Press
San Francisco Zoo & Gardens values its relationships with all media outlets, which help share the mission to connect people with wildlife, inspire caring for nature and advance conservation action.
Working news media can be added to the list to receive advisories and releases, by contacting Vitus Leung at [email protected]. San Francisco Zoo & Gardens reserves the right to select media partners whose demographics and subject matter best coincides with the Zoo’s mission.
Personal Photography
Photography is welcome, but always stay safely behind any barriers and remain in the public areas at all times. Selfie sticks are never allowed to be held over barriers at any time. The Zoo does not permit photos of its animals to be sold for profit or used for any commercial purposes without prior consent.
Rescued Axolotls
Five rescued axolotls, confiscated by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officers during an illegal smuggling attempt, are now living at the San Francisco Zoo & Gardens, showcased in the Conservation Corridor. The zoo aims to provide a safe habitat and educate the public about wildlife trafficking. Axolotls, unique salamanders native to Mexico, retain their aquatic larval traits into adulthood. Their population has drastically declined due to habitat destruction and pollution, with fewer than 100 adults left in the wild. The San Francisco Zoo is recognized for its efforts in wildlife conservation and will allow visitors to name two of the axolotls during a special event.
Critically Endangered Asian Horses Have Arrived!
For the first time in its history, San Francisco Zoo & Gardens is home to critically endangered Mongolian or Przewalski’s horses, an Asian species that was listed as “extinct” in the wild. “These critically endangered horses are exciting additions to our Asian conservation programs and reflect zoological collaboration at its best,” said Tanya M. Peterson, CEO and President.
With different DNA than domestic horses, the Mongolian or Przewalski horse, named after a Russian explorer who identified the wild horse subspecies during his exploration of Mongolia in the 19th century, is known as the last truly wild horse, having never been domesticated. Thanks to coordinated breeding programs by zoos and related reintroductions of the species to national parks in Mongolia and China, the population of Przewalski’s horses is now at 2,000!
SF Zoo is now home two females, a 17-year-old and a 22-year-old. You can find them in the Zoo’s “Asian Conservation Zone,” across from the Komodo Dragon habitat.
Links to live footage: CBS5, and their arrival was shared on social media: Twitter/X, Facebook and Instagram.
Rare animal spotted in Bay Area national monument for the first time in 30 years
A northwestern pond turtle, Turtle No. 9, was recently spotted in Muir Woods National Monument, marking the first sighting of its kind in 30 years. This rare event highlights the success of ongoing restoration efforts in Redwood Creek, where Turtle No. 9 completed a two-month, five-mile journey upstream. The sighting is a significant milestone in the conservation of one of California’s last native freshwater turtle species.
Turtle No. 9’s journey is the result of collaborative efforts among various organizations, including WildCare and the San Francisco Zoo, which rescued and raised the turtle before its release. Despite challenges like predation and tracking difficulties, these efforts have shown promise in creating a self-sustaining population, with experts continuing to innovate new methods to protect the species.