Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes

The Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes is the historic zoo of Paris, attached to the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle. It officially opened in 1794, born of the Revolution, with animals from the royal menageries of Versailles and that of Le Raincy, as well as animals seized from fairground showmen.

It is famous for its eighteenth- and nineteenth-century architecture and for residents who became legendary, like the giraffe Zarafa, given to Charles X, or the orangutan Nénette. During the siege of Paris of 1870–1871, many animals, including the elephants, were sacrificed to feed the population.

Today, the menagerie presents mammals, birds and reptiles, including a significant share of threatened species, and takes part in conservation and research programmes. A large desert aviary and the renovation of the big-cat house have modernised the site. An ideal place to combine heritage, nature and a family outing in the capital.

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