0012 | Area 14 acres (57,000 m) Status Open all year | |
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Type Urban park. Zoo, Botanical Garden. Created 1916 (Botanical Garden);
1921 (Zoo) Address Calle 13, San José Province, San José, Costa Rica Hours Open today · 9AM–4:30PMThursday9AM–4:30PMFriday9AM–4:30PMSaturday9AM–4:30PMSunday9AM–4:30PMMonday9AM–4:30PMTuesday9AM–4:30PMWednesday9AM–4:30PMSuggest an edit Similar Centro de Conservación de Santa, Zoo Ave, Museo del Jade Marco Fid, Plaza de La Cultura, Morazán Park Profiles | ||
Parque Nacional Simón Bolívar (Zoológico Simón Bolívar) is an urban park of approximately 14 hectares, located in downtown San José, Costa Rica. It is the oldest botanical garden and zoo in Costa Rica. The name pays homage to Latin American national founder Simón Bolívar. It is administered by a conservation nonprofit foundation called Fundazoo. All animals in the zoo are orphaned, injured or have been disabled and are nursed back to health in hopes of releasing them.
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Since 2013, activists have been procuring legal means to close this and other zoos in Costa Rica, requesting animals be relocated to cage-free rescue centers.
History
Simon Bolivar Zoo has its origin in the "Jardín de Plantas y Animales", a park created in 1884 by Swiss naturalist and botanist Henry Pittier. It was founded as an institution associated to the Costa Rican Geographic Institute. It was first located near Liceo de Costa Rica, but had to be later relocated because neighbors complained about the noise of the animals. It was eventually moved to its current location in Barrio Amón. It was established on 5 July 1916 and added a botanical garden on 24 July 1921, part of the anniversary celebration of Simón Bolivar's birth.
The park was managed by neighboring Museo Nacional de Costa Rica until 1953, when it was transferred to the Department of Fish and Wildlife of the Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería (Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock). In 1959 it was transferred to the Department of Lands and Forests of that ministry. In 1969 it was transferred once more, this time to the Department of National Parks of the Forestry Department. With the future transformation of this department into the National Park Service, the new department managed the zoo until in 1986 when it was placed under the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mines (MIRENEM), currently Ministry of Environment, Energy and Telecommunications (MINAET). MINAET underwrote an agreement with the Pro Zoological Foundation in 1994, which is currently managing the site.
Exhibits
The mammals in the zoo include: