The Bronx Zoo is a world-famous zoo located in Bronx Park, Bronx, New York. Focused on conservation, it opened on November 8, 1899, with 22 exhibits, 843 animals, and the goal to "advance the study of zoology, protect wildlife, and educate the public". Entry fees help preserve the species housed in the exhibit. Heins & LaFarge designed the original permanent buildings as a series of Beaux-Arts pavilions grouped around the large circular sea lion pool.

The Bronx Zoo was one of the first zoos in North America to move animals -- often organized by families in Linnaean classification -- from cages to more naturalistic environments (e.g., "The African Plains") and mixing species to replicate the region the species originate. Physical barriers such as moats, sometimes invisible to viewers, separate predators from prey. The zoo is especially known for its "Wild Asia" tramway, a monorail that allows spectators to observe Asian animals, and "Jungleworld", an indoor exhibit on plants and animals from tropical rain forests. The zoo also boasts the Congo Gorilla Forest, the largest manmade rainforest in the world at 6.5 acres. Other large indoor exhibitions include "World of Darkness", which showcases nocturnal animals including caimans, bats, and naked mole rats. The building is kept completely dark during visitor hours to keep the animals active. The lights are turned on after closing, letting the creatures sleep. The zoo is also home to several indoor bird houses including "World of Birds", the famous two-story bird house containing hundreds of species. Here visitors can see the keepers toss live crickets to white-throated bee-eaters, as the birds catch the crickets midflight. The feeding can be seen daily at 2:45 pm local time.

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