Zoological sights in Panama
- Sort by:
- Popular
-
Summit Botanical Gardens & Zoo
The botanical gardens were founded in 1923 to introduce, propagate and disseminate tropical plants from around the world into Panama. They contain more than 15,000 plant species, and many of these are marked along a trail.
Also at the park is an expanding zoo that contains animals native to Central America. Its greatest attraction is its harpy eagle compound, which opened in 1998 in the hope that conditions would prove conducive to breeding; at the time of writing, there were no baby harpies to report.
The harpy eagle is the national bird, and many ornithologists consider it the most powerful bird of prey. Also at the zoo is a roomy jaguar compound and a remarkably spaci…
reviewed
-
Bocas Butterfly Garden
A great afternoon trip from Bocas town, this adorable butterfly farm houses species from every corner of Panama. Water taxis can whisk you away from Bocas town to the entrance to the farm on nearby Isla Carenero for around US$1.00.
reviewed
-
Zoo El Níspero
Most Latin American zoos are sad, cruel places, and unfortunately this is such a place. Here, for example, there are numerous eagles and hawks in a cage smaller than a walk-in closet, and the margays and ocelots on display look listless and depressed.
If you're sensitive to cage animals, you should probably skip this one. With that said, El Níspero is one of the best places for seeing Panama's golden frogs (ranas doradas). These endangered amphibians are unbelievably striking in color, and extremely photogenic. They are also one of Panama's most important cultural symbols, and have long been revered by the indigenous peoples of the country. Unfortunately, they are extrem…
reviewed
