Zoológico de Cali

Cali Zoo, founded in 1969, is one of the most important and most visited zoos in Latin America. Since October 1, 1981, it has been run by the Fundación Zoológica de Cali (FZC), a non-profit organization that redirected the park toward conservation, environmental education, and research on Colombia’s endemic biodiversity.

Located on the west side of the city, on the banks of the Cali River, the zoo is home to around 2,500 animals from 233 species — mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and butterflies — along a route of roughly 2.4 kilometers that takes 2 to 3 hours to complete.

Among its main attractions are the Butterfly House (Mariposario), opened in 2003, where more than 1,000 butterflies fly freely across a 450 m² space; and the Aquarium, opened in December 1997, which recreates aquatic ecosystems from the Orinoco and Amazon basins, the Pacific, and the Caribbean across 400 m². The park also has dedicated sections for primates, birds, and amphibians and reptiles.