Being the oldest and largest zoo in Malaysia, Zoo Negara (National Zoo) is one of the most popular attractions in Kuala Lumpur for tourists and animal lovers. Covering an area of over 110 acres, Zoo Negara boasts a variety species of amphibians, birds, fish, mammals and reptiles for you to discover. Zoo Negara is also the perfect place to visit if you are travelling with your kids as they can learn about the Malaysia’s exotic and endangered wildlife such as the Malayan Tigers, Borneo Pygmy Elephants, Malayan Tapir and so on.
What time is Zoo Negara Malaysia open?
Zoo Negara Malaysia is open daily from 9am – 5pm. However, if you wish to see the Multi-Animal Show (which we’d recommend you join), make sure to be here at 11am or 3pm, every Saturday – Thursday. The Multi-Animal Show is closed on Friday except school holidays & public holidays.
For those that wants to see the animal feeding, be sure to come here on weekends & public holidays and check out the Children’s World from (12pm -1pm) and Javan Deer from (2pm – 3pm).
How much is Zoo Negara Malaysia entrance fee?
There are 3 different rates for Zoo Negara Malaysia’s entrance fee:-
1. Malaysian
Adult – RM 45
Children (3 – 12 years old) – RM 18
Senior Citizen (60 years and above) – RM 23
* Free admission for the disabled/OKU
2. Foreigner
Adult
I-Kad/Working Permit/Dependant Pass – RM 50
Others – RM 88
Children (3 – 12 years old)
I-Kad/Working Permit/Dependant Pass – RM 25
Others – RM 43
Senior Citizen (60 years and above)
I-Kad/Working Permit/Dependant Pass – RM 50
Others – RM 88
3. School Concession Rate
Normal Rates
Student – RM 13
2 Teachers – RM 17/pax (with 10 students)
Group Discount
Minimum 20 pax – RM 2 off normal ticker rate
* Requires a letter from school & students need to be in uniform
Tram Rides
As Zoo Negara Malaysia covers a huge area, you or your kids might not able to walk for long distances. Hence, you can always take the tram rides available at multiple checkpoints along the zoo to see the attractions. The fees for the tram rides are as below:-
With MyKad
Adult – RM 8.90
Child – RM 5.90
Without MyKad
Adult – RM 11.90
Child – RM 9.90
- Disbabled/OKU with family – FREE (RM1/person for GROUP OKU (10 and above))
- Kids below 2 years old – FREE
- VIP Booking – 1 hour, RM 399
* Make sure to check Zoo Negara Malaysia site for the latest promotion and ticket pricing.
How to visit Zoo Negara Malaysia?
There are a few ways to get to Zoo Negara Malaysia; via train, bus and car.
Train – Light Rail Transit System (LRT) :
- Alight at Wangsa Maju Station, Kelana Jaya Line
- Board a taxi to Zoo Negara
Bus – Rapid KL
- Rapid KL No. 253 from Putra LRT Station, Wangsamaju, KL
- Rapid KL No. 220 from Lebuh Ampang, KL
Car
- You can also drive here yourself by following the Google Maps/Waze directions to Zoo Negara
- If you’re looking to rent a car, you can check out SoCar as they offer one of the best rates in town
- Taking a taxi/e-Hailing ride such as Grab/Airasia Ride is another popular option for those who want to avoid the driving in the busy streets of KL. Click here to get the best rates for AirAsia Ride!
Useful Tips
- When purchasing your tickets, make sure to present your ID/passport for verification purposes
- Wear comfortable attire and shoes as you will be doing a lot of walking
- We suggest visiting the zoo as early as 9am so that you can cover most of the exhibits before it gets too hot or starts raining
- Please keep the area clean and do not litter
- Don’t provoke and feed the animals here
- You can get a free entry if you’re visiting on your birthday!
So getting that out of the way, let’s find out what are the 18 Best Things To Do at Zoo Negara Malaysia?
1. Visit the Giant Panda Conservation Centre
One of the most sought after exhibit in Zoo Negara Malaysia is the Giant Panda Conservation Centre. The Giant Panda couple, Xing Xing & Liang Liang were sent from China in 2014 as a symbol of diplomatic ties between Malaysia and China. They will be in Zoo Negara Malaysia for 10 years and due to return to China in 2024. So, make sure to visit them before they go back home!
2. Get a closer look at the butterflies at Rimba Biodiversiti
Tiny yet beautiful, come and see the various shapes and colours of butterflies, insects and herbs at Rimba Biodiversiti. Get a closer look of them here at Rimba Biodiversiti.
3. See the National Bird of Malaysia at the Hornbill Centre
Did you know that you can find 7/10 species of hornbill here at Zoo Negara Malaysia? These hornbills pair for life and are best friends with the monkeys. The hornbills eats the insects that annoys the monkeys and to return the favour, the monkeys will in turn give warning calls to the birds when they see any danger.
When you are visiting the Hornbill Centre, make sure to keep your voice down as the female hornbill might be hatching their eggs.
4. Visit the Creepy, Crawly Reptiles at Reptile House
Make you way to Zoo Negara Malaysia’s Reptile House which is made up of an indoor and outdoor exhibit. The main attraction here is the Saltwater/Estuarine crocodile, which is the largest crocodile species in the world! They might look like floating log to an untrained eye, but look closer and you will see them lazing around in their enclosure.
Here, you can also find the 2nd largest tortoise in the world, the Aldabra Tortoise roaming around, munching grass. These tortoises are able to live up to 150 years old and reach sizes of up to 250 kg.
The indoor exhibit on the other hand, features the world’s largest & heaviest snake, the Green Anaconda which can weigh up to an astonishing weight of 227kg!
You can also witness the world’s longest snake here, the Reticulated Pythons which are able to reach a length of over 10m!
5. Come and see the gentle giants – Malaysian Elephants
There are 3 elephants here at Zoo Negara Malaysia; Siti, Sibol & Teriang which originate from Pahang. These elephants are already in their 30’s and used to feature on elephant shows. Now, you can see them roaming around in their exhibit and grazing on bananas and sugarcanes.
6. Watch the Free Flying Lake Birds
Located at the heart of Zoo Negara Malaysia, the Tunku Abdul Rahman Lake is home to thousands of free roaming birds such as egrets, ibises, painted storks, pelicans and swans. The best time to see these birds up close is during their feeding time at 11am & 3pm.
7. Discover the Biggest Birds Collection in Malaysia – Bird Aviary
Another perk of visiting Zoo Negara Malaysia is their wide range of bird species that you will be able to see here such as the Milky Storks, African Lovebirds, Sulphur Crested co*ckatoo and Peafowl Peaco*ck. As you stroll along the bird aviary, you will be entertained by various tunes and sounds made by all the different bird species here.
8. Explore the Australian Plain
Once you are done visiting the Bird Aviary, make sure to explore the Australian Plain exhibit to see Australia’s most loved icon, the Kangaroo. You can also find wallabies, emus and pademelon all which are native to Australia at this exhibit.
9. See the Humboldt Penguins in action
Flying all the way from the Czech Republic Zoo, these 8 Humboldt penguins are part of the captive breeding programme with Zoo Negara Malaysia. Visit these penguins at 11am during their daily feeding time to see them in action!
Did you know that penguins only have 1 partner throughout their life and often “propose” by giving their mate a pebble!
10. Take the kids to Children’s World
At Zoo Negara Malaysia Children’s World, the kids can run around the exhibit exploring and learning about animals such as the deer, goats and pony. You can pet the animals here and enter a mini cave nearby which features various sizes and shapes, an elephants foot and deer antlers.
11. Visit the Bear Complex
Zoo Negara Malaysia contains 3/8 bear species in the world; the Asiatic Black Bear, Brown Bear and the Malayan Sun Bear. These bears species are vulnerable to threats such as illegal hunting, deforestation and habitat loss, which is why the Bear Complex was set up – to provide a home and create awareness to the public.
Did you know that the Malayan Sun Bear is the smallest member of the bear family commonly known as the “honey bear” due to their love for honey. You can easily distinguish the Malayan Sun Bear due to their bib-shape golden or white patch on their chest.
12. Step into Savannah Walk
From the moment you take a step into the Savannah Walk exhibit, you will feel as if you have been transported to the wilderness of Africa. Here, you can get up close to the African animals such as the giraffes, ostriches, sable antelopes , white rhinos and the zebras!
The Savannah Walk also features a viewing point where you can get to see the surrounding area and witness the majestic giraffes roaming around the exhibit.
13. Discover the Deadliest Land Mammal in the World! The Hippopotamus
Yes, you read that right! The hippopotamus is the most aggressive and deadly land mammal in the world. Even the crocodiles are afraid of them due to their sharp teeth and massive size. There are only 2 types of hippopotamus in the world; Nile Hippopotamus and Pygmy Hippopotamus.
At Zoo Negara Malaysia, they have a family of Nile Hippopotamus called Chombie, Duke and Kibu. Come and watch these hippopotamus playing and lazing around at the Hippopotamus exhibit.
14. Check out the Mammal Kingdom
Another interesting place to check out at Zoo Negara Malaysia is the Mammal Kingdom. The Mammal Kingdom is home to various nocturnal animals such as the Malayan civet, Pumas, Leopards, Racoons, Striped Hyaenas and Binturong.
As you stroll along the Mammal Kingdom, you may come across a buttered popcorn smell. You might think that they are selling popcorn nearby, but that’s not the case. The smell is in fact, the scent given out by the Binturongs which may smell nice to us, but actually repels other animals and predators.
Ever wonder how the world’s largest rodent look like? Well, you can find the Capybara here at Zoo Negara Malaysia. When you first see them, you might be a little surprised as they look like giant sized guinea pigs. They are actually close cousins to the guinea pigs and originate from South America.
15. Tour Malaysia’s Oldest Public Aquarium – Tunku Abdul Rahman Aquarium
Take a tour of the oldest public aquarium in Malaysia here at the Tunku Abdul Rahman Aquarium and discover the aquatic life and ecosystem of the Malaysian rivers. Here, you can find various rare and endangered flora and fauna species, crabs, prawns and aquatic insects.
There are 7 different zones to explore at the Tunku Abdul Rahman Aquarium; Upper Stream, Mid Stream, Wetlands, Lower River, Peat Swamp, Mangrove and Marine Zone. To make it even more authentic, each of the exhibits here were specifically designed to resemble their natural surroundings in the wild.
16. Go on a Cat Walk
As you walk along the exhibits in Zoo Negara Malaysia, be on the look out for a black and orange stripe mural on the pathways as this means that you have entered into the “Big Cats” turf.
At the exhibit you can see the real-life “Lion King” and other “Big Cats” such as the Malayan Tiger and African Lions either taking a nap or swimming in their pool on a sunny day.
17. Visit our distant cousins at the Ape Centre
Sharing close to 98% of our human DNA are the chimpanzees which is why their appearance and behaviour is very similar to us. You can find them here at the Ape Centre, located at the highest point of Zoo Negara Malaysia. The exhibit here features a group of chimpanzees and 2 different species of orangutans; Bornean Orangutan and Sumatran Orangutan.
The Ape Centre has a open-concept enclosure that enables the apes to roam freely. If you spend a little more time here, you will be able to see them playing, shaking hands, kiss, bicker and teasing each other in the exhibit.
18. Watch the Multi-Animal Show
Among all the other exhibits to visit at Zoo Negara Malaysia, the Multi-Animal Show is the main highlight here. Make sure to plan your journey and be at the venue at either 11am or 3pm, every Saturday – Thursday. The Multi-Animal Show is closed on Friday except school holidays & public holidays.
You can expect to see various performances by the sea lion, macaws and other animals during show. There will be a lot of people watching the Multi-Animal Show, so make sure to come earlier to get the best seats for the show.
Have any experience or tips on visitingZoo Negara Malaysia? Or are you planning a trip soon? Let us know and share your thoughts and questions in the comments section. We’d love to hear from you!
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