The 10 Animals You're Most Likely to See at a U.S. Zoo

Ask anyone to picture a zoo and they'll probably think of lions, elephants or giraffes. But when we counted which animals U.S. zoos actually keep, using the animal lists the zoos publish themselves, the winner was a cat-sized primate from Madagascar.

These are the ten species found at the most U.S. zoos, out of the 339 zoos whose animal lists we've verified so far.

The top 10 at a glance

1. Ring-tailed lemur: 118 zoos

The ring-tailed lemur is the most recognizable lemur in the world, thanks to its long black-and-white striped tail. Like every lemur, it lives wild only on Madagascar, in the gallery forests and spiny scrub of the island's south. It's the only living member of its genus, Lemur, and it's listed as Endangered.

You'll find it at big city zoos and small animal parks alike, which is how it ends up on more lists than any other animal. See the zoos with ring-tailed lemurs.

2. Bald eagle: 102 zoos

America's national bird was once endangered and has since recovered. Bald eagles live near coasts, rivers and large lakes across most of North America and eat mainly fish. Their wingspan can reach more than seven feet. Many of the eagles in U.S. zoos are rescued birds with injuries that keep them from being released. See the zoos with bald eagles.

3. American alligator: 94 zoos

The American alligator lives in freshwater marshes and cypress swamps from Texas to North Carolina. Big males can top 15 feet and 1,000 pounds. It's the larger of the world's only two alligator species; the other is the Chinese alligator. See the zoos with American alligators.

4. Lion: 92 zoos

Lions are the only truly social big cats, living in family groups called prides. Among cats, only the tiger is bigger. Wild lions live in sub-Saharan Africa, with one small population in western India, and the species is listed as Vulnerable. See the zoos with lions.

5. Emu: 73 zoos

Australia's tallest native bird stands up to about 6 feet 3 inches and can sprint at around 30 mph. Emus can't fly, but they're curious, and at petting zoos and drive-through parks they often come right up to visitors. See the zoos with emus.

6. Four-way tie: 71 zoos each

• Alpaca. A domesticated camelid from the high Andes, raised for its soft fiber. There are no wild alpacas; its closest wild relative is the vicuña.
• Bobcat. North America's most widespread wild cat, found from southern Canada to Mexico. It's about twice the size of a house cat, with a short "bobbed" tail.
• Red panda. An Endangered tree-dweller from the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It eats mostly bamboo and has an extra "false thumb" for gripping the stems. It isn't a close relative of the giant panda.
• American black bear. North America's smallest and most widespread bear. Despite the name, black bears can be brown, cinnamon or even blond.

10. African spurred tortoise: 69 zoos

The African spurred tortoise, or sulcata, is the largest tortoise in mainland Africa and the third-largest in the world. Males can top 200 pounds. It lives along the southern edge of the Sahara, and individuals can live well past 50 years. See the zoos with African spurred tortoises.

What the list tells you

Smaller zoos shape the ranking. Lemurs, alpacas, emus and tortoises do well in modest spaces, so they're found at roadside parks and petting farms as well as major zoos. Elephants and giraffes need far more room, and fewer places keep them.

Native wildlife is everywhere. Four of the ten are American animals. Many zoos give a permanent home to eagles, bobcats and bears that were injured or orphaned and can't return to the wild.

Endangered animals are common, not rare. Two of the ten, the ring-tailed lemur and the red panda, are endangered in the wild. Their numbers in zoos owe a lot to managed breeding programs.

How we counted

Every animal on Feather & Fang comes from the animal list a zoo publishes on its own website. We record each species with the page it was read on. A species counts toward a zoo only if it appears on that zoo's list.

These totals cover the 339 U.S. zoos whose lists we've verified so far, and they'll shift as we add more. For the latest numbers, see each animal's page. Browse every animal by class or find a zoo near you.