African lionPanthera leo
Lions are the most social of the big cats, living in family groups called prides.
Fauna · Giza Zoo
The animals coming home
100 species are joining Giza Zoo for its reopening. Meet them here first.
All animals
Mammals 35
Asian elephantElephas maximus
Smaller-eared than its African cousins, the Asian elephant has a single finger at the tip of its trunk.
Asian small-clawed otterAonyx cinereus
The smallest otter species, it finds food by touch with nimble, almost claw-free fingers.
Black and white ruffed lemurVarecia variegata
Its roaring calls carry far through Madagascar's rainforest, and it pollinates the traveller's tree as it feeds.
BlackbuckAntilope cervicapra
Male blackbucks carry long spiralling horns and turn darker, almost black, as they mature.
Bonnet macaqueMacaca radiata
Named for the cap of hair parted down the middle of its head; it lives only in southern India.
Burchell's zebraEquus quagga burchellii
Every zebra's stripe pattern is unique; Burchell's zebras often show faint shadow stripes between the black ones.
California sea lionZalophus californianus
California sea lions can walk on all four flippers, which true seals cannot do.
CapybaraHydrochoerus hydrochaeris
The world's largest rodent, and a strong swimmer with partly webbed feet.
CheetahAcinonyx jubatus
A cheetah can sprint at around 100 km/h, but only for a few hundred metres.
Common elandTragelaphus oryx
A walking eland makes a clicking sound with each step that other elands can hear from afar.
Egyptian mongooseHerpestes ichneumon
Known since antiquity as the ichneumon, it was honoured in ancient Egypt for killing snakes.
ImpalaAepyceros melampus
An impala can leap about three metres high and cover ten metres in a single bound.
Lar gibbonHylobates lar
Lar gibbons swing hand over hand through the forest canopy and sing duets at dawn.
LeopardPanthera pardus
Leopards are strong climbers and often haul their meals into trees to keep them from other predators.
Lowland tapirTapirus terrestris
Lowland tapir calves are born striped and spotted like watermelons; the pattern fades within months.
MeerkatSuricata suricatta
Meerkats take turns standing guard while the rest of the group digs for food.
Pygmy marmosetCebuella pygmaea
An adult pygmy marmoset weighs little more than 100 grams, making it the smallest monkey known.
Red kangarooOsphranter rufus
Red kangaroos cover ground in long hops and use the tail as a fifth limb when moving slowly.
Red ruffed lemurVarecia rubra
Red ruffed lemurs live only on the Masoala peninsula in north-eastern Madagascar.
Red-rumped agoutiDasyprocta leporina
Agoutis bury seeds to eat later and forget some, planting new rainforest trees as they go.
Reticulated giraffeGiraffa reticulata
Its coat looks like a net: large russet patches divided by crisp white lines.
Rhim gazelleGazella leptoceros
A pale desert gazelle of the Sahara's sand seas, at home in Egypt's Western Desert.
Ring-tailed lemurLemur catta
Ring-tailed lemurs start cool mornings sunbathing, sitting upright with their arms open to the sun.
Scimitar-horned oryxOryx dammah
Once extinct in the wild, it roams Chad again after a reintroduction that began in 2016.
ServalLeptailurus serval
Long-legged and large-eared, servals find prey by sound and pounce on it in tall grass.
South African giraffeGiraffa giraffa giraffa
Its rounded, star-shaped patches continue down the legs, getting smaller towards the hooves.
South American sea lionOtaria flavescens
Adult males grow a thick mane and can weigh more than twice as much as females.
Spotted genetGenetta sp.
Slender, spotted and ring-tailed, genets hunt at night and climb as easily as cats.
Squirrel monkeySaimiri sp.
Squirrel monkeys live in large, busy troops and use their long tails for balance, not for gripping.
TigerPanthera tigris
No two tigers have the same stripes, and the pattern continues on the skin beneath the fur.
WallabyFamily Macropodidae (probably Notamacropus sp.)
Wallabies are smaller relatives of kangaroos, and a newborn joey is about the size of a jellybean.
WarthogPhacochoerus africanus
Warthogs kneel on their padded wrists to graze and trot off with their tails held straight up.
White rhinocerosCeratotherium simum
The white rhino is a grazer, with a wide, square lip built for cropping short grass.
White wallabyNotamacropus rufogriseus (white form, assumed)
White wallabies are a rare colour form, best known from a wild population on Bruny Island, Tasmania.
Birds 28
Black crowned craneBalearica pavonina
It wears a crown of stiff golden feathers and, unlike other cranes, crowned cranes can roost in trees.
Blue and gold macawAra ararauna
Blue and gold macaws pair for life and can live for fifty years or more in human care.
Caribbean flamingoPhoenicopterus ruber
Caribbean flamingos are a deep coral pink, coloured by pigments in the algae and shrimp they eat.
CrowFamily Corvidae, genus Corvus (species not stated)
Crows are among the cleverest birds: they solve puzzles and can remember human faces.
Demoiselle craneGrus virgo
The smallest of the cranes, it makes long migrations between the Eurasian steppes and Africa or India.
Eclectus parrotEclectus roratus
Males are bright green and females red and purple, so different they were once thought separate species.
Egyptian vultureNeophron percnopterus
One of the few birds that use tools: it cracks ostrich eggs by throwing stones at them.
Falcon or kestrelFamily Falconidae, genus Falco (species not stated)
Falcons are fast, sharp-eyed hunters; a kestrel can hover in one spot while it scans for prey.
Fischer's lovebirdAgapornis fischeri
A small, bright parrot from northern Tanzania that lives in flocks and stays close to its partner.
Greater flamingoPhoenicopterus roseus
Greater flamingos visit Egypt's lakes and lagoons; their pink comes from pigments in their food.
Green-winged macawAra chloropterus
A large red macaw with green wing bands and a beak strong enough to crack hard nuts.
Harris's hawkParabuteo unicinctus
Unusually for birds of prey, Harris's hawks hunt together in family groups.
Humboldt penguinSpheniscus humboldti
Humboldt penguins come from the coasts of Peru and Chile, where they nest in burrows.
Indian peafowlPavo cristatus
A peacock's train is made of long feathers growing from its back, held up by the real tail beneath.
Mandarin duckAix galericulata
The drake wears orange sail feathers on his back; mandarin ducks nest in tree holes.
Northern ground hornbillBucorvus abyssinicus
It walks the savanna on long legs looking for prey, and has long eyelashes to keep out dust.
Peach-faced lovebirdAgapornis roseicollis
Females tuck strips of bark and leaves into their rump feathers to carry them to the nest.
Pharaoh eagle-owlBubo ascalaphus
A sandy-coloured owl of rocky deserts and wadis across North Africa and Arabia, with orange-yellow eyes.
RheaRhea americana
Rheas cannot fly; the male builds the nest, incubates the eggs and raises the chicks alone.
Saddle-billed storkEphippiorhynchus senegalensis
This tall African stork appears in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs; females have yellow eyes, males dark ones.
Scarlet ibisEudocimus ruber
Scarlet ibises hatch grey-brown and turn red as they grow, coloured by the crustaceans they eat.
Steppe eagleAquila nipalensis
A large eagle of open grasslands; thousands pass over Egypt each autumn on their way to Africa.
Sun conureAratinga solstitialis
A golden-yellow parrot from north-eastern South America, where trapping has made it rare in the wild.
Swan gooseAnser cygnoides
The wild ancestor of the domestic Chinese goose, with a long black bill and a two-tone neck.
Toco toucanRamphastos toco
Its huge orange bill is light and hollow, and helps the bird shed heat.
White-faced whistling duckDendrocygna viduata
Named for its white face and its clear three-note whistle, often heard at night.
Whooper swanCygnus cygnus
Whooper swans are named for their loud, bugling calls and have a yellow-and-black bill.
Yellow-faced amazonAmazona sp. (species to be confirmed)
Amazon parrots are stocky, mostly green parrots from the Americas, known for their strong voices.
Reptiles 19
American alligatorAlligator mississippiensis
Once close to disappearing, the American alligator recovered under protection and was delisted in 1987.
Ball pythonPython regius
When frightened it curls into a tight ball with its head tucked inside, hence the name.
Bearded dragonPogona vitticeps
When alarmed it puffs out a spiny throat beard; it also waves an arm to signal to others.
Blue iguanaIguana iguana (blue colour form, assumed)
A colour form of the green iguana, bred in human care for its blue skin.
Blue-tongued skinkTiliqua sp.
It startles predators by opening its mouth wide and showing a bright blue tongue.
Burmese pythonPython bivittatus
One of the world's largest snakes, it is a good swimmer and can stay underwater for half an hour.
Desert horned viperCerastes cerastes
It moves across sand by sidewinding and buries itself until only its eyes and horns show.
Desert monitorVaranus griseus
A sand-coloured monitor lizard at home in deserts from the Sahara to Central Asia.
Egyptian spiny-tailed lizardUromastyx aegyptia
A plant-eating desert lizard that blocks its burrow with a thick, spiked tail.
Egyptian tortoiseTestudo kleinmanni
A palm-sized desert tortoise from the Mediterranean coastal deserts of Egypt and Libya.
Green iguanaIguana iguana
Green iguanas are leaf-eaters that bask in treetops and drop into water to escape danger.
Green tree pythonMorelia viridis
Hatchlings are bright yellow or brick red and turn green in their first year.
Nile monitorVaranus niloticus
A large lizard of the Nile's banks, as comfortable swimming as it is climbing or running.
Plumed basiliskBasiliscus plumifrons
It can sprint across the surface of water on its hind legs to escape danger.
Radiated tortoiseAstrochelys radiata
Each scale on its high domed shell carries a yellow starburst; it lives only in southern Madagascar.
Red iguanaIguana iguana (red colour form)
A colour form of the green iguana, bred in human care for its red-orange skin.
Red teguSalvator rufescens
A large lizard from Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay; males turn deep red and grow heavy jowls.
Rhinoceros iguanaCyclura cornuta
Named for the horn-like bumps on its snout, it comes from the island of Hispaniola.
Veiled chameleonChamaeleo calyptratus
It wears a tall crest, or casque, on its head, and comes from Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
Amphibians 2
FrogsOrder Anura
Frogs breathe partly through their skin, which is why they need clean water and damp places.
SalamandersOrder Urodela
Many salamanders can regrow a lost tail or even a whole limb.
Fish 2
CichlidsFamily Cichlidae
Cichlids are devoted parents; many species shelter their eggs and young inside their mouths.
KoiCyprinus rubrofuscus (domestic form)
Koi are ornamental carp, bred in Japan for their colours and patterns for about two centuries.
Invertebrates 2
ButterfliesOrder Lepidoptera (butterflies: superfamily Papilionoidea)
Butterflies taste with their feet and drink nectar through a coiled tube called a proboscis.
Emperor scorpionPandinus imperator
One of the largest scorpions, it glows blue-green under ultraviolet light and has a mild sting.
Farmyard 12
AlpacaVicugna pacos
Alpacas were bred in the Andes for their soft fleece, and they hum to each other.
Angora goatCapra hircus
The Angora goat grows mohair, a long, silky fleece; the breed takes its name from Ankara.
Brahma chickenGallus gallus domesticus
A big, calm chicken breed with feathered feet, developed in the United States from Asian birds.
Dromedary camelCamelus dromedarius
The hump stores fat, not water; a thirsty dromedary can drink around 100 litres in one go.
Guinea pigCavia porcellus
Guinea pigs come from the Andes, not Guinea, and make little popcorn jumps when excited.
Jacob sheepOvis aries
Jacob sheep are spotted black and white and often carry four horns, sometimes six.
Nadipathy micro cowBos indicus
A smaller line of the same miniature cattle, bred at the Nadipathy Goshala in Kakinada, India.
Nadipathy miniature cowBos indicus
A very small zebu cow bred in Andhra Pradesh, India, from the dwarf Punganur breed.
Nadipathy nano cowBos indicus
The smallest of the three Nadipathy lines of miniature zebu cattle from Andhra Pradesh.
Pygmy goatCapra hircus
A small, sturdy goat breed that began with the dwarf goats of West Africa.
Silkie chickenGallus gallus domesticus
Silkies have fluffy, hair-like feathers, black skin and five toes instead of the usual four.
Valais blacknose sheepOvis aries
A shaggy mountain sheep from the Swiss canton of Valais, with a black face, ears, knees and feet.
No species matches those filters.
The photographs show each species. Portraits of our own residents will replace them as the animals settle in. Red List categories are the global assessments of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.