African Plains

Description

Follow the African Plains loop to see savannah-dwelling species including nyala antelope, lions, gazelles, giraffes, ostriches, African painted dogs, hyenas, and zebras.

Interactive Map

Get directions, attraction status and more when you are at the park.

Launch Map

Schedule

Animals can be seen outside from roughly March 31 to November 3.

Admission

Included with all tickets.

Accessibility

  • Rough Terrain
  • Touch Exhibit
  • Wheelchair Accessible

Read about African Plains' Debut

Explore our digital timeline for a look at African Plains’ history, as well as key Bronx Zoo achievements in saving animal species and connecting people to wildlife.

We hope you’ll celebrate the Bronx Zoo’s 125th birthday with us this summer.

Giraffe Herd

How do you start your morning? The giraffes start them by receiving leaves and twigs, otherwise known as browse. Keepers trim over 30 species of trees, shrubs, and vines to give the giraffe herd plenty of daily browse.

Natural Setting

Whereas previous Bronx Zoo exhibits were conceived around animal orders or families and often indoors (think of the old Lion House, the Monkey House), the African Plains brought together animals based on geography, and it placed them in a naturalistic setting.

Generations of Nyala

Since 1941, more than 275 nyala calves have been born at the Bronx Zoo. As they grow, the male calves transition into similar images of their dads with charcoal coats, black fringe from throat to rump, and curved horns that reach a length of 30 inches.

In the Exhibit

Giraffe

Giraffes are the tallest animal in the world and have an 18-inch-long tongue that they use to grasp branches and pull leaves from trees.

Lion

Lions live in grasslands and open woodlands across much of sub-Saharan Africa, and the Bronx Zoo’s African Plains exhibit is a representation of the East African savannah.

African Painted Dog

African painted dogs live primarily in the grasslands of East Africa. They are highly social animals, working together while hunting to catch their prey.

More Animals in African Plains

HYENA

GREY CROWNED CRANE

SLENDER-HORNED GAZELLE

AARDVARK

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