Want to see some cute little koalas in person? Although there aren’t many zoos in the U.S. that even have koalas there are still places where you can see them.
The following is a list of zoos that have koalas in the U.S.
Cleveland Metro Park Zoo:
Address: 3900 Wildlife Way, Cleveland, OH
Website: www.clevelandmetroparks.com/zoo/education/zoo-history
Established in 1882, the Cleveland Metro Park Zoo is a 183-acre zoo in Ohio. The zoo is home to 3,300 animals of over 500 different species.
The zoo is currently home to three koalas which live in its Australian Adventure exhibit at Gumleaf Hideout.
The koalas perch in eucalyptus trees in both indoor and outdoor habitats that they share with other Australian natives such as kangaroos and wallabies.
The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
The zoo is operated by the Cleveland Metroparks Board of Park Commissioners.
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium:
Address: 4850 W Powell Rd, Powell, OH
Website: www.columbuszoo.org
Established in 1927, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is a 21-acre zoo in Ohio. The zoo is home to more than 7,000 animals of over 800 species including polar bears, elephants and tigers.
The zoo is also home to koalas who live in the zoo’s Australia & Islands exhibit along with the other Australian natives such as kangaroo and orangutan.
The zoo offers Koala Keeper Talks during which visitors learn about the animal’s care, their favorite treats and how to protect koalas in the wild.
In 2009, the zoo was named the number one zoo in the United States by USA Today and in 2012 it was ranked the number one best zoo by Besties Readers Choice.
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens:
Address: 5333 Zoo Dr, Los Angeles, CA
Website: lazoo.org
Established in 1966, the Los Angeles Zoo is a 133-acre zoo in California. The zoo is home to 1,400 animals of over 270 species.
The zoo is also home to 10 koalas who live in the koala habitat where they perch in trees and occasionally climb down and explore the grounds of their habitat.
The zoo had another koala, an elderly 14-year-old female named Killarney, but in 2016 she was killed by the infamous P-22 mountain lion who lived in Griffith Park, where the zoo is located.
The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and is owned by the city of Los Angeles.
Palm Beach Zoo:
Address: 1301 Summit Blvd, West Palm Beach, FL
Website: www.palmbeachzoo.org
Established in 1969, Palm Beach Zoo is a 24-acre zoo in Palm Beach that is home to over 190 species of animals.
The zoo is home to two koalas, Ellin, a female koala, and Sydney, a male, both of whom are Queensland koalas. The zoo previously had two other koalas, Oz and Katherine, but they both passed away in 2021.
The zoo offers a koala experience which is a 30-minute experience where visitors can meet koalas and see them up close. Visitors also learn about what a day in the life of a koala keeper is like and what it takes to care for them.
The Palm Beach Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Margo McKnight is the president and CEO of Palm Beach Zoo.
Riverbanks Zoo & Garden:
Address: 500 Wildlife Pkwy, Columbia, SC
Website: www.riverbanks.org
Established in 1974, the Riverbanks Zoo & Garden is a 170-acre zoo in South Carolina that is home to over 2,000 animals.
The zoo is home to five koalas which live in the Koala Knockabout exhibit. The zoo acquired its first two koalas, two males, from the Hirakawa Zoo in Japan in 2002.
A year later, it acquired two more koalas, two females, from the David Fleay Wildlife Park in Australia.
Then in September of 2004, one of the female koalas, Lottie, gave birth to her first joey, which is quite an accomplishment because only a few zoos in the country have successfully bred koalas.
The Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and is owned by the Rich-Lex Riverbanks Park Special Purpose District.
San Diego Zoo:
Address: 2920 Zoo Dr, San Diego, CA
Website: zoo.sandiegozoo.org/plan-your-visit
Established in 1916, the San Diego Zoo is a 100-acre zoo in California that is home to 4,000 animals of over 650 species.
The zoo is home to over 20 koalas, making it the largest koala colony outside of Australia. The zoo also has the most successful koala breeding program outside of Australia.
The zoo acquired its first pair of koalas, Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, in 1925 and has been expanding its koala colony ever since.
The San Diego Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The San Diego Zoo is owned by the city but is managed and maintained by San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
San Francisco Zoo & Gardens:
Address: Sloat Blvd &, Upper Great Hwy, San Francisco, CA
Website: www.sfzoo.org
Established in 1929, the San Francisco Zoo & Gardens is a 100-acre zoo in California that is home to 2,000 animals of over 250 species.
The zoo is home to two koalas, a 5-year-old male named Cobar Wollemi and a 2-year-old female named Stacey, who live in the Koala Crossing exhibit.
The zoo acquired its first pair of koalas in 1985 which were a gift by San Francisco’s sister city of Sydney, Australia.
In 2000, another pair of koalas, Leanne, 7, and her mother, Pat, 15, were stolen from the zoo by two teenagers but were safely recovered shortly after.
The zoo hosts a Koala Cam on its website where you can watch a live broadcast of the koalas during daytime hours and a recorded broadcast of that day’s stream in the evening.
The San Francisco Zoo & Gardens is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The San Francisco Zoo is owned by the city of San Francisco but is managed by the San Francisco Zoological Society.
ZooTampa at Lowry Park:
Address: 1101 W. Sligh Avenue Tampa, FL
Website: zootampa.org
ZooTampa at Lowry Park is a 63-acre zoo in Tampa that is home to more than 1000 animals.
The zoo is also home to koalas which live in the zoo’s koala habitat in the Wallaroo Station area of the zoo.
The zoo offers a koala photo experience during which visitors can meet a koala and have their photo taken with the animal.
In 2021, ZooTampa was voted the Best Kid’s Attraction in Tampa Magazine’s Best of South Tampa awards. In 2023, ZooTampa was ranked number 6 on USA Today’s list of best zoo exhibits in the U.S.
ZooTampa at Lowry Park is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Joseph A. Couceiro is the CEO of ZooTampa at Lowry Park.
Zoo Miami:
Address: 12400 SW 152nd St, Miami, FL
Website: www.zoomiami.org
Established in 1948, Zoo Miami is a 750-acre tropical zoo in Miami that features over 3,000 animals. The zoo is also home to koalas who live in the zoo’s Australian habitat.
If you would like to visit Zoo Miami and want to save money on tickets, check out the following article about Zoo Miami discount tickets.
Zoo Miami is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Sources:
“AZA Accredited and Certified Members.” Association of Zoos and Aquariums, aza.org/inst-status?locale=en
White, D’Ann Lawrence. “In 2021, ZooTampa at Lowry Park was voted the Best Kid’s Attraction in Tampa Magazine’s Best of South Tampa awards.” Patch.com, 17 March. 2023, patch.com/florida/southtampa/zootampa-named-among-10-best-zoos-zoo-exhibit-country-usatoday
“Koala Cam.” San Francisco Zoo & Gardens, zoo.sandiegozoo.org/cams/koala-cam
“Meet Cobar, San Francisco Zoo & Gardens’ New Koala.” NBC Bay Area, 11 Feb. 2020, nbcbayarea.com/news/local/san-francisco/meet-cobar-san-francisco-zoo-gardens-new-koala/2232450/
“Stolen San Francisco Koalas Found.” ABC News, 28 Dec. 2000, abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=94558&page=1
“Why the SF Zoo is one of the few in the country that have koalas.” SFGate, 14 Spet. 2022, sfgate.com/local/article/sf-zoo-koalas-eat-park-eucalyptus-17439228.php
“Koala.” San Diego Zoo, zoo.sandiegozoo.org/animals/koala
“Koala Knockabout.” Riverbanks Zoo & Garden, riverbanks.org/media-center/highlights/koala-knockabout
Walker, T.A. “Koala experience returns to Palm Beach Zoo.” WPTV, 21 March. 2023, wptv.com/shining-a-light/koala-experience-returns-to-palm-beach-zoo
Martinez, Michael. “Mountain lion featured in National Geographic mauls koala in L.A. Zoo.” CNN, 10 March. 2016, cnn.com/2016/03/10/us/los-angeles-p-22-mountain-lion-mauls-zoo-koala-bear-killarney/index.html
“Famous mountain lion suspected in L.A. Zoo koala’s death.” USA Today, 11 March. 2016, usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/03/11/famous-mountain-lion-suspected-l-zoo-koalas-death/81632626/
“Keeper Interview: Behind the Scenes of a Koala Introduction.” Los Angeles Zoo, 8 Aug. 2022, lazoo.org/explore-your-zoo/blog/keeper-interview-koala/
“Koala.” Columbus Zoo and Aquariums, columbuszoo.org/animals/koala
“How do you budget to feed animals at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, from elephants to koalas?” Cleveland.com, 27 May. 2022, cleveland.com/data/2022/05/how-do-you-budget-to-feed-animals-at-the-cleveland-metroparks-zoo-from-elephants-to-koalas.html
“5 animals with surprising snack time preferences at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.” Cleveland.com, 28 May. 2022, cleveland.com/data/2022/05/5-animals-with-surprising-snack-time-preferences-at-cleveland-metroparks-zoo.html
“Australian Adventures.” Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, clevelandmetroparks.com/zoo/tickets-attractions/zoo-locations/australian-adventure
