Johannesburg Zoo, Johannesburg (must see)

The Johannesburg Zoo is an 81-hectare (200-acre) zoo established in 1904. It has traditionally been owned and operated by the City of Johannesburg. However, it has recently been turned into a corporation and registered as a Section 21 non-profit organization. The zoo is dedicated to the accommodation, enrichment, husbandry, and medical care of wild animals, and houses about 2000 individuals of 320 species.

Tours and excursions around the zoo are offered under the auspices of the zoo's education department. It is one of the few places in the world with white lions (a genetic mutation of African lions), and has had considerable success in their breeding; these are more sought after than tawny lions by other zoos. The Johannesburg Zoo is also the only zoo in South Africa to have successfully bred Siberian Tigers, the largest cats in the world. Due to requirements in the Deed of Gift under which the land for the Johannesburg Zoo and the neighboring Zoo Lake was acquired, the zoo, and neighboring park were one of the very few non-segregated public areas during the Apartheid in South Africa.

Why You Should Visit:
Most animals can be seen whether they are inside or outside, so you won't be disappointed on days where they avoid the outdoors.
Routes to animal enclosures are well mapped throughout the zoo, and maps are available at the entrance.

Tip:
This is a sprawling zoo, so bring a picnic along and make a nice long walk out of it.
Some activities take card payments, while others only cash.