Rio Grande Zoo

Founded in 1927, the 64-acre Rio Grande Zoo offers visitors close encounters with more than 250 species of exotic and native animals. Popular species include seals and sea lions, chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, elephants, polar bears, giraffes, hippos, camels, tamarins, koalas, Mexican wolves, mountain lions, monkeys, jaguars, zebras and rhinoceros. State-of-the-art exhibit design and eye-pleasing landscaping enhance zoo animal husbandry by creating naturalistic habitats with trees, grasses, water features and rockwork. Walking distance through the zoo is about 2.25 miles. The Rio Grande Zoo is a facility of the Albuquerque Biological Park.

 

This Month at the Zoo

• The Shark Reef Cafe at the Albuquerque Aquarium will be offering a special Valentine's Day brunch on Sunday, Feb. 14, from 9am-3pm. The menu will feature made-to-order omelets, pancakes, top sirloin, ham, frittatas, seafood bar, and drink specials. Download a flyer about the Valentine's Day Brunch.

• BioPark visitors and members - save your receipt and use the special promotional code to recieve a 20% discount to Popejoy's Feb. 21st presentation of Jungle Jack Hanna. And if you go to see Jungle Jack Hanna, bring your ticket to the BioPark for a buy-one-get-one-free admission. Use it now or anytime through March 21!

• Welcome to two new primates!
  • A baby howler monkey was born on January 16.
  • Our newest chimpanzee, Julie, arrived from the Knoxville Zoo on Feb. 2.

Daily Activities and Feeding Times

Train Schedules (Trains do not operate on Mondays.)

 

Location

Hours of Operation

Admission Information

 

Online Ticket Sales

You can now buy tickets online with your Visa, Mastercard or American Express! If you have never purchased tickets online or have problems with your online purchase, please review Online Ticket Sales Assistance information.

Buy General Admission Tickets

Zoo Map

For Persons with Disabilities

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Institutional Memberships

 

 

Please note that the Rio Line Train will be running as usual Tuesday through Sunday. The Zoo Train and Rio Line Train are always closed for maintenance on Mondays. No train tickets or combo tickets are sold on Mondays.

 

This Month at the Zoo

• Valentine's Day at the Zoo and Aquarium - February 14

• More events at the BioPark!

• Construction on our new and improved Zoo Entrance is picking up. Please excuse our mess as we create a better way for school groups, members, and all of our guests to start their Zoo visit! We are still open and accessible.

• January was an exciting month for the ABQ BioPark as Fifi, a 14-year-old howler monkey, gave birth to an infant on the 16th. The sex of the newborn is still unknown, but baby and mother are doing well and are on display from 9 AM to 5 PM daily near the pheasant exhibit at the Zoo, weather permitting.
  
  Native to Central America, howler monkeys get their name from the loud calls they make each morning to announce their location to other groups. Newborn howlers will stay with their mother for about a year and either remain in the group or leave to find a new one once they reach maturity. Howlers are golden in color when they’re born. Adult males have black fur; adult females keep the golden color.

• On Tuesday, February 2nd, a special package arrived from the Knoxville Zoo in Tennessee: a 23-year-old chimpanzee named Julie. “Julie arrived safely and is in excellent health. She’ll be in quarantine for the next 30 days -- standard procedure for new arrivals,” said ABQ BioPark’s Curator of Mammals Lynn Tupa. She explained that the time spent in quarantine will allow the chimp to adjust to her new surroundings and get acquainted with the keeper staff.
  
  The move to Albuquerque was a Species Survival Plan (SSP) social management recommendation. The Chimpanzee SSP oversees chimps in accredited zoos in the U.S. The deciding factor regarding the transfer was that Julie did not get along with Jimbo, the dominant male chimpanzee at the Knoxville Zoo, which created problems in the chimp group as a whole. Staff at Knoxville and ABQ BioPark hope that the move will give Julie a new start.

• Stop by the elephant exhibit to see baby Daizy, mother Rozie, and the other Asian elephants. Due to cold weather, Daizy will often be inside. If you're visiting primarily to see the baby elephant, please call 311 after 9am on the day of your visit to check her schedule. You can read more about the calf here.

• The polar bears may often be seen swimming or diving for fish treats in the afternoons. Feeding at the seals and sea lions continues as usual.

• Check out Daily Activities and the BioPark Calendar for details on other happenings events this month.

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Location

903 Tenth Street SW, south of Lead and Coal and north of Bridge Blvd.
Interactive map from Mapquest

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For Persons with Disabilities 

If you have a disability and require special assistance when you visit the BioPark, please call (505) 768-2000 or 311 (Relay NM or 711), preferably with three days advance notice.

 

Institutional Memberships

The Albuquerque Biological Park is accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA). Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you and a better future for all living things. With its more than 200 accredited members, AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation and your link to helping animals in their native habitats.

 

 

The Albuquerque Biological Park is a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums whose mission is to guide, encourage and support the zoos, aquariums, and like-minded organizations of the world in animal care and welfare, environmental education and global conservation.

 

 

 

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