Zoologico, Santa Cruz

The Municipal Zoo of South American Fauna Noel Kempff Mercado, is located in the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. It is the most important in the country and in South America, for the extensive biodiversity of native species, it is also one of the main tourist attractions of the city.

Its founder was Prof. Noel Kempff Mercado, who in the early 1960s, had already made a career as a naturalist and creator of the Botanical Garden Hortus Amazonicus Tropicalis Boliviensis, located on the banks of the Piraí River. As a result, he conceived the idea of building a zoo dedicated exclusively to South American fauna. It should also be remembered that, simultaneously and as Municipal Director of Parks and Gardens, it was he who initiated the process of urban tree planting that has given the city an unmistakable appearance.

At the entrance of the zoo, you can see a statue of the naturalist mentioned above, in which his figure holds with his hands several animals, this sculpture was made in tribute to the great work he carried out for the conservation of the fauna and flora of South America.