Tours of the Teaching Zoo are provided seven days a week. The zoo is closed during semester breaks and on some holidays so it is best to call ahead. During the week you must make an appointment at least three days in advance or you may receive a tour of the zoo on Saturdays and Sundays between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. without an appointment. The Teaching Zoo is owned and operated by Santa Fe Community College. The zoo is coordinated by the staff and maintained by the students in the program.
Tours are necessary for the safety of our animals and our guests.
Tours are an additional teaching tool for training our zookeepers on talking to and dealing with the public. The scheduling of tours allows the students to plan the time between their classes more efficiently. The animals are selected based on their management styles. Each species teaches the student zookeeper a different way of managing animals. So, even though the springbok and sika deer are similar in size they are handled in completely different styles.