What other travelers are saying about Chiba City Zoological Park
Chiba Zoological Park (千葉市動物公園) is a family-friendly zoo in Wakaba Ward, Chiba City, not too far from Tokyo and easy to reach by the Chiba Urban Monorail from Dōbutsukōen Station.
The zoo opened in 1985 and is divided into several themed zones, such as:
Small Animals Zone – home of the famous red panda “Futa,” known all over Japan for standing upright on his hind legs.
Monkey Zone & Steppe Zone – where you can see primates and larger mammals from grassland habitats.
Children’s Zoo & Fureai (petting) area – kids can touch and feed gentle animals, ride ponies, and learn how to care for them.
Avian and Aquatic Zone / Oike Pond – an area that attracts wild birds like kingfishers and ducks, plus exhibits of water birds and fish.
In total, the park keeps around 120+ species and over 700 animals, including mammals, birds, and fish. It also has an Animal Science Museum that explains animal ecology and conservation in an easy way for children.
The grounds are spacious, with play areas, a splash zone for kids in summer, cafés, and BBQ space, so many families spend the whole day here rather than just walking around the cages.
Yes, the zoo offers several interactive features including QR code-enabled video content that allows visitors to access additional information about specific animals through their mobile devices. The park also provides scheduled feeding times and opportunities to meet with knowledgeable zookeepers who share insights about conservation efforts and animal behavior. The layout radiates from a central plaza, making navigation easy and ensuring you can see all exhibits efficiently.
Take the JR Chiba Urban Monorail to Dobutsu-koen Station, which connects directly to the zoo entrance. From JR Chiba Station, the monorail ride takes about 12 minutes. The zoo is also accessible by bus from Chiba Station or by car with on-site parking available for 700 yen per day.
Chiba City Zoological Park features over 140 animal species including red pandas, Asiatic elephants, lions, giraffes, penguins, and Japanese macaques. Popular attractions include the Red Panda exhibit, Children's Zoo with hands-on experiences, monkey house, and seasonal animal shows and feeding demonstrations.
Yes, Chiba City Zoological Park has restaurants and cafes serving meals and snacks, gift shops selling animal-themed souvenirs, nursing rooms for babies, stroller rentals, wheelchair accessibility, and playground areas. The zoo is family-friendly with clean restroom facilities throughout the grounds.
The best time to visit Chiba City Zoological Park is during spring (March-May) and autumn (September-November) for pleasant weather and active animals. Plan 3-4 hours to see all exhibits comfortably. Weekdays are less crowded than weekends, and morning visits offer the most animal activity.
Great experience, worth visiting! Most animals are visible, food, drinks and toilet is accessible 😺 I love that every animal was visible, especially the lion and cheetah! Zoo was organized start to end, thank you! ✨😻
It was easy to get to via the monorail and the tickets were cheap ¥400 per person, there was a machine to buy tickets at the entrance with translation options.
I'm not somebody who thinks zoos shouldn't exist, they do valuable work, however the animals in this zoo need more space and more enrichment, the zoo had a huge amount of unused space that could easily be utilised for larger enclosures.
Most of the animals looked depressed and were waiting by the door to their sleeping area. I didn't see any keepers, vets, or even staff beyond the entrance and the food stalls.
