People have been sharing how beautiful the rehabilitation of Manila Zoo is and I have been wanting to visit and see it myself!

The PR of the place was so good and inviting, you yourself might get interested in visiting the place.

Parking and entrance

Currently, the entrance is FREE but you have to be fully vaccinated before you can go in (the same requirement for kids). There was a vaccination drive for kids when we visited, that's clever!

Personally, I think the parking area was too small to cover the visitors, but it's good being that they prioritized the space for the animals instead of the cars.

How much has changed?

Before

I don't have much memory of the place when I was a kid, but I was able to visit it back in college. I remember the place looking all gloomy, small and the cages were not well kept. There was this tunnel that displayed the snakes and lizards that looked overly neglected. I also remember seeing a dead animal inside one cage (can't remember what animal), and it was just so sad. My schoolmates and I tried to roam the place around, and I would say it was just not 30 minutes when we got in and out of there. We went in sad and went out sadder :(

Now

By the road, you already see that it was a big change. This wall used to be a mural of different animals and it stretched through the rest of the zoo's outer wall. And now it looks modern and inviting.

The entrance and parking were well decorated and are perfect for photo ops for the kids :) Since the entrance is still free, the entrance ticket machine thingies are not yet functional

The animals at Manila Zoo

Maali - The elephant

They kept Maali's spot at the entrance of the zoo as the main attraction. Her space seemed larger than before and there was a viewing deck as well. Maali was a bit playful when we visited and wanted to remove the construction restrictions on her area. I hope she gets someone to play with, she seemed lonely alone. :(

The Aviary

Just on the opposite side of Maali was the aviary, but it was still closed. There was a viewing path inside the aviary but we still saw some birds from the pathway. There are eagles and peacocks already settling inside. Plus, there are flying stray birds who seemed to have found refuge there which is so nice!

The Reptile House

This was the only indoor feature that was open at the time we visited. There are reptiles inside but it's not still full. It was well-kept and big! There is generous space for all the reptiles there which is really nice!

The sceneries, Botanical Gardens, and other features

The other indoor feature was for the butterflies and the gift shop which was both closed, still. The landscaping of the place was beautiful, they even have fountains!

If you're into taking pictures, there are a lot of spots for that. I also loved how they had a section for plants that were labeled in English and Tagalog, it's so cute!

They also have this mini-park for kids -- still not open too.

We also noticed a lot of staff roaming around, cleaning and guarding the place. There were designated people in certain spots of the zoo as well, which was a good thing.

The only peeve I guess was I wish they have designated areas for people to eat. There are food carts outside the zoo but I think it's better if people are not allowed to bring food inside.

Is it worth visiting Manila Zoo right now?

As of March 2022, maybe not yet. Of course, it's a zoo, you would want to see animals, and the day we visited, there were not many animals to see.

Overall though, I think Manila Zoo has done a really good job in its rehabilitation! There are still some areas that need improvement but it's definitely a step up from how it was before. The place is now spacious, with well-maintained animals and beautiful sceneries. They also have staff constantly roaming the area which gives a sense of security.

I hope they would continue to improve on what they have and make it more accessible for everyone. Once it's 100% complete, it's a great place to visit with friends and family!

If you have time, I suggest dropping by and seeing it for yourselves! :)

Thanks for reading!

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Manila Zoo: On-Going Rehabilitation

Parking and entrance