Tours for Conservation Level Members

New guided tours of the Bronx Zoo for Conservation Supporter, Fellow, Partner, and Patron Members!

Explore the zoo with the Friends of the Zoo, our knowledgeable docents. Each tour lasts approximately one and a half hours. Groups may bring an extra child without charge as long as prior arrangements are made. If you make arrangements to bring an additional child, please bring your Conservation Tour email confirmation letter with you to the park on the day of the tour to confirm admission of the extra child.  If you do not bring the confirmation email, you may be asked to pay an admission fee for your guest.

If you are not currently a Conservation level Member and you are interested in taking a tour, you can join or renew your Membership now, at any Conservation level. Your upgraded benefits will start right away. You’ll have a full 12 months, plus the remaining time on your existing Membership, to enjoy your new Conservation level benefits.

Pre-registration is required. Please contact Membership at 718-741-1825, and leave a message.

2013 Schedule

Tours are subject to change. In case of inclement weather, another tour may be substituted.

Tour Descriptions

Dinosaurs Among Us

The dinosaurs that visitors can encounter during this summer’s Bronx Zoo Dinosaur Safari have long since vanished from our planet. But by studying the adaptations and behavior of some of the modern animals at the zoo, we may be able to gain insight into the lives of dinosaurs far beyond what we can learn from ancient fossils.

On this tour, we’ll visit some favorite zoo animals to learn about the adaptations modern animals share with their dinosaur predecessors. What does a giraffe have in common with a Brachiosaurus? Did Triceratops use their horns in the same ways that rhinos do today? Which animal is the Tyrannosaurus Rex of the modern era? Discover these secrets and much more.

Tours meet at Zoo Center. Please note that this tour does not include the Bronx Zoo Dinosaur Safari.

Congo Gorilla Forest

Nearly 400 African forest creatures, representing 55 wildlife species, make their home in our 6.5-acre Congo Gorilla Forest. Let New York City fade away as you stroll beneath the thick canopy of leaves, through sprays of mist, past sunny meadows and thickets of bamboos, and up to treetop lookouts.

Along the trail, you’ll encounter our two troops of western lowland gorillas. You can get up close to rambunctious youngsters, their watchful mothers, and the hulking male leaders known as “silverbacks.”

Other creatures that live in this lush, green forest include black and white colobus monkeys, mandrills, DeBrazza’s monkeys, and shy okapis. A busy family of Wolf’s guenons and a group of pygmy marmosets, the world’s smallest monkeys, also await your visit.

Tours meet at Congo Gorilla Forest entrance.

Madagascar! and More

This tour of beautiful Astor Court begins with a visit to Madagascar! in the renovated but gorgeously-preserved former Lion House. It’s the only place in the Bronx to encounter leaping lemurs, cave-dwelling crocodiles, hissing cockroaches, and other animals native only to the incredible island ecosystem of Madagascar.

The tour will include a visit to the nearby Birds of Prey exhibit for an up-close encounter with owls, eagles, and vultures, as well as a visit to the zoo’s flamingo colony near the Aquatic Bird House. We’ll also visit Zoo Center for a look at the remarkable resident pair of white rhinos, and conclude by barking hello to the ever-popular California sea lions.

Tours meet in the Rhino Garden outside Zoo Center.

Predators/Prey of the African Plains

Join us on a safari as we explore the complex relationship among the animals of the African Plains. It’s as close to the Serengeti as you can get in the Bronx! Trek past lions, gazelles, giraffes, wild dogs, and zebras on the African savanna. This tour focuses on the relationship between predators and the animals on which they prey by exploring the physical adaptations that make predators such stealthy hunters. We’ll also look at the defenses used by prey animals to avoid being caught!

Then head up to the Ethiopian highlands—the Zoo’s stunning slice of the “African Alps.” This habitat ranks among the largest primate exhibits in the U.S. On its grassy slopes, gelada baboons graze and romp alongside Nubian ibexes, rock hyraxes, and African waterfowl.

Tours meet at Somba Village.

Endangered Species

Want to learn more about threatened species, imperiled habitats, and how you can help protect the last of the wild? This is the tour for you. Our knowledgeable guides will help you understand why wildlife conservation is so important, the causes of species loss, and what individuals can do. The tour includes a stop at Himalayan Highlands, home to endangered snow leopards and red pandas. Tours can be tailored to cover various exhibits and animals of greatest interest to your group.

Tours meet at Tiger Mountain.

Rare and Wonderful

This tour will reveal the hidden secrets of the wild world. You’ll learn how giraffes use their long necks and tongues, why three lions are better than one, and how white-naped cranes find meals in the mud. Whether they make their homes on the frozen tundra, in a mild evergreen forest, or in a scorching desert, all animals are uniquely adapted to their habitats.

Explore the differences in animal anatomy and social structure that explain their diets, behaviors, and life cycles, and learn why each is best suited to a particular environment. Tours stop at Big Bears, Himalayan Highlands, Baboon Reserve, and African Plains.

Tours meet at Zoo Center.