Animals

Home to nearly 400 animals representing more than 200 species, the Little Rock Zoo connects guests with incredible wildlife from Arkansas and around the world. Every visit offers an opportunity to discover the unique adaptations, behaviors, and stories of the animals in our care while learning how each species plays an important role in our natural world.

Behind every habitat is a dedicated team of animal care professionals committed to providing exceptional care and creating meaningful experiences that inspire a lifelong appreciation for wildlife.

Exceptional Animal Care

The health and well-being of our animals are at the heart of everything we do. Our habitats are thoughtfully designed to encourage natural behaviors and provide animals with choice and control over their environment.

Just as animals in the wild decide where to rest, explore, socialize, or seek privacy, the animals at the Little Rock Zoo have the freedom to make those same choices within their habitats. Many exhibits include spaces where animals can choose to spend time away from public view. While this means you may not always see every animal during your visit, it reflects our commitment to providing the highest standards of animal welfare and allowing animals to engage in behaviors that come naturally to them.

Every day, our Animal Care Teams, Veterinary Team, and industry specialists work together to provide exceptional, individualized care for every animal, tailoring their approach to each species and individual.

Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums

The Little Rock Zoo is proud to be Arkansas’ only zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), a global leader in animal care, conservation, education, and guest experience standards.

To achieve and maintain this distinction, the Zoo undergoes a comprehensive independent review every five years, evaluating every aspect of our operation—including animal care, veterinary programs, conservation, education, safety, staffing, and guest experience. AZA accreditation reflects our commitment to meeting the highest professional standards while continually striving to improve the care we provide for animals and the experiences we create for our guests.

Conservation in Action

Caring for animals at the Zoo is only one part of our conservation mission. The Little Rock Zoo actively participates in conservation efforts that help protect wildlife both locally and around the world through partnerships, research, and collaborative initiatives.

As an AZA-accredited institution, we participate in Species Survival Plan (SSP) programs that help maintain healthy, genetically diverse populations of threatened and endangered species through cooperation among accredited zoos and aquariums. We also proudly participate in AZA SAFE: Saving Animals From Extinction, a global conservation initiative that unites accredited zoos and aquariums to address the greatest threats facing wildlife. Through SAFE programs, we support coordinated conservation efforts focused on sloth bears, Asian elephants, orangutans, African penguins, and radiated tortoises—helping advance species recovery efforts through research, education, community engagement, and conservation action.

Our conservation work extends beyond these programs through support of field conservation, scientific research, and partnerships that protect wildlife in their native habitats. We also contribute to regional initiatives that benefit Arkansas species and ecosystems.

Every animal in our care represents an opportunity to inspire curiosity, foster meaningful connections with nature, and encourage conservation action. Together, these efforts help advance our mission to inspire people to value and conserve our natural world.