Watch tigers wrestle in a naturalized enclosure and elephants chill out in their own splashing pond at the Oakland Zoo, home to more than 700 animals. Creatures are grouped in unique habitats, so you see giraffes and zebras roaming together in the African savannah enclosure, or wander through a simulated tropical rainforest filled with acrobatic white-handed gibbons.
Not all the zoo’s inhabitants are from such far-flung places, however—in the California Trail exhibit, visitors can see wildlife native to the Bay Area, but most of which have long since been pushed out. The experience begins with an open-air gondola Skyride (and a sweeping view of six Bay Area counties) to the Kaiser Permanente Visitor Center. Then, from a raised, protected trail, visitors can view sections of the exhibit that are dedicated to grizzlies, black bears, jaguars, bison, grey wolves, mountain lions, and eagles.
At the Wayne and Gladys Valley Children’s Zoo, there are more fun ways for kids to learn and explore. A wooden rope bridge provides the perfect perch for watching river otters swimming and playing below. Tiger Trek kiddie coaster amps up the excitement, and the Clorox Wildlife Theater hosts family overnights, as well as concerts and Animal Encounters, where an animal is presented for an up-close experience.
But it’s not all fun and games at the zoo—in fact, there’s serious science going on here too. A special focus is the zoo’s efforts to help save the mountain yellow-legged frog, an endangered Sierra Nevada species that has experienced a 90 percent decline in recent years.
