Aragon Zoo
Mexico City has 3 zoos, all coordinated by the Dirección general de Zoologicos. The zoos are Chapultepec, San Juan de Aragon and the small Los Coyotes. El Zoologico de San Juan de Aragon or Aragon was opened in 1964, as alternative to Chapultepec. It is located in the outskirts of the city near the airport. Aragon is larger than Chapultecpec, an recieves less visitors. Aragon is enjoyable even on Sundays and holidays, Chapultepec is overcrowed and uncomfortable on these days. All the mexico city zoos are free. There is coordination between Chapultepec, aragon and coyotes, and animals may be moved from one location to another for breeding or space requirements. Aragon is a zoo in transition. renovation began in 2002 and about half of the zoo is great. However the economic crisis in Mexico halted reconstruction and the older section is bad. I think aragon is kind of like the Dr. Jeckl and mr Hyde of mexican zoos. You begin with a very new nice section, the worst is at the end.
At the entrance there are a trio of pinioned blue and yellow macaws. Next, is a nice wooded area for the mexican wolves or lobo mexicano. The Aragon lineage was one of the founder group for the subspecies. The original aragon lobos came from sonora and chihuahua, shortly before the final extermination of wild lobos by hunters. The other founder group came from the arizona zoos, but maybe someone can check this up. The lobos breed well in all the mexico City zoos.
Next is the desert area. There are nice exhibits there for prarie dogs, collared peccaries, coatis, coyotes and misplaced raccoons. There is a bachelor group of desert bighorn sheep ( the breeding group is at Chapultepec). After there is a pair of peninsular pronghorn, sadly these very rare animals have not bred here (like they do in L.A.). There are also some white tail deer in this area.
La Costa follows and these are large areas for california and patagonian sea lions with underwater viewing. The patagonian sea lions have bred for the first time in Mexico here.
There is a nice reptile house next, which is better than the Chapultepec serpentario. Jose ( dear moderators please invite him back) made a nice review of this part, look for it on this section. Most notable are mexican poisonious snakes, 6 species of tarantulas and a nice pair of anacondas. Also some amphibians.
Afterwards is the so called african section. There is a lone white rhinoceros who was born at Aragon.Following are maggie and chacha, the only elephants in Mexico city. They are asian females, and the elephant exhibit is good. They have large pools and sandy areas. The elephants are kept separately because maggie is a tempermental ex circus employee. It is not her fault she had a tough beginning. A large moated area is for two male chimpanzees, also ex circus employees. The exhibit is nice with many climbing spaces. A large moated area for a pride of lions are next. A plains exhibit for mixed species follows. it holds one male giraffe ( the breeding group is at Chapultepec), eland, common waterbuck, gnu and a breeding herd of grant's zebras. There are also birds, guinea fowl, crowned cranes, ostriches and egyptian geese. In front is the better of the two hippo enclousures, large and open.
Next is the area for tropical species. First a very nicely palanted area for mexican brocket deer which breed well both at aragon and chapultepec. A large ocelot exhibit seems empty until you see them sleeping high in the trees. The nicer exhibit for mexican spider monkeys is here and the primates actually have a bridge over a walkway, sort of like the orangutan express in D.C. There then an exhibit for 2 margays with lots of climbing spaces and in front a group of mexican parrots that have been rescued from illegal traders. next you enter the large free flight aviary for mexican species. Green iguanas, flamingos ( the breeding group is at Chapultepec, again), great curassows, military and scarlet macaws, crested and yucatan jays, orioles, thrashers, chachalacas, green toucanets and keel billed toucans. Also a large tank for pejelagartos ( alligator gars). At the end there is Sendero del jaguar, a long glass fronted caged area for a trio of jaguars, two normal spotted and 1 melanistic.
On to the birds of prey area where there is a good flying exhibition during weekends. Caged species are golden eagle, great horned owl, osprey, caracara, harris hawk, crow and red tailed hawk.
Now comes the old section. First, regular pens for male blackbuck antelope (breeding group at Chapultepec) fallow deer and peacocks, aoudads, elk and bison. Hippos in a much smaller pool and spaces, lions on a concrete island. Moated Small mammal exhibits follow, regular sized they have maras, african porcupines, more coati and raccoons, a friendly otter named Otis, kinkajous, grey fox and a breeding group of sulcata toroises. A very strange mix follows. a long group of glass fronted cages hold common marmosets, tassle eared marmosets, red handed marmosets ( all have bred) along with green and black iguanas, desert and more sulcata tortoises and a mexican tamandua. A small enclosed pool for 2 morlett´s crocodiles. Passible exhibits for squirrel monkeys and mexican black howlers. And for the last the worse, horrible cages for patas monkeys and hamadryas baboons.
You can see the pictures on the aragon gallery. I take more animal pictures and talli took more exhibit pictures, so there is a balance.
Mexico City has 3 zoos, all coordinated by the Dirección general de Zoologicos. The zoos are Chapultepec, San Juan de Aragon and the small Los Coyotes. El Zoologico de San Juan de Aragon or Aragon was opened in 1964, as alternative to Chapultepec. It is located in the outskirts of the city near the airport. Aragon is larger than Chapultecpec, an recieves less visitors. Aragon is enjoyable even on Sundays and holidays, Chapultepec is overcrowed and uncomfortable on these days. All the mexico city zoos are free. There is coordination between Chapultepec, aragon and coyotes, and animals may be moved from one location to another for breeding or space requirements. Aragon is a zoo in transition. renovation began in 2002 and about half of the zoo is great. However the economic crisis in Mexico halted reconstruction and the older section is bad. I think aragon is kind of like the Dr. Jeckl and mr Hyde of mexican zoos. You begin with a very new nice section, the worst is at the end.
At the entrance there are a trio of pinioned blue and yellow macaws. Next, is a nice wooded area for the mexican wolves or lobo mexicano. The Aragon lineage was one of the founder group for the subspecies. The original aragon lobos came from sonora and chihuahua, shortly before the final extermination of wild lobos by hunters. The other founder group came from the arizona zoos, but maybe someone can check this up. The lobos breed well in all the mexico City zoos.
Next is the desert area. There are nice exhibits there for prarie dogs, collared peccaries, coatis, coyotes and misplaced raccoons. There is a bachelor group of desert bighorn sheep ( the breeding group is at Chapultepec). After there is a pair of peninsular pronghorn, sadly these very rare animals have not bred here (like they do in L.A.). There are also some white tail deer in this area.
La Costa follows and these are large areas for california and patagonian sea lions with underwater viewing. The patagonian sea lions have bred for the first time in Mexico here.
There is a nice reptile house next, which is better than the Chapultepec serpentario. Jose ( dear moderators please invite him back) made a nice review of this part, look for it on this section. Most notable are mexican poisonious snakes, 6 species of tarantulas and a nice pair of anacondas. Also some amphibians.
Afterwards is the so called african section. There is a lone white rhinoceros who was born at Aragon.Following are maggie and chacha, the only elephants in Mexico city. They are asian females, and the elephant exhibit is good. They have large pools and sandy areas. The elephants are kept separately because maggie is a tempermental ex circus employee. It is not her fault she had a tough beginning. A large moated area is for two male chimpanzees, also ex circus employees. The exhibit is nice with many climbing spaces. A large moated area for a pride of lions are next. A plains exhibit for mixed species follows. it holds one male giraffe ( the breeding group is at Chapultepec), eland, common waterbuck, gnu and a breeding herd of grant's zebras. There are also birds, guinea fowl, crowned cranes, ostriches and egyptian geese. In front is the better of the two hippo enclousures, large and open.
Next is the area for tropical species. First a very nicely palanted area for mexican brocket deer which breed well both at aragon and chapultepec. A large ocelot exhibit seems empty until you see them sleeping high in the trees. The nicer exhibit for mexican spider monkeys is here and the primates actually have a bridge over a walkway, sort of like the orangutan express in D.C. There then an exhibit for 2 margays with lots of climbing spaces and in front a group of mexican parrots that have been rescued from illegal traders. next you enter the large free flight aviary for mexican species. Green iguanas, flamingos ( the breeding group is at Chapultepec, again), great curassows, military and scarlet macaws, crested and yucatan jays, orioles, thrashers, chachalacas, green toucanets and keel billed toucans. Also a large tank for pejelagartos ( alligator gars). At the end there is Sendero del jaguar, a long glass fronted caged area for a trio of jaguars, two normal spotted and 1 melanistic.
On to the birds of prey area where there is a good flying exhibition during weekends. Caged species are golden eagle, great horned owl, osprey, caracara, harris hawk, crow and red tailed hawk.
Now comes the old section. First, regular pens for male blackbuck antelope (breeding group at Chapultepec) fallow deer and peacocks, aoudads, elk and bison. Hippos in a much smaller pool and spaces, lions on a concrete island. Moated Small mammal exhibits follow, regular sized they have maras, african porcupines, more coati and raccoons, a friendly otter named Otis, kinkajous, grey fox and a breeding group of sulcata toroises. A very strange mix follows. a long group of glass fronted cages hold common marmosets, tassle eared marmosets, red handed marmosets ( all have bred) along with green and black iguanas, desert and more sulcata tortoises and a mexican tamandua. A small enclosed pool for 2 morlett´s crocodiles. Passible exhibits for squirrel monkeys and mexican black howlers. And for the last the worse, horrible cages for patas monkeys and hamadryas baboons.
You can see the pictures on the aragon gallery. I take more animal pictures and talli took more exhibit pictures, so there is a balance.
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