Melbourne Zoo

Royal Melbourne Zoological Garden

The main entrance to Melbourne Zoo, 1940.
Date opened	6 October 1862
Location	Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Coordinates	37°47′05″S 144°57′08″E / 37.784762°S 144.952095°E / -37.784762; 144.952095Coordinates: 37°47′05″S 144°57′08″E / 37.784762°S 144.952095°E / -37.784762; 144.952095
Land area	55 acres (22 ha)
No. of animals	5,120
No. of species	320
Memberships	ZAA,WAZA
Major exhibits	Elephants, lions, tigers, orang-utans, gorillas
Website	www.zoo.org.au/MelbourneZoo

The Royal Melbourne Zoological Gardens, commonly known as the Melbourne Zoo, contains more than 320 animal species from Australia and around the world. The zoo is 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) north of the centre of Melbourne. It is accessible via Royal Park station on the Upfield railway line, and is also accessible via tram routes 55 and 19, as well as by bicycle on the Capital City Trail. Bicycles are not allowed inside the zoo itself.

The Royal Melbourne Zoological Gardens is a full institutional member of the Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA) and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).

Melbourne Zoo is Australia's oldest zoo and was modeled on London Zoo. The zoo was opened on 6 October 1862 at the Royal Park site of 55-acre (22 ha) on land donated by the City of Melbourne. Before this, animals were housed at the botanical gardens in Melbourne.

Initially the zoo was important for the acclimatisation of domestic animals recovering from their long trip to Australia. It was only with the appointment of Albert Alexander Cochrane Le Souef in 1870 that more exotic animals were procured for public display, and the gardens and picnic areas were developed.

Visitors can see historical cages including the heritage listed Elephant House, which has been renovated and adapted for use for customers paying to sleep overnight in tents at the zoo in popular Roar and Snore evenings. These evenings allow the public to see some of the nocturnal animals at the zoo in evening guided tours by keepers. One of the most famous exhibits was Queenie the elephant.