Our Animals at the Saint Louis Zoo

The Saint Louis Zoo currently has about 17,955 animals and more than 700 species of animals.

Most of our mammals, and many of our other animals, were born in captivity. Zoos commonly exchange animals on breeding loans with other members of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. Occasionally, animals such as fish or insects are collected from the wild. Once these animals are in a collection, zoos try to breed them. The offspring can then be traded to another zoo, thus keeping wild captures to an absolute minimum.