virtual tour zoo australia

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Bring the zoo to life from anywhere around the world with live cams, Keeper Talks and other virtual updates.

GO TO: Virtual visit Healesville Sanctuary | Virtual visit Werribee Open Range Zoo | Virtual visit Melbourne Zoo | Watch all Keeper Talks | Watch Live Streams

Live streams (running 24/7)

Check out the 24/7 live streams of some of your favourite animals. You can catch up on what you missed by clicking back on the red line underneath the video. 

Can’t see the animals on the live cams? That’s because our animals live in areas that are much bigger than what a camera can capture.

Please note feeding times are subject to change.

Otters at Melbourne Zoo - Den Cam #1

Meet the Asian Small-clawed Otter family at Melbourne Zoo.  Papa Odie has been teaching his pups at Melbourne Zoo to play wrestle and all the important life skills an otter needs to know!

Can't see the otters? Try Otter Den Cam #2!

Otters at Melbourne Zoo - Den Cam #2

Can't see the otters? They might be exploring their exhibit. Check back in soon!

Lions at Werribee Open Range Zoo

Meet the lazy African Lions of Werribee Open Range Zoo. How many can you spot?

Penguins at Melbourne Zoo

Feeding times.

Between 9-10.30am and between 3-4pm 

Get to know our Little Penguins

• Miss Wing (female) - Two white wing tags
• Nippet (female) - Red and white wing tags
• Wicket (male) - Green and dark blue wing tags
• Homer (male) - Green and yellow wing tags

Snow Leopards at Melbourne Zoo

Between 9am and 10am

Giraffes Melbourne Zoo

FEEDING TIMES

8.45am, 12pm and 4pm

GET TO KNOW OUR GIRAFFES

• Nakuru  (female) - Born in 2012. Our biggest Giraffe. 
• Klintun  (male) - Born in 2018 at Altina Wildlife Park in NSW.
• Iris (female) - Born in 2020 at Darling Downs Zoo in Queensland.

Virtual visit: Healesville Sanctuary

Head out to the Yarra Valley and say hello to some of our native animals.  

Tour the sanctuary

Keeper Talk: Wombat

Keeper Talk: Lyrebird

Animal cam: Land of Parrots

Animal cam: Echidnas

Animal cam: Tree Kangaroos

Animal cam: Koalas

Virtual visit: Werribee Open Range Zoo

Get a taste of Africa as you watch the animals on the open plains. 

Tour the zoo 

Tour the Savannah

Keeper Talk: Serval

Keeper Talk: Lions

Animal cam: Savannah

Virtual Visit: Melbourne Zoo

Take a tour through a world of wildlife, right from the comfort of your home. 

Tour the zoo

Keeper Talk: Orangutans

Keeper Talk: Tiger

Animal cam: Meerkats

Animal cam: Red Panda

Animal cam: Butterfly House

Animal cam: Elephants 

Zoo Members, visit the VIP Zone now

Access other online content, virtual talks and behind-the-scenes content.

Unlock all our online experiences by becoming a member today

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Australia’s Best Virtual Tours, Zoo Cams & Museums to Explore From Home

Home > Museums & Galleries > Australia’s Best Virtual Tours, Zoo Cams & Museums to Explore From Home

Visit Australian landmarks, zoos, aquariums, galleries, museums & world heritage sites from your home. Here are more than 30 virtual online tours you can do across Australia. Some involve Google Steet View tours while others let you view online exhibits.

Art Gallery of New South Wales

Discover online exhibitions at the Art Gallery of New South Wales including topics including First World War, Athletes in the Archibald and 19th-century portraits. Discover the many artworks held in this gallery from your own home. You can also walk through the art gallery using Google Street View.

Art Gallery of South Australia

Discover online exhibitions at the Art Gallery of South Australia including topics including Australian Art, Modern Art, Japanese Art. Discover the many artworks held in this gallery from your own home. You can also walk through the art gallery using Google Street View.

Australian Museum

Have a look through Australia Museum in Sydney through the online platform, Google Arts & Culture: Natural History. Combining Google photos, Google Street View, 360-degree videos and audio tours, virtual visitors will be able to explore the collections and specimens up close.

There is also the Sydney Science Trail which runs from 13 August. Traverse the new Sydney Science trail online and discover cutting-edge science at home. Explore videos, photogrammetry, and blogs from top scientists, researchers and curators. It’s all happening at Sydney Science Trail – stay tuned!

The super-fun  online Sydney Science Trail  is packed with on-demand activities, kids games and opportunities to learn at home. Take the trail and be rewarded for what you discover. Complete the science quiz at the end of each level and receive your badge – see how many you can collect!

The Australian National Surfing Museum

Based in Torquay, the Australian National Surfing Museum celebrates the history of surfing in Australia and charts Australia’s significant contribution to the development of surfing around the world. Discover online exhibitions including Surfer Stories as well as a history of surfing in Australia.

Lady Elliot Island on the Great Barrier Reef

Explore the coral cay of Lady Elliot Island on the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef in this seaview survey. You can explore around the cay as well as underwater.

Fraser Island

Check out the beautiful environment of Fraser Island in this 360-degree photo. Scroll to move around.

Great Barrier Reef

Explore the Great Barrier Reef with David Attenborough. He narrates videos about the reef. The website also includes an educational, interactive map.

HMB Endeavour

Step inside the HMB Endeavour without leaving your home in a virtual tour at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney. This is a replica of the HMB Endeavour that Captain James Cook sailed to observe the Transit of Venus and to find “Terra Australis”. Explore the different decks of this ship as well. There are also learning packs for school kids.

Immigration Museum

Explore Victoria’s diversity and culture from your home through the Melbourne Immigration Museum at Home program . You can explore their exhibition through free virtual tours including Identity: yours, mine, ours and Immigrant Stories.

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

Want to see Australian animals? Check out livestream videos of the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane. There’s live footage of koalas and their joeys, dingo pups, platypus, emus and kangaroos.

Macquarie Island Research Station

Take a tour of Macquarie Island, a World Heritage-listed sub-Antarctic island located in the Southern Ocean, approximately halfway between Australia and Antarctica. In this tour of Macquarie Island see how people live and work in “Macca” by exploring a range of buildings and scenic areas.

Melbourne Museum

Take an online tour of history, culture, science and nature through the Melbourne Museum at Home program. You can explore their exhibition through free virtual tours including Wild: Amazing animals in a changing world, Phar Lap: A true legend, Te Vainui O Pasifika and The Mind and The Melbourne Story.

National Archive of Australia

Discover online exhibitions at the National Archive of Australia including Watching the Waves, Summers Past and Banned: A secret history of Australian censorship. These include a number of historical images.

National Gallery of Australia

Discover online art exhibitions at the National Gallery of Australia including Australian works, Modern Art and historic paintings of Sydney and Melbourne.

National Gallery of Victoria

Discover online art exhibitions at the National Gallery of Victoria including Australian works, Modern Art and Renaissance paintings. Discover the many artworks held in this gallery from your own home.

Newcastle Art Gallery

Take a tour of online art exhibitions at the Newcastle Art Gallery . Recorded in January 2018, the exhibitions  PAINTING MEMORY: From the collection  and  EVERYTHING CHANGES: Tim Maguire 2002 – 2017 have been documented in a 3D showcase of the Gallery building, recording some of the most iconic works of art from their collection as an interactive and educational online resource.

Geoscience Australia (National Mineral and Fossil Collection)

Discover online exhibitions of the National Mineral and Fossil Collection including topics like Gems from the Safe, Australian meteorites, Australian opals and fluorescent minerals.

Parks and Wildlife Western Australia

Parks and Wildlife Western Australia have a number of Google Views that you can explore. Choose from walking trails, waterfalls, gorges and lookouts and explore the beautiful landscapes of Western Australia. The Granite Skywalk and Fortescue Falls are a couple of our favourites.

Port Phillip Bay Reef Cam

Nature Conservancy Australia presents Reef Cam, Australia’s first-ever rocky-reef, live-feed, combined under and above water webcams. The live stream features flora and fauna from Port Phillip Bay in Victoria.

Powerhouse Museum

Do a virtual walkthrough through the Powerhouse Museum , a popular museum in Sydney. There is a number of online exhibits you can access including Ingenuity and Innovation, Health and Medicine and the Australian invention, the flight recorder.

Queensland Museum

Discover the fascinating exhibits in a virtual tour of Queensland Museum . This museum contains natural history, cultural heritage, science and human achievement that tells the changing story of Queensland. Click on online exhibits about dinosaurs, fossils and amber.

Queensland Art Gallery & Gallery of Modern Art

Discover online art exhibitions at the Queensland Art Gallery & Gallery of Modern Art . It includes art exhibitions with work from India, Pakistan, Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia.

Scienceworks

Explore the exhibitions in Scienceworks in Melbourne. You can choose to start from the Think Ahead exhibition, Sportsworks exhibition and The Spotswood Pumping Station.

SEA LIFE Melbourne

Enjoy a virtual aquarium visit at SEA LIFE Melbourne . Get up close to underwater creatures by watching their live streams. Get up close to their Gentoo and King Penguins and learn about what their keepers and aquarists do there every day!

SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium

Enjoy a virtual aquarium visit at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium . Get up close to underwater creatures by watching their live streams including Pig the Dugong, Gentoo and King Penguins.

Shrine of Remembrance

The Shrine of Remembrance is the National War Memorial of Victoria, a monument dedicated to all those who have served in the armed conflicts and peacekeeping operations in which Australia has participated. Walk through the Shrine of Remembrance as well as visiting the online exhibitions.

State Library of New South Wales

Discover online exhibitions at the State Library of NSW including topics including the First Fleet, Discovering Antarctica and the Holterman Collection, which is the most important photographic documentation of goldfields life in Australia.

State Library of Queensland

Discover online exhibitions at the State Library of Queensland including topics like the First World War and Australian South Sea Islanders.

Sydney Observatory

Do a virtual walkthrough through the Sydney Observatory .

Sydney Opera House

Take a look inside the Sydney Opera House with Google Streetview. Click on the Online Stories to learn more about this iconic building as well as its architect Jørn Utzon. You can also watch a 360 degree  Youtube video of the Sydney Opera House and scroll around to see different viewpoints. The video also includes a performance from the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Taronga Zoo

Spend some time with the animals at Taronga Zoo on TarongaTV. They have set up 24/7 live-streaming cameras so you can enjoy your favourite animals at any time of day. The zoo has set up a Tiger Cam, Seal Cam and Elephant Cam at Taronga Zoo Sydney. There are also shows and animal feedings that you can watch.

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park

Discover the sacred space of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park guided by the Anahgu traditional owners. Click, tap and hover to hear songs and stories in a virtual tour of this remarkable place.

Umoona Opal Mine & Museum

Go underground and explore the Umoona Opal Mine & Museum in Coober Pedy in a virtual tour. It’s a fascinating place You can explore a hand-dug bedroom, and the Old Miners Dugout as well as an underground cinema.

Zoos Victoria

You can watch animals all day long.  Zoos Victoria has live streams at their Melbourne Zoo and Werribee Open Range Zoo enclosures. See snow leopards, penguins, lions, zebras and giraffes. Tune in at different times to see the animals being fed.

You might also like:

The Best Online Resources for Australian Kids Learning From Home

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Virtual Zoo Tours, Safari Live Cams & Wildlife Webcams

Looking for ways to explore the world from home?  Get your wildlife fix with a virtual field trip!  From around the world and across the web, I’ve compiled the best virtual zoo tours, safari live cams, and animal webcams.  These are great activities for wildlife lovers, future trip planning, and home schooling. 

Be sure to check out Wild Earth live safaris, my top pick for a wildlife virtual field trip! I’ve also included links to online learning resources with lesson plans and activities for teachers and parents. 

These are all free virtual field trips, unless noted.  To get started, here are some great resources to go along with virtual zoo field trips:

• Lesson Plan: Animal Webcams Observation in the Classroom
• Activity: Go Wild With Animal Webcams
• National Wildlife Foundation: Lesson Plans and Webinars
• World Wildlife Fund Educational Resources
• Animal facts & information from the San Diego Zoo

In this Virtual Zoo Field Trip Guide:

Best virtual field trips of zoos | more zoo webcams | safari virtual field trips | wildlife and farm webcams.

This article contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I might earn a commission, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support in this way! Learn more in my Disclosure Policy .

Virtual Zoo Webcams

Today, most zoos have education and conservation programs which help visitors learn what they can do to protect animals and their habitats.  For this reason, many already had virtual zoo tours and learning resources online.  Others have been adding virtual experiences as everyone looks for ways to keep exploring and learning from home.  These are some of the best virtual zoo field trips including live animal webcams that let you see wildlife in real-time.

San Diego Zoo California, USA

First on our virtual zoo field trip: the San Diego Zoo. Located in San Diego’s Balboa Park, it’s a wildlife sanctuary consistently rated as one of the best zoos in the world.  The San Diego Zoo is the busiest zoo in the U.S. and home to over 3,500 endangered animals and 700,000 exotic plants.  They have an amazing San Diego Zoo Kids online portal, packed with fun animal facts, activities, videos and games for one of the best zoo virtual field trips. Don’t miss the live San Diego Zoo webcams including polar bear cam, panda cam, and tiger cam, plus giraffes, elephants and koalas.  Check out their Facebook for more virtual events and animal spotlights.

• Bonus resource: online game, lesson plan and worksheets for a San Diego Zoo field trip.

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium Nebraska, USA

Another top-rated zoo, the Omaha Zoo has launched a free “Zoo From Home” program, with zoo webcams plus activities and animal spotlights.  Check out the Omaha Zoo Facebook page for more updates, photos, and live sessions with their keepers and aquarists.  They are also offering paid virtual camps and online backstage experiences .

Houston Zoo Texas, USA

The second most-visited zoo in the U.S., the Houston Zoo is home to more than 6,000 animals.  The Houston Zoo webcams include a giraffe cam, gorilla cam, chimpanzee cam and flamingos.  Check out their Facebook for more news and online events and catch up with their past “Bringing the Zoo to You” events here . 

Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute   Washington DC, USA

No zoo virtual field trip would be complete with a stop at the National Zoo! It’s part of the Smithsonian Institution museums and is free to visit in Washington DC.  Founded in 1889, the National Zoo was one of the first to establish a scientific research program.  Don’t miss the National Zoo webcams including the famous DC panda cam and cheetah cub cam, as well as elephants, lions, and ferrets. You can download an activities guide on the webcam page, and find their at-home educational activities here .  Be sure to follow along on Facebook for updates on panda Mei Xiang’s adorable new cub named Xiao Qi Ji (pronounced Shiau-chi-ji) which means “little miracle” in Mandarin.

Kansas City Zoo   Missouri, USA

The Kansas City Zoo is a world-class zoo with live webcams featuring a penguin cam, orangutans, giraffes and otters.  See the Kansas City Zoo Facebook page for animal videos and check out virtual chats with their keepers here . 

For more penguins and aquarium virtual field trips, don’t miss my ocean virtual field trips feature !

Philadelphia Zoo Pennsylvania, USA

Opened in 1874, the Philadelphia Zoo is the oldest zoo in the United States.  Check out their live Humboldt penguin cam and all of their online learning resources here including past “Philly Zoo at 2” live videos .  Get zoo updates and see future live videos on the Philadelphia Zoo Facebook page .

London Zoo   England, UK

Next on our virtual field trip, we stop at the London Zoo. The world’s oldest scientific zoo, it was established first for scientific study, then opened to the public in 1847.  Check out their virtual zoo resources and videos and their “Zoo School” home school resources by age group.

Cincinnati Zoo Ohio, USA

As a native Cincinnatian, I was lucky to grow up with the Cincinnati Zoo! The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden is the second-oldest zoo in the United States, and has many conservation and wildlife education programs. You might already know their most famous resident, Fiona the preemie hippo . Follow the Cincinnati Zoo on Facebook for live events and animal spotlights. Also check out their Home Safari Resources including past live events, home projects and activities.

Toronto Zoo   Canada

The Toronto Zoo is Canada’s largest zoo, with more than 5,000 animals from around the globe.  While they don’t have live animal webcams, they do have a wealth of online resources for parents and educators and host a live session daily on the Toronto Zoo Facebook page at 1PM (Eastern time).

Virginia Zoological Society Virginia, USA

The Virginia Zoo has a cool interactive virtual field trip , but you’ll need a phone or tablet to run the app plus another device that can display the checkpoint photos to scan.  They also have many other “Virtual Voyage” resources , including downloadable activities, links to their social media, and YouTube channel . 

Denver Zoo   Colorado, USA

The Denver Zoo was founded in 1896 and is the most popular attraction in the Denver area.  It was also the first zoo to use naturalistic enclosures rather than cages with metal bars, when its mountain bear exhibit opened in 1918.  They don’t have live animal webcams, but do have a wealth of educational resources online in their virtual classroom .  Take a virtual field trip , meet animals virtually , and solve a zoo challenge .  Check out the Denver Zoo Facebook page for more animal videos.

Los Angeles Zoo California, USA

The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Garden has many online resources called “Zoo to You” including virtual field trips of the zoo, animal chats, activity packets and crafts.  Follow the LA Zoo Facebook page for more animal videos and news.

Zoo Atlanta  Georgia, USA

Zoo Atlanta is a zoological park in Georgia. It’s also one of the four places in the U.S. that is home to giant pandas.  Check out the Zoo Atlanta panda cam and all of their zoo “at home” resources including virtual zoo tours, mobile games, activities, and crafts. 

Wild Life Sydney Zoo Australia

The Wild Life Sydney Zoo is a wildlife park in Australia.  Check out their coloring sheets, activities and other online resources including past live stream videos .  Don’t miss videos including Davey, their adorable resident quokka!

Taronga Zoo Sydney   Australia

The Taronga Zoo Sydney is Australia’s largest zoo, opened in 1916.  Check out all of their online resources here , including tiger cams, keeper chats, and other videos.  They also have teacher resources and virtual tours .

Zoos Victoria   Australia

Zoos Victoria is a conservation organization made up of three world-class zoos: Healesville Sanctuary, Melbourne Zoo, and Werribee Open Range Zoo.  Check out all of their “Animals at Home” resources , with virtual tours, keeper talks, and virtual animal encounters.  Their live animal cameras include penguins, giraffes, koalas, zebras, snow leopards, and lions.

More Live Zoo Webcams by Animal:

• Chattanooga Zoo (Tennessee, USA): Meerkat cam, snow leopards, tamarins, spotted genet
• Bronx Zoo (New York, USA): Sea lions, Madagascar wildlife, aquatic birds
• Memphis Zoo (Tennessee, USA): Pandas, hippos, flamingos, elephants, grizzly bears, snake hatching cam
• Hattiesburg Zoo (Mississippi, USA): Sloth cam
• Milwaukee County Zoo (Minnesota, USA): Polar bear, jaguar, lions, tigers, hyenas, penguins
• Maryland Zoo (USA): Penguins, swan nest, lions, giraffes, flamingos
• Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary (Australia): Koala cams (live and highlights)
• Edinburgh Zoo (Scotland, UK): Pandas, penguins, tigers, koalas, lions
• Reid Park Zoo (Arizona, USA): Elephant cam, giraffe cam, grizzly bears, lemurs and lions
• Animal Adventure Park (New York, USA): April the Giraffe cam
• Detroit Zoo (Michigan, USA): Penguin cam, otter cam, giraffe cam, snow monkeys and prairie dogs

More Education Resources & Zoo Virtual Field Trips

• Paignton Zoo (England, UK): Downloadable science, math, art and writing resources
• PBS Learning Media: Butterfly World Field Trip
• PBS Learning Media: Zoo Field Trip
• PBS Learning Media: Flamingo Field Trip

African Safari Wildlife Live Webcams

If you’re like me, you dream of going on safari to see animals roaming free in their natural habitats.  Live safari webcams let you experience a virtual safari from home, spotting elephants, gorillas, zebras, cheetahs, lions and more in the forests and plains of Africa.  These are the best live safaris, animal webcams, and learning resources for exploring African wildlife.

This is my top pick for a wildlife virtual field trip!  WildEarth hosts live guided safari sessions twice daily, and currently no booking is required – just watch on their website or YouTube channel.  Learn more about their content for kids called WildEarth Kids including a timetable and preparation tips.  You can even email questions to be answered live by their guides and naturalists.  Check out the WildEarth YouTube channel to see past live safaris also, or view their 24-hour live cam at the Djuma Game Reserve .

• Wild Earth is part of National Geographic Safari Live. Find the Educator Guide and classroom resources here .
• The WildEarth Safaris are usually two segments: the first 45 minutes airs live on television in Africa and is more kid-oriented. Stay tuned through this initial session, since it continues after the first segment credits.

Their site says that first 45 minutes of game drives are reserved for kids sessions, where they try to keep the content tailored for young viewers. But I have seen a lion and crocodile in a tug of war over a wildebeest carcass! Younger kids might need supervision for this virtual safari.

African Animals Watering Hole   Mpala Research Centre, Kenya

Check out the watering hole at Mpala Research Centre in the highlands of central Kenya! Watch elephants, hippos, giraffes, Grevy’s zebras, gazelles, crocodiles, leopards and many other species take a drink or go for a quick swim.  Mpala also has a field guide to animals of the region as well as classroom resources and lesson plans .

Live viewing hours: Day and night

Tembe Elephant Park   Emangusi, South Africa

Tembe Elephant Park is known for having the largest elephants in Africa and the planet!  The park’s location is very remote, deep in sand forests and wetlands.  Here you can see all of the “Big Five” animals of Africa (as they’re called on safari): elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos and buffalo.  If going on safari is on your bucket list, learn more about visiting Tembe Park here .

Gorilla Forest Corridor GRACE Center, Kasugho, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

The Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center (or GRACE) is located near the Tayna Nature Reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo.  GRACE cares for orphaned Grauer’s gorillas with the goal of reintroducing them back into the wild. The organization also works with local communities to promote the conservation of forests & sustainable livelihoods.  Find out more about GRACE and their programs here and follow them on Facebook for more videos.

Best viewing hours: 2AM-3:30AM PDT, 5:30AM -7AM PDT (8:30AM EST – 10AM EST)

Rosie’s Pan   Balule Nature Reserve, South Africa

This virtual safari camera is hidden at a remote watering hole and is completely solar powered.  Here you can see the “Big Five” animals of Africa (lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos and buffalo) as well as giraffes, antelopes, warthogs, genets and giant kingfishers.

Nkorho Bush Lodge   Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa

Located in South Africa in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, Nkorho Bush Lodge is home to a variety of wildlife including the “Big Five” animals, birds, and endangered species. The park shares 50 kilometers of its unfenced boundary with neighboring Kruger National Park, allowing animals to move freely between the two parks.

The Naledi Cat-EYE  Olifants West Game Reserve, South Africa

This camera has been set up at the eye level of a leopard to give a unique view of the animals that visit this waterhole. Look for cheetahs, lions, elephants, giraffes, impalas, baboons, warthogs, owls, Egyptian geese, genets, meerkats, waterbuck and porcupines.

Tau Waterhole   Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa 

On the border of South Africa and Botswana lies an area known as the Groot Marico, named after the Marico River. The Tau Waterhole here is an oasis for wildlife including elephants, giraffes, lions, zebras, and cheetahs. Keep an eye out for crocodiles that prey on birds and other animals.

Live viewing hours: Day and night 

Olifants River   Emangusi, South Africa

This camera is set on the banks of the Olifants River near the Naledi Game Lodge. This river passes through the Kruger National Park and Mozambique.  See crocodiles and hippos in the river and elephants and giraffes grazing on the banks. Also look for baboons, waterbuck, bushbuck, impalas, storks, herons and owls. 

More Safari Webcams and Virtual Field Trips

• Africam: Live Wildlife Webcams
• PBS Learning Media: Virtual Field Trip to Africa
• National Geographic Kids: Facts, Games and Photos of African Animals
• National Geographic Safari Live: Educator Resources

Farm & Wildlife Webcams and Virtual Field Trip Resources

For more farm virtual field trips, check out these resources:

• Goat Milk Stuff: Baby Goat Live Cams   Learn about Goat Milk Stuff’s herd of goats and see their live feeds
• Beekman 1802: Goat Cam   Get a peek at the goats that create the Beekman farm products
• Virtual Egg Fam Field Trips : The American Egg Board and Discovery Education bring farms into classrooms with egg farm virtual field trips.
• Folly Farm: Barn Webcam   See what the Folly Farm goats and sheep are up to today!
• Virtual Farm Trips Upcoming live virtual farm field trips
• Farm Food 360 Immersive Canadian food and virtual farm tours
• Honey Bee Hive , Germany See inside a beehive as bees build combs, make honey and protect their queen.
• Bella Hummingbird Nest See inside a hummingbird nest!
• Underwater Salmon Cam   Katmai National Park, Alaska, USA  See salmon migrating and swimming bears looking for a meal
• Brooks Falls Brown Bears Katmai National Park, Alaska, USA  See bears hunting and even feeding their cubs!
• Discovery Education: Experience Polar Bears Virtual Field Trip
• All About Birds: Live bird cams including hummingbirds

More Virtual Field Trips for Kids & Travel Lovers

Have you gotten your wildlife fix with these virtual field trips of zoos and safaris?  Don’t miss all of my virtual travel guides including a virtual Day of the Dead field trip !

For more fun adventures from home, be sure to check out my virtual aquarium field trip , virtual travel for kids , and Washington DC virtual tour ! 

Pin these virtual field trips of zoos & safaris for later!

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I was a travel hot mess, but I got better! I kept the name and now blog my best tips for culture + adventure travel from around the globe. Follow along for travel advice, destination guides, and photography from faraway lands and at home in Washington, DC.

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23 Virtual Zoo Field Trips, Tours, and Zoo Cams That Get You Up Close to the Animals

Bring the zoo to you.

We love field trips, but sometimes organizing an excursion just can’t happen. Fortunately, we live in a time when technology can bring the excitement to us. The pandemic encouraged many zoos and aquariums to put in the effort to bridge the gap for visitors at home. As such, we’re able to share this list of fantastic virtual zoo field trips, virtual zoo tours, and zoo cams you can enjoy from anywhere.

Best Virtual Zoo Field Trips, Virtual Zoo Tours, and Zoo Cams

San diego zoo.

The San Diego Zoo has a “Watch and Learn” section on its website. Here, students can check out the fantastic zoo cams including the burrowing-owl cam, giraffe cam, elephant cam, and many more.

Atlanta Zoo

While the Atlanta Zoo’s zoo cam is dedicated to pandas, they offer many videos and activities that feature bird watching, sloths, lemurs, monkeys, and more.

Reid Park Zoo

Located in Tucson, Arizona, this zoo features a variety of delightful zoo cams designed to give kids a virtual zoo tour of the elephants, giraffes, grizzly bears, lions, and more.

Tembe Elephant Park

Tembe Elephant Park is located in a remote area of South Africa. Renowned for having the largest elephants in the world, these zoo cams offer sights such as sand forests and wetlands, leopards, rhinos, and, of course, elephants.

GRACE Gorilla Forest Corridor

This extensive cam takes us inside the gorilla forest corridor in the Democratic Republic of Congo while connecting the habitat with the night quarters at the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center (GRACE).

Houston Zoo

Take a virtual zoo tour down to Texas and enjoy the live zoo cams set up by the Houston Zoo, allowing you to peer into the lives of giraffes, gorillas, elephants, and flamingos.

Explore the Arctic

Head to Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, to witness the annual polar bear migration. Discovery Education has teamed up with Polar Bears International to host a series that explores some of the biggest questions about the Arctic.

Bring your virtual classroom to life with animals from the Oregon Zoo. The Wildlife Live videos are aligned to different subject content areas, which are listed on the page. New videos are also posted regularly on the zoo’s social media channels. A few times every week, they go behind the scenes for a live interview with animal-care staff. Each live video is accompanied by a kid-approved activity related to the featured animal .

PBS Zoo Field Trip

Let’s all go to the zoo with PBS LearningMedia! At Zoo Miami, Penny and the KidVision VPK kids wash rhinos, feed giraffes, study a zebra’s stripes, and ride a camel. Lions and tigers and apes, oh my!

International Wolf Center

The cool wolf-pack cam live-broadcasts the adventures of four ambassador wolves: Denali, Boltz, Axel, and Grayson. The exhibit stretches across 1.25 acres and includes two dens, a filtered pond, and a forested area.

San Antonio Zoo

While San Antonio Zoo virtual field trips aren’t free, they’re very engaging. Enjoy virtual encounters with okapis, hippos, rhinos, and more.

From a virtual zoo tour and chats with staff to showing what the animals are up to and posting activity ideas from their education and conservation teams, the Dallas Zoo’s Bring the Zoo to You web series is perfect for a virtual field trip.

Australia Zoo

Australia Zoo was the home of the late Steve Irwin, best known as the Crocodile Hunter. His wife, Terri, and children, Bindi and Bob, have continued his legacy. This fantastic YouTube channel offers captivating videos of some of the world’s most fascinating animals.

Smithsonian’s National Zoo

This virtual zoo field trip takes us to the nation’s capital. Check out animal zoo cams that share a glimpse into the daily lives of black-footed ferrets, naked mole rats, giant pandas, and more.

Chester Zoo

This British zoo has been going live on Facebook and YouTube to offer a fun and engaging virtual zoo tour packed full of fantastic facts and adorable animal antics.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

The Monterey Bay Aquarium has created virtual zoo tour resources to support children’s learning for grades pre-K through 12. The site offers online courses, family-friendly science activities, crafts and printables, and fantastic video lessons (in English and en español) to help young learners who are excited about ocean animals.

Georgia Aquarium at Home

These wonderful guided virtual tours through Georgia Aquarium’s galleries allow you to explore the chilly unknown in Cold Water Quest , be immersed in a world of colors as a tropical diver , and more.

New England Aquarium Virtual Tour

Enjoy a virtual zoo tour of the New England Aquarium and check out the projects and activities available to both educators and families. New zoo cam videos premiere on Facebook , YouTube , and Instagram .

Folly Farm Sloth Cam

Witness the serene existence of Tuppee and Lightcap, two charming two-toed sloths residing in Sloth Forest, a habitat created as a comfortable “sloth retirement home.”

Aquarium of the Pacific Webcams

Peek into the lives of playful penguins, sleek sharks in the Shark Lagoon, the graceful sea nettles, the bustling Tropical Reef, the serene Honda Blue Cavern, and the intriguing coral predators. These webcams, complemented by resource kits, offer a vibrant, educational experience for all ages.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Giraffe Cams

Tune into the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s giraffe cams for a live peek into the lives of giraffes in the African Rift Valley exhibit. These cameras capture the giraffes as they roam, mingle, and interact with visitors hand-feeding them lettuce. It’s a “Way Beyond Watching” experience that brings you up close with these majestic animals from anywhere in the world.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium Webcams

Dive virtually into the world of marine rescue at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Their live webcams offer glimpses into the new Ruth & J.O. Stone Dolphin Complex, home to rescued bottlenose dolphins in a sprawling 1.5 million gallons of Clearwater Bay’s filtered water. Additionally, explore more live cams like the Otter Cam, Pelican Cam, and Mavis’s Rescue Hideaway Cam for a closer look at other rescued marine animals.

Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo Webcams

Catch a glimpse into the daily lives of Beardsley Zoo’s beloved animals with their live webcams. Be sure to switch between the Indoor and Outdoor Red Panda Cams, the Spider Monkey Cams, and the River Otter Cam to see these creatures exploring their habitats.

Did we miss one of your favorite virtual zoo field trips, virtual zoo tours, or zoo cams? Share it with us in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook!

Also, check out the best field trip ideas for every age and interest (virtual options too).

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40 Amazing Educational Virtual Field Trips

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Australia’s best wildlife experiences

With animals found nowhere else on Earth, Australia’s wildlife encounters are always one of a kind.

By  Allie Metz

Whether you’re ready to dive in or prefer to observe from the comfort of a boat, Australian waters offer an incredible array of unique marine life experiences. Turtles, colourful fish and even manta rays are common sites for snorkellers, while tour operators all over the country offer exciting eco-sensitive encounters with whales, dolphins, sea lions and whale sharks.

Swim with Australia’s marine life

From snorkelling with whale sharks to getting up close to turtles and sea lions, plenty of “pinch me” moments await in Australian waters.

Read time • 8min

Seeing a kangaroo or koala is a bucket list experience for so many visitors. And for good reason! Outside of zoos, Australia’s endemic wildlife can only be found here, making it a truly special encounter. Thankfully, it’s not as difficult as you might expect. Just head outside of urban areas for your best chance at finding a snoozing koala or bouncing kangaroo. Hot tip: ‘roos love to graze on golf courses!

Where to meet Australia's cutest animals

Come and meet the cute creatures that call Australia home.

Read time • 6min

Keen to meet some of the world’s fiercest predators? In Australia, you can get face-to-face with saltwater crocodiles and great white sharks in a controlled environment. Each experience puts you into a protective cage to be lowered into the animal’s environment. Marvel at their size and power as they swim and circle around you.

A great way to ensure you’ll get to see Australia’s iconic animals is to visit one of our incredible zoos, wildlife parks or sanctuaries. They are perfect for travellers who are short on time, families with small children or travellers with accessibility requirements. Many zoos even offer exciting wildlife encounters, giving you the chance to safely interact with a range of species much closer than you could in the wild.

Australia's best zoos and wildlife parks

From koala encounters to getting up-close to adrenaline inducing crocs; experience Australian animals at one of these top-quality zoos and sanctuaries.

Some of Australia’s wildlife can be elusive, so heading out with a guide on an outback safari gives you the best chance of spotting native animals in the wild. Your guide will also share facts about the animals and their ecosystem as you head into areas not accessible to everyone. The best part? With the keen eye of an experienced guide, you’re likely to see creatures you weren’t looking for, such as lizards, birds and smaller marsupials.

Australia's best outback stations and safaris

Experience the excitement and seclusion of rural Australia with these unforgettable outback station holidays.

Read time • 5min

The Great Barrier Reef is home to thousands of unique species, including colourful fish, mammals, corals and turtles. Exploring this diverse underwater world gets more exciting with each trip, and having a list of must-spot creatures just adds another layer of intrigue. From tiny clown fish to giant clams, how many of the Great Eight will you see?

Meet the Great Barrier Reef's Great Eight

Discover where to encounter the Great Barrier Reef’s Great Eight marine species.

Read time • 4min

Every year, Australia’s coasts become a highway for migrating whales. Along both the east and west coasts, pods of humpbacks head to the warmer waters of the north in winter and back to the cooler waters of the south as summer approaches. Numbers are so plentiful that many tour operators guarantee sightings. The southern coastline offers the chance to see southern right whales and orcas as they too make their annual migrations.

Whale watching in Australia

Spot southern right, dwarf minke, humpback whales and even orcas as they make their annual migration along Australia’s coasts.

Travel is a rewarding experience in itself, but it can be even more so when we endeavour to leave a place better than how we found it. Australia offers amazing opportunities to have a positive impact on the environment, like becoming a citizen scientist on the Great Barrier Reef or helping to rebuild koala habitats.

How to support Australia's wildlife

Whether you’re planning a meaningful Australian holiday or looking to make a difference from home, here’s how you can support Australia’s wildlife.

Read time • 7min

You may not associate Australia with penguins, but Victoria’s Phillip Island is home to the largest little penguin colony in the world. Visitors are encouraged to pocket their phones and watch in awe as the tiny seabirds emerge from the sea and waddle their way back to their burrows each night. It’s as cute as it sounds.

Guide to Phillip Island

This seaside haven boasts a host of attractions for nature-lovers and adventurers.

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Virtual zoo lessons, let's get digital..

Our Taronga Education team are bringing the Zoo to you (virtually!) to provide engaging and educational material for students. Taronga Education TV is a short virtual Zoo lesson released once a week for FREE to take your students on a journey through the Zoo. Or, you can book a private, curriculum-linked virtual Zoo lesson and experience a Taronga excursion workshop from the comfort of your classroom or from anywhere!

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Taronga education tv.

We're bringing you a virtual Zoo experience with Taronga Education TV, streamed straight to your living room for FREE. Connect virtually with some of Taronga’s amazing animals with weekly 20-minute Zoo lessons led by a qualified teaching staff member.

In these engaging sessions, Taronga Educators will delve into various animals, their habitats, needs, the challenges they face for survival, and the unique adaptations they possess. Hear stories firsthand from Zoo staff and gain insight into the future of sustainable action.

These virtual sessions will be hosted via our Taronga website, via Vimeo. No download is required, and the lessons can be watched on a Taronga webpage. Vimeo allows multiple devices to be active at one time.

View all virtual Zoo lessons Watch the latest Term 4 episodes or catch up on lessons you might have missed from Term 3.   VIEW ALL

Curriculum-linked virtual lessons

You can connect virtually in an exclusive lesson with some of Taronga’s amazing animals in an online lesson led by qualified member of our teaching staff. Experience an intimate digital excursion that is suited to what your class is learning about.

Pick from a selection of our curriculum-linked workshops or reach out or contact our Education Admin team to discuss a bespoke session:

• Early Stage 1 to Stage 6 - Animal Encounter
• Stage 1 Science & Technology - Backyard Buddies
• Stage 2 Science & Technology - Life Cycles
• Stage 2 Geography - Earth's Environment
• Stage 3 Science & Technology - Surviving in a Changing World
• Stage 3 Science & Technology, Stage 4 Science, Mandatory Technology, and Stage 4 Science, Design & Technology  - Enclosure Design
• Stage 4 Science - Classification and Adaptations
• Stage 5 Geography - Environmental Change and Management
• Stage 6 Biology - Biological Diversity
• Stage 6 Biology - Heredity and Genetic Change
• Stage 6 Business Studies - It's Zoo Business

Upon booking, you will be provided with a link to join the video conference one week prior. No download is required, the video link can be open using a web browser. 

• Groups with one or two devices joining:  our Microsoft Teams link will allow all participants to been seen and heard unless requested otherwise, suitable for one or two devices join the link
• Groups with multiple devices:  Microsoft Teams will allow up to 200 devices to be active at one time. No participant will be seen or heard, questions can be typed into a Q&A function that are sent directly to our educators

We proudly Acknowledge the Cammeraigal (Taronga Zoo, Sydney) and Wiradjuri (Taronga Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo) people, their Country, spirit and traditions as customary owners of the lands upon which our Zoos stand.

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Explore Australia From Your Living Room: Wildlife

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Australia’s abundant, unique (and adorable) wildlife is an incredible highlight of studying here. However, with the current regulations in place country-wide, heading to your local wildlife reserve or zoo is unfortunately not a viable option. 

Luckily, there are plenty of virtual tours around Australia. Organisations across the country are coming up with clever ways you can enjoy a day amongst the animals – they’re even using the hashtag #AnimalsAtHome. Let’s run through the best options to get you up-close and personal with all creatures big and small – virtually!

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

The Queensland-based Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary has 18 dedicated live-cams, with a total of 8 covering just koalas! Viewers can enjoy a range of daily koala cuddles such as the ‘Classic Spoon’, the ‘Koala Sandwich’, or the original ‘Cuddle Train’. 

In addition, the Sanctuary has live-cams for dingos (including puppies), platypuses and a whole range of Australian reptiles. Check them all out here .

Zoos Victoria

Melbourne Zoo and Werribee Open Range Zoo have set up a range of live webcams across their parks. Highlights include the Penguin Cam (there’s a dedicated feeding time, so make sure to catch that) and the various snow leopard cub cams . In addition, the Zoos are raising money for Australia’s bushfire-affected wildlife. If you enjoy the work that they do, the not-for-profit organisation kindly asks for donations to the Bushfire Emergency Wildlife Fund .

Monarto Safari Park

The largest open-range zoo in the world, Monarto Safari Park in Adelaide, is home to over 500 animals. They are hosting Facebook Live video streams and Q&A sessions with keepers on a range of different animals, including the elusive bilby , and ‘Keeper Cam’ – a collection of photos and videos taken by the Park’s dedicated keepers so you can get closer than ever to your favourite animals while staying safe at home. Stay updated on upcoming Q&A videos via their Facebook .

Port Phillip Bay

Reef Cam is Australia’s first-ever attempt at rocky-reef, live-feed, combined under and above water webcams. Run by The Nature Conservancy Australia, the above-water live stream of Port Phillip Bay will let you spot seals and gannets, while the underwater cam covers all the flora and fauna of the reef.

Taronga Zoo

Taronga TV is Taronga Zoo’s dedicated video service, with 24-hour live streams of a range of different animals. They even provide handy hints on when it’s best to spot some of the more elusive creatures (for example, check out Tiger Cam around 9.30am and 2.15pm for feeding time). Watching Asian Elephant calf, Jai Dee, is another highlight.

Australian Reptile Park

For all things slithery and scaley, you can check out the Australian Reptile Park online. At 10am every day, they host educational videos (think funnel web spider milking or feeding saltwater crocodiles) on the Australian Reptile Park’s YouTube Channel , and live streams at 2pm can be found on the Australian Reptile Park’s Facebook and Instagram . The program of upcoming videos is available on their Facebook . 

Finally, for something a little different, Eco Eggs, a free-range chicken farm in New South Wales have set up Chook Cam . According to the website, during the day you can “watch our hens roam in and out of the barn, scratch around, dust bath, flap their wings and generally take care of important chicken business.”

For more virtual tours around Australia, make sure to check out our COVID-19 resource hub .

Alex Craddock

Alex is a pop culture devotee that loves writing about travel, food, film, and cities’ hidden gems. Having lived between Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Australia and England, Alex knows a lot about navigating airports and how to carefully pack a suitcase. She is currently located at the top of a hill in Adelaide, South Australia (for now).

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Virtual Field Trips: Zoos, Aquariums, Farms and Safaris

Take a virtual field trip to see all sorts of animals without leaving home. You can visit zoos, aquariums, farms, and even go on a virtual safari all in the same day!

We’ve rounded up an amazing list of zoos, aquariums, farms and nature preserves that have webcams, live streams, and youtube videos you can watch to learn more about animals. We’ve also included links to online lesson plans and activities for those families wanting to create a richer learning experience from their virtual field trips.

What is a Virtual Field Trip?

Field trips are awesome learning experiences because they get you out of the classroom and take you into an immersive environment. On a virtual field trip , you open a window to explore outside your home or classroom. You can simply observe, or you can add to the experience with some educational information or activities to go along with it.

The list we’ve compiled below is pretty extensive, so be sure to bookmark this page so you can come back to it.

Zoo Virtual Field Trips

Modern zoos are an amazing blend of entertainment and education, coupled with research and conservation. When you visit a zoo, you not only get to see and learn about animals you are unlikely to encounter, but you are also supporting efforts to protect wildlife and the planet.

Wildlife Curriculum

Try one of these resources to add to your virtual field trip experience.

• Virtual Field Trip Guide
• Free Zoo Field Trip Questions
• World Wildlife Federation’s “ Wild Classroom ” – They have 5 “days” of activites set up. There are also 9 educational toolkits currently available.
• National Wildlife Federation Lesson Plans and Webinars – broken up by topic and specifies appropriate grade level.
• Free Digital Versions of Ranger Rick Magazines – Through June 2020.
• Animal Books you can read or have read to you online
• Teacher Guides and Saving a Species Video Series + teacher toolkit from SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment.

San Diego Zoo (USA)

One of the most famous zoos in the world offers live webcams of baboons, penguins, apes, tigers, koalas, burrowing owls, elephants, polar bears, giraffes, and condors.

There is also archived webcam footage of pandas.

Houston Zoo (USA)

The Houston Zoo has webcams that let you look in on the giraffe feeding platform, the gorilla habitat, the elephant yard, the rhino yard, the chimp window, and even leafcutter ants!

The folks at the Houston Zoo have also been bringing the Zoo to You on their facebook page every weekday at 11am Central Time.

Kansas City Zoo (USA)

The Kansas City Zoo has live webcams showing two types of penguins, giraffes, and polar bears. The penguin cams are listed as separate cameras, but both show the same view. At the time of this post, the polar bear cam was not working.

Zoo Atlanta (USA)

We were fortunate to get to visit Zoo Atlanta a few years ago and we loved seeing the pandas! It’s so nice to know we can drop in and see Ya Lun and Xi Lun from home.

In addition to the webcam, Zoo Atlanta has three at-home learning guides for pre-k to 4th grade, as well as some animal games and crafts .

Philadelphia Zoo (USA)

Visiting the Philadelphia Zoo is unique because the animals are literally all around you as they have paths they can use to go over the walkways. When you can’t visit in person, you can view the penguin point webcam.

In addition, the Philadelphia Zoo has started doing Facebook Live sessions called “Philly Zoo at 2” at 2pm EDT daily.

Milwaukee County Zoo (USA)

On Zoo View TV, you can drop in on the Milwaukee County Zoo’s residents such as Polar Bear, Jaguar, Lions, Hyenas, Tigers, and Penguins… and even fish.

Elmwood Park Zoo (USA)

The Elmwood Park Zoo in Pennsylvania has a giraffe live camera from 10am-5pm EDT. They have also been going live on their facebook page with Zoo School from 11am-11:30am on weekdays.

Reid Park Zoo (USA)

The Reid Park Zoo in Arizona lists zoo cams for grizzly bears, lemurs, lions, elephants, and giraffes. Their zoo site also has a few zoo activity packets that were designed to be completed after a visit to the zoo, but could be done from home, as well.

Detroit Zoo (USA)

The Detroit Zoo in Michigan has live cams and videos they call “Virtual Vitamin Z” to help you get your daily supplement of zoo fun at home. Their live cams show you penguins, snow monkeys, falcons, and otters.

They also have past videos available on their site here.

National Zoo (USA)

The National Zoo has live webcams for you to virtually visit their giant pandas, lions, elephants, and naked mole-rats! And you can get updates on what’s going on at the zoo on the National Zoo Facebook page .

The site also has resources such as educational activities you can do at home and downloadable zoo activities .

Chattanooga Zoo (USA)

The Chattanooga Zoo in Tennessee has four live webcams on their zoo’s site. You can drop by and check out meerkats, snow leopards, tamarin, and the spotted genet.

Greenville Zoo (USA)

The Greenville Zoo has two cams set up to watch their giraffes. One gives you a look inside the barn. The other is a view of the paddock.

Alaska Zoo (USA)

As you might expect, the Alaska Zoo has a polar bear, and you can virtually visit it through its webcam. In addition, the zoo has started doing free live sessions via the Zoom app. Spots are limited and the schedule and links are being posted on the Alaska Zoo Facebook page .

Edinburgh Zoo (Scotland)

Did you know that the Edinburgh Zoo was the first zoo in the world to house and breed penguins? In addition to penguin cams, they also have live streams of pandas, tigers, and koalas.

In addition, the Wildlife Conservation Charity has some interactive learning from home courses for all ages.

Dublin Zoo (Ireland)

The zoo is also home to a scimitar-horned oryx, which is a species of antelope you can no longer find in the wild.

Ireland’s Dublin Zoo offers webcams of penguins and elephants, as well as their African Savanna where you might see giraffes, ostriches, zebras, or rhinos.

Marwell Zoo (UK)

The Marwell Zoo has a live video stream of their flamingos. They also have a photo streams (photos update every 30 seconds or so) of penguins, giraffes and lemurs.

Paignton Zoo (UK)

The Paignton Zoo has webcams set up looking at meerkats and sulawesi crested macaque. Their Flamingo webcam is currently unavailable. They also have a series of YouTube Videos about animals and working with them .

Starting Monday, March 23rd, the Paignton Zoo will be adding downloadable resources to their “ Wild at Home ” program for parents and teachers.

Zoos Victoria (Australia)

Zoos Victoria is an association of three zoos in Australia: Healesville Sanctuary, Melbourne Zoo, and Werribee Open Range Zoo. Their site features webcams where you can see snow leopards (indoor and outdoor), penguins, giraffes, lions, and zebras.

More Zoos for Virtual Field Trips

• Live Tiger Cam
• Virtual Adventures on Facebook @brecsbrzoo
• Live Webcams : Aquatic Bird Cam, Sea lion Pups (not working)
• Videos on Social Media @BronxZoo
• Remote Learning Resources
• Virtual tour (Series of Short Videos)
• Online Learning Resources
• Live Giraffe Cam (9:30am – 4:45pm MT)
• “Abnormally Normal” Video Series (Facebook)
• Home Safaris daily at 3pm ET on Facebook
• Daily Virtual Classrooms on Facebook at 11am ET @ClevelandMetroparksZoo.
• Live Webcams – Discovery Reef, Bonobos
• YouTube Videos
• Live Webcams – Meerkats, Penguins
• Animal Update Videos (Facebook)
• “Zoo to You” Facebook Lives weekdays at 3pm ET @DenverZoo
• More Videos on Denver Zoo Youtube channel
• Live Webcams : Giraffes, Sea Lions, Meerkats, Siamangs, and Orangutans
• Animal Videos on Facebook @ElPasoZoo
• “Keeper Chats” on Facebook Live @FortWorthZoo
• “ School of Croc ” lives at 10am ET on Facebook
• Live Webcams : Macaque, Macaw, Penguin, Tiger, Walrus
• Videos on the Indianapolis Zoo Facebook page
• Live Webcams : Penguin, Lion, Giraffe, Flamingo, Goat
• Behind the Scenes on Your Screen – learn about Zoo Jobs
• “Zoo to You” Facebook Lives Weekdays 11am ET
• Updates on Facebook @MNZoo
• Learning Corner – Activities and downloadable curriculum for grades 1-12.
• Live Cams with Chat
• Bear Lesson Plans
• “ Do the Zoo at Home “
• Facebook updates and videos @OmahaZoo
• Live Penguin Cam (9am – 5pm daily)
• #BringtheStlZootoYou Videos on Facebook
• Live Webcams : Snow Leopards, Elephants, Amur Leopards (must have Flash Player enabled)
• #ZooOpenOnline with Facebook Lives and YouTube Videos .
• “Zoo School” Facebook Lives (Mondays 11am ET) + random story times and craft videos.
• Archived Live Videos + themed activities for kids that go with each video.
• “ Virtual Voyage ” daily at 2pm on Facebook
• Videos bringing the Zoo to you on YouTube
• Downloadable Activities
• Augmented Reality Zoo Tour (via Zappar App)
• Live Webcams: Bears, Bats, and Tigers
• Updates on the Woodland Park Facebook page
• Live Grizzly Bear Cam
• Updates on Facebook @ZooMontana
• Learning Resources : Activities and Printables
• Facebook Live Q&As – Weekdays 11am ET @ZooAmerica

If you know a zoo with great virtual field trip content like live cams, videos, or activities that isn’t on this list, let us know to add it!

Aquarium Virtual Field Trips

Aquariums focus mainly on ocean life, though many have animals that live out of the water, but live in or near the water.

One Big Ocean Online Curriculum

“One Big Ocean” is an online curriculum from Ocean.org. They have three different programs customized for the level of school. These can be used by themselves, or paired with a real or virtual visit to any aquarium.

• One Big Ocean Elementary
• One Big Ocean Middle
• One Big Ocean Secondary

Online Ocean School

You can also learn about the various creatures and habitats of the Gulf of St. Lawrence at “ Ocean School “, with three weeks of lessons online and more being added.

National Aquarium (USA)

The National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland has cameras placed in three exhibits: Blacktip Reef featuring blacktip sharks, rays, and colorful fish; “Jellies Invasion” which you can guess features jellyfish; and “Pacific Coral Reef”. You can also take a virtual tour of the National A quarium with 360 degree images.

Georgia Aquarium (USA)

The Georgia Aquarium is ranked as the best aquarium for families in the United States. We’ve been there, and it is AMAZING! And they have some great, high quality live feeds from their exhibits, too!

You can watch the Ocean Voyager cam where you can see sharks, rays, fish, sea turtles and even huge whale sharks! There’s also the Indo-Pacific Barrier Reef, Southern Sea Otters, Jelly Cam, California Sea Lions, African Penguins, Piranhas, and Beluga Whales.

And while they haven’t been going live, they have been posting videos to the Georgia Aquarium Facebook page .

Shedd Aquarium (USA)

You might have seen the video going around of the Shedd Aquarium’s penguins taking their very own personal tour of the aquarium’s exhibits. If you haven’t, you should check it out.

In addition to the one live stream we found on their site so far, the Shedd Aquarium also has a great series of videos just for kids called “Sea Curious”. They also have some really cool 360 degree videos of sharks!

The Aquarium of the Pacific (USA)

The Aquarium of the Pacific is located in Long Beach, California. They have several webcams that allow you to visit virtually. You can see penguins both above and below the water, a shark lagoon, sea jellies, a tropical reef, blue cavern, and colorful anthias and wrasse exhibit.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium (USA)

The Clearwater Marine Aquarium located on the Gulf Coast in Clearwater, Florida is home to Winter and Hope, the rescued dolphins whose stories were the basis for the movies “Dolphin Tale” and “Dolphin Tale 2”.

You can virtually visit Winter and Hope, along with Nicholas and PJ. The aquarium also has views of its otters, pelicans, and sea turtles.

The Clearwater Aquarium even has downloadable lessons in language, math, and science to go along with a real or even virtual visit to the aquarium. There is also an online Kid Zone with games, activities, and experiments.

California Academy of Sciences (USA)

As the name suggests, the California Academy of Sciences is not just an aquarium. The San Francisco facility is also a natural history museum with a rainforest exhibit and planetarium.

There are a few webcams that allow you to visit right from home. You can look in on penguins, stingrays, a coral reef, and even take control of a camera at the top of a lighthouse on the nearby Farallon Islands.

The site also has lesson plans and materials for kids from preschool through high school.

Tennessee Aquarium (USA)

Live webcams of the secret reef, penguin, and sea otter exhibits. And on their facebook page, they are live streaming Aquarium at Home sessions.

Vancouver Aquarium (Canada)

Canada’s Vancouver Aquarium is home to more than 50,000 animals and features 30 exhibits to explore. When you can’t visit in person, you can still drop in on the sea otters, jellyfish, and penguins via the webcams on their homepage.

Atlantic White Shark Conservancy

Facebook Lives weekdays at 10am @AtlanticWhiteShark . Resources on the website.

Farm Virtual Field Trips

While farms are different than zoos, they can be just as educational and rewarding in connecting us to nature, whether we visit in person or virtually.

Hen Cam (USA)

The Hen Cam comes from a backyard outside Boston, Massachussetts. The feed switches automatically between 3 cameras showing the hens outside and inside. You might also see goats and a bunny named Phoebe.

Peter’s Farm (Holland)

You can see a live stream of the cows, and maybe even some baby calves, at Peter’s Farm in Holland. The stream is only during operating hours, but there is also some YouTube footage for when it isn’t live.

Folly Farm (UK)

Folly Farm has a cute webcam that gives you a peek at its farm animals like sheep, goats and donkeys. The website also lists penguin, giraffe, and lion webcams from the zoo, but they were not working when we visited.

Farm Sanctuary (USA)

This sheep barn camera is at the Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen , New York. They also have a recorded virtual tour of the farm showing you some of their other animals.

Goats Live (??)

Not sure where it is coming from, but this camera is pointed at some goats and streams 24 hours a day.

Farm Food 360 (Canada)

Farm Food 360 has virtual tours of all different kinds of farms. There are milk & cheese, dairy cow, sheep, pig, mink, grain, egg, and oat farms, feed mills, and an apple orchard.

Chatsworth Farm (Canada)

Chatsworth Farm is an over 2,000 acre family-run farm in Canada where they grow grain and legume crops, alfalfa, and raise beef cattle, sheep, turkeys, ducks, and chickens for eggs and meat. They have a few video tours on their webpage and they’ve also been live streaming recently on the Chatsworth Farm Facebook page .

Horse Shoe Farm (USA)

This camera pans back and forth showing the outdoor pens of the Horse Shoe farm in Hendersonville, North Carolina. The horses are not always outside, though.

Virtual Farm Field Trips on YouTube

We found a whole bunch of Farm tours and Q&As on YouTube. Here are links to those. Some are individual, but others are whole playlists with multiple videos.

• American Dairy Association Indiana (4 videos)
• Ohio Pig Farms (50+ videos, several very recent)
• Grow Next Gen (discusses various topics)
• Ohio Beef Council (18 videos)
• New York Beef Council (4 videos)
• American Dairy Association Northeast (12 videos)
• Pennsylvania Beef (no playlist, but at least 3 tours among their many videos)
• Milk Means More (4 tours to a Michigan Dairy farm)

Safari Virtual Field Trips

SafariLive (Africa)

Live Streamed safaris from the African wilderness. You never know what you are going to see, and your tours are guided by knowledgeable guides who sometimes answer questions from viewers.

SUNRISE SAFARI (Monday to Sunday)

• Central African Time (CAT): 06:00am – 09:00am
• East African Time (EAT): 07:00am – 10:00am
• Eastern Standard Time (EDT): 00:00pm – 03:00am

SUNSET SAFARI (Monday to Sunday)

• Central African Time (CAT): 15:30pm – 18:30pm
• East African Time (EAT): 16:30pm – 19:30pm
• Eastern Daylight Savings Time (EDT): 09:30am – 12:30pm

Cumbria Wildlife Trust (UK)

Over on the Cumbria Wildlife Trust webpage, you can drop in on webcams of a few different animals from across the United Kingdom. There is a camera pointed at the bird feeders at Plumgarths Wildlife Garden, Grey Seals at the South Walney Nature Preserve (archive footage when cam is not working), a Badger cam from Rydel, Ambleside, and an Osprey cam from Foulshaw Moss Nature Preserve (says cam will be available late March 2020).

Explore.org Webcams (Worldwide)

Explore.org has countless live streams from all over the world that you can choose from, including several locations already mentioned in this post. But our favorites are the ones you can view outside of a zoo, aquarium, or farm setting.

Some of these also have great audio, so you can make it full screen, turn up the volume, and have a window to the world. Great for background or meditation.

• Tembe Elephant Park (Africa)
• Honeybees going in and out of a hive
• Flying Foxes (bats)
• Hear Orcas (and occasionally see them) underwater
• Sea Lions hauled out onto rocks
• Polar Bear Cubs

Wolf Conservation Center

The Wolf Conservation Center in New York is dedicated to protecting and preserving wolves in North America. They have several live feeds of various species of wolves. And if you want to learn a little about wolves , you can do that, too.

Bald Eagle Cam (USA)

Despite being the national symbol of the United States, we don’t get to see Bald Eagles all that much. But with the camera set up at Duke Farms in New Jersey, we can look right into a Bald Eagle’s nest! They even have a scavenger hunt you can print out for the kids to watch the nest and see if they spot any of those things.

18 Best Virtual Zoos & Aquariums in the World

Strap on your ‘seatbelts’ and virtual reality headset (if you own a pair), we’re about to take you on a wild ride through four continents to experience a string of virtual field trips to the zoo and aquariums like you’ve never experienced before.

North America: Virtual Zoo Tours & Aquariums

Home to world-class zoos and one of the most remarkable aquariums we’ve ever set foot inside *ahem* Georgia Aquarium, North America is one virtual trip you have to take to ogle at pandas, Beluga whales and even piranhas via 24-hour live cams.

San Diego Zoo

If there’s one virtual zoo trip to place on top of your online ‘travel’ bucket list – it’s San Diego Zoo.

Slide into their live cams to take a peek at the daily shenanigans of tigers, elephants, baboons and more adorable four-legged fur friends that will steal your hearts away.

But wait, guys. There’s more to your San Diego Zoo virtual tour and online experience. Way more. Ensure that you pop a visit to the dedicated kids’ section of the website for a myriad of animal-focused learning activities, art and crafts video tutorials, home experiment ideas and educational games.

Oh, and if you have a VR headset handy, now’s the time to pop them over your head and check into their YouTube channel to immerse yourselves in 360º videos, like this one of giant tortoises eating watermelon.

Atlanta Zoo

In need of a cute animal fix that’s not your own household pet? Atlanta Zoo has got you covered with their world-famous live PandaCam . Meet the ridiculously adorable panda twins, Ya Lun and Xi Lun, who are melting hearts across the globe with their playful antics and just all-round cuteness.

Don’t forget to swing by their Facebook page to experience what basically feels like virtual field trips to the zoo, featuring regular keeper talks and behind-the-scenes insight into animals and their diets and lifestyle.

The website also offers a host of fun activities and lessons that support ‘at home learning’, like animal arts and crafts, backyard bingo and a storybooks packed with hands-on activities.

TIP: Download the WILDEVERSE mobile game, which features real-life characters from Atlanta Zoo. Transform your home into a digital jungle and embark on research quests and missions to find endangered apes. 

Cincinnati Zoo

Hopping over a couple of states north to Ohio, we’re going to spring into Cincinnati Zoo to meet the world’s most famous hippopotamus, Fiona. Follow this immersive virtual zoo tour to get a feel of the space, exhibits and animals.

Swing by their Facebook page to tune into The Fiona Show where you can watch videos of her birth and follow her astonishing progress and growth. She’s the only hippo ever to survive an almost 2-month premature birth.

They also host daily virtual safari live streams, in which you can learn all about the zoo’s resident animals, including their diets, personalities and lifestyles.

Toronto Zoo

Slip into your down jackets because I’m about to beam you further up to the chillier regions of the northern hemisphere. Ready? Get set. Click away.

Explore Toronto Zoo’s YouTube channel to get up close and personal to mighty grizzly bears,  fluffy white Arctic foxes, lynxes, and even Masai giraffes.

If you’re keen to experience a virtual zoo trip to this beautiful destination, take a look at this complete walkthrough which lets viewers enjoy the zoo on a snowy winter day.

Georgia Aquarium

Yes. We’re parents and.. yes, we love to travel, so I can safely say that we’ve been to a crapload of aquariums around the world. If there isn’t an aquarium on our city itinerary, then something has gone horribly wrong in the planning process.

Of all the aquariums we have visited, none have, so far, compared to Georgia Aquarium. Not even close. If you’re an aquarium nut like we are – you need to put a  physical visit to this spectacular place on your travel bucket list.

For now, you can, of course, experience this epic aquarium virtually via their virtual aquarium tour and live cam feed where you can soothe your soul gazing at dancing jellyfish or stare in awe at the Beluga whale. 

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Attention, please. It’s time to choose your snack, sink into the couch and get cozy; your self-guided Monterey Bay Aquarium virtual tour is about to begin.

Step one. Cast this 360° aquarium walkthrough to your TV or don your virtual reality headset ’cause things are about to go down in underwater town.

Virtually meet and learn about Monterey Bay Aquarium’s resident marine animals on their interactive website, or stalk your favourite sea animal’s live cam . 

You can even enrol in free online courses comprising guided activities to support learning at home or engage the kiddos in free virtual zoo games that both educate and entertain.

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Asia: Virtual Zoos & Aquariums

Exotic rainforest virtual zoo tours and thrilling night safaris – discover Asia’s most enchanting zoos and aquariums without having to peel yourself off the couch. 

Singapore Zoo

Okay, so Asia is off-limits right now. I mean, pretty much every continent is out of reach at this moment, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take a virtual field trip to this incredible zoo in South East Asia that everyone raves about.

Get a feel of Singapore Zoo and what animals you can expect to encounter in our very own walkthrough guide that we filmed on one of our visits or read up on the zoo’s resident animals.

Hold up a second though. Your journey doesn’t end at the Singapore Zoo. Drop into the Singapore River Safari for a virtual walkthrough tour and meet weird and wonderful creatures that inhabit rivers around the world.

Your adventure continues onwards to the Singapore Night Safari where you can view a hypnotising fire show , witness an impressive animal show , and hop on a tram car to discover nocturnal animals in their open exhibits.

Check out our Singapore virtual zoo guide to see the highlights of this open zoo concept.

Jurong Bird Park

While we’re in Singapore, let’s take a hot moment to visit one of the biggest bird parks in the world where you can make a feeble attempt at identifying up to 3,500 birds across 400 species from all over the world.

Discover the diverse zones inhabited by bird species from all corners of the Earth, meet the winged residents of Jurong Bird Park or take a virtual stroll through the lush, green space that will give you all the jungle vibes 

YOU MIGHT LIKE:  30 Fun Places to go in Singapore with Kids

Aquaria KLCC

Swing into Aquaria KLCC in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on one of your free virtual field trips to zoos and aquariums around the world and tune into marine animal feedings and educational talks on their 24-hour live streaming cam .

Don’t forget to check their Facebook for the schedule.

Meet the spine-chilling Sand Tiger Shark and his stingray buddies, or chill out with laid-back Green Sea Turtles that all dwell inside the Living Ocean tank.

Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo

Set off on a virtual aquarium tour at the magnificent Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo located in the glittering capital of the United Arab Emirates.

The tour isn’t just an ordinary virtual field trip of your average aquarium; this epic space also doubles as a zoo. Be prepared to encounter fruit bats, desert hedgehogs, cobras, chameleons.

Pop over to their Facebook page to learn fun animal facts and binge on videos of iguanas, hedgehogs and racoons freely roaming the empty aquarium.

Australia: Virtual Zoos & Aquariums

Kangaroos? Check. Koalas? No doubt. Tasmanian Devil? Yeah, baby. It’s time for a trip downunder to meet friendly Aussie animals and not-so-friendly creatures and crawlies that either bite or kill.

Taronga Zoo 

To experience one of the southern hemisphere’s best virtual zoos, you can’t go past Sydney’s newly launched Taronga TV . Tune into the live cams to view animal exhibits, shows, keeper chats, and even take a peek inside the Wildlife Hospital.

Hit up Taronga’s YouTube channel to witness funny animal antics and catch up on missed shows and performances. This video of a lemur baking in the sun is basically all of us right now when the sun touches our windows in quarantine.

Sea Life & Wild Life Sydney

Sea Life and Wild Life Sydney have recently launched their fun and super educational online virtual zoo and aquarium experiences. Prepare yourselves for hours worth of fun family activities and homeschooling content.

Dive into the virtual aquarium experience and meet dugongs and King penguins in live streams, or gape at aquarists throwing themselves into the shark tank to feed hungry sea predators.

If you’re running low on learning activities for the kiddos, you’ll also find a bunch of marine animal-themed craft activities and free downloadable homeschooling resources and activity sheets .

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tina ft. 2 boys & 1 man child (@hangrybynature) on May 8, 2019 at 4:37am PDT

A virtual visit to Sea Life wouldn’t be complete without popping into Wild Life Sydney to learn all about Australian animals that are slightly more.. grounded.

Peek into live streams to see what Rocky the croc is up to or join in on storytime events run by the zoo staff on the virtual zoo tours page. You’ll also find printable animal-themed colouring pages, plus fact and activity sheets.

Before you leave, don’t forget to drop by  Merlin’s Education Toolbox for even more activities and workbooks, especially helpful for parents seeking homeschooling resources or teachers looking for lesson content. 

READ MORE: 21 Romantic Date Ideas in Sydney

Europe: Virtual Zoos & Aquariums

The last continent we’ll be virtually teleporting you to on this worldwide virtual safari, zoo and aquarium tour is, of course, good ole Europe. Home to the world’s oldest zoo and the first zoo in the world to house and breed penguins – your roundtrip will end with a little history and class.

Germany’s capital can proudly claim to have the most popular zoo in all of Europe. Berlin Zoo houses a whopping collection of over 20,000 animals across 1,500 different species – more than any zoo on the planet.

Considering none of us can currently visit in person, we can thank the Internet once again for this high-resolution walkthrough , making it possible to meet some of the friendly furry residents of the zoo, virtually.

Oh, and I’m just gonna casually mention that they have PANDA CUBS, guys. *Hyperventilating*. Jump onto their Facebook to meet the twinning cuties, Pit and Paule. Right now. It’ll be the most adorable thing you’ll see all week.

You can stalk them trying to catch some snoozy time below…

Speaking of stalking animals (cos that’s socially acceptable, right?), Prague Zoo houses a baby elephant that online visitors can attempt to spot on their live Elephant Valley cam . Pop by their YouTube channel for more adorable moments and to follow its journey from birth.

Watch this 4k  walkthrough of the zoo and try to spot mighty Western Lowland gorillas, polar bears, hippos, Asian elephants, red pandas and many more cute and intimidating animals.

RELATED: 13 Ways to Stay Healthy While Travelling

Edinburgh Zoo

This was the first zoo in the world to house and breed penguins – in fact, Edinburgh Zoo is popularly known for its Penguin Parade, where waddling little penguins are let free their enclosure for a stroll around the space.

Observe the antics of King and Rockhopper penguins on live cams , as well as koalas, tigers and pandas.

They’ve made their learning portal readily accessible – the online hub is packed with free activities, games, quizzes and fact files for kids of all ages.

Hang tight – just gonna beam you over to our final leg of virtual zoo tours around the world in Vienna. The city is home to the world’s oldest zoo, Tiergarten Schönbrunn, which opened its doors in 1752.

Soak in this gorgeous space in this virtual zoo stroll and meet animals from all around the world and, of course, explore the picturesque landscape that surrounds the zoo. 

Keep an eye out for the zoo’s newest sensation, Finja – a polar bear cub. Watch her birth and everyday life on Vienna Zoo’s YouTube channel .

Have you got more ideas to add to the list?

Hit me up in the comments and let me know what virtual little gems you’ve found in isolation, so that together, we may survive being confined inside four walls with perpetually bored kids.

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You can take a virtual trip to Australia with a tour of the Great Barrier Reef and a koala livestream

• While millions of people around the world stay home, there's still the opportunity to travel. It just has to be done virtually. 
• Australia is a top destination for many travelers, and it's home to all types of adventures. 
• From zoos to zip lines, here's how to travel Australia virtually. 
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories .

Australia is home to every type of adventure. The Great Barrier Reef provides tourists with an underwater trip through the world's largest coral reef. The Australian Alps entice skiers looking for a snowy experience. Tourists take safaris through the Outback, where they can spot native animals. Plus, Australia's bustling cities engage travelers and their love for music, art, and history.

Visitors could easily spend years in the country without ever scratching the surface of what Australia has to offer. 

But now tourists can get a head start on their vacation through these virtual experiences. 

Imagine snorkeling through the Great Barrier Reef with David Attenborough.

Join David Attenborough on a virtual tour of the diverse underwater world. Virtual snorkelers will learn about why the ecosystem is at risk and what they can do to protect it. 

Virtually trek the Outback's national parks.

Ulu r u-Kata Tju t a National Park is one of Australia's most sacred regions. On this virtual tour , indigenous Australians will guide you through the cultural history of the parks.  

Virtually cuddle with koalas.

With eight live webcams of koala bears, visitors are bound to leave with a new favorite animal. The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is home to 70 species of native Australian wildlife, so virtual visitors can also watch platypuses, raptors, and dingoes. 

Take a virtual tour of the Melbourne Museum.

The Melbourne Museum has six virtual tours for visitors. Uncover the stories of aboriginal Victoria, walk through Australia's native flora and fauna, or discover Australia's prehistoric past.

Explore one of the country's largest cities: Sydney.

Take a virtual ferry ride into Sydney, Australia. Once you're there, you'll be able to explore the Sydney Opera House, Luna Park, and the Royal Botanic Gardens . 

Listen to live orchestras from across the country.

The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra , Sydney Symphony Orchestra , and West Australian Symphony Orchestra are offer live concerts to watch. 

Virtually zip through a forest

Illawarra Fly wants to create an adrenaline rush from the couch. The adventure company has started a virtual zip line tour . The rider will speed through Australian treetops with the help of a virtual guide.

It wouldn't be a trip to Australia without some sand and sun.

The Twelve Apostles is one of Australia's more popular national parks. The coastal park is made up of seven limestone rocks near Victoria, Australia. The virtual tour provides an aerial view of the gorgeous coast. 

Take a virtual tour of the Sydney Opera House.

The Sydney Opera House is one of Australia's most recognized landmarks. On this virtual tour through Google Arts and Culture, visitors will dive into the opera house's architectural history and its flagship performances.

Virtually visit snow leopard cubs.

Zoos Victoria is home to three snow leopard cubs. The zoo wanted to make sure the whole world can enjoy their cuteness, so it set up two livestreams .

Virtually hang 10 at the Australian National Surfing Museum.

Located in Australia's surfing capital, Torquay, the museum celebrates the country's surfing history. On the virtual tour , you'll discover the history of surfing, explore colorful surfboards, and listen to stories from famous Australian surfers. 

Enjoy a sunset over Sydney Harbor.

Travel to Sydney Harbor for a breathtaking view. Tourism Australia offers a 360-degree view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House at sunset.

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• Main content

23 Virtual Zoo Field Trips, Tours, and Zoo Cams That Get You Up Close to the Animals

We love field trips, but sometimes organizing an excursion just can’t happen. Fortunately, we live in a time when technology can bring the excitement to us. The pandemic encouraged many zoos and aquariums to put in the effort to bridge the gap for visitors at home. As such, we’re able to share this list of fantastic virtual zoo field trips, virtual zoo tours, and zoo cams you can enjoy from anywhere.

Best Virtual Zoo Field Trips, Virtual Zoo Tours, and Zoo Cams

The San Diego Zoo has a “Watch and Learn” section on its website. Here, students can check out the fantastic zoo cams including the burrowing-owl cam, giraffe cam, elephant cam, and many more.

While the Atlanta Zoo’s zoo cam is dedicated to pandas, they offer many videos and activities that feature bird watching, sloths, lemurs, monkeys, and more.

Located in Tucson, Arizona, this zoo features a variety of delightful zoo cams designed to give kids a virtual zoo tour of the elephants, giraffes, grizzly bears, lions, and more.

Tembe Elephant Park is located in a remote area of South Africa. Renowned for having the largest elephants in the world, these zoo cams offer sights such as sand forests and wetlands, leopards, rhinos, and, of course, elephants.

This extensive cam takes us inside the gorilla forest corridor in the Democratic Republic of Congo while connecting the habitat with the night quarters at the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center (GRACE).

Take a virtual zoo tour down to Texas and enjoy the live zoo cams set up by the Houston Zoo, allowing you to peer into the lives of giraffes, gorillas, elephants, and flamingos.

Head to Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, to witness the annual polar bear migration. Discovery Education has teamed up with Polar Bears International to host a series that explores some of the biggest questions about the Arctic.

Bring your virtual classroom to life with animals from the Oregon Zoo. The Wildlife Live videos are aligned to different subject content areas, which are listed on the page. New videos are also posted regularly on the zoo’s social media channels. A few times every week, they go behind the scenes for a live interview with animal-care staff. Each live video is accompanied by a kid-approved activity related to the featured animal.

Let’s all go to the zoo with PBS LearningMedia! At Zoo Miami, Penny and the KidVision VPK kids wash rhinos, feed giraffes, study a zebra’s stripes, and ride a camel. Lions and tigers and apes, oh my!

The cool wolf-pack cam live-broadcasts the adventures of four ambassador wolves: Denali, Boltz, Axel, and Grayson. The exhibit stretches across 1.25 acres and includes two dens, a filtered pond, and a forested area.

While San Antonio Zoo virtual field trips aren’t free, they’re very engaging. Enjoy virtual encounters with okapis, hippos, rhinos, and more.

From a virtual zoo tour and chats with staff to showing what the animals are up to and posting activity ideas from their education and conservation teams, the Dallas Zoo’s Bring the Zoo to You web series is perfect for a virtual field trip.

Australia Zoo was the home of the late Steve Irwin, best known as the Crocodile Hunter. His wife, Terri, and children, Bindi and Bob, have continued his legacy. This fantastic YouTube channel offers captivating videos of some of the world’s most fascinating animals.

This virtual zoo field trip takes us to the nation’s capital. Check out animal zoo cams that share a glimpse into the daily lives of black-footed ferrets, naked mole rats, giant pandas, and more.

This British zoo has been going live on Facebook and YouTube to offer a fun and engaging virtual zoo tour packed full of fantastic facts and adorable animal antics.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium has created virtual zoo tour resources to support children’s learning for grades pre-K through 12. The site offers online courses, family -friendly science activities, crafts and printables, and fantastic video lessons (in English and en español) to help young learners who are excited about ocean animals.

These wonderful guided virtual tours through Georgia Aquarium’s galleries allow you to explore the chilly unknown in Cold Water Quest, be immersed in a world of colors as a tropical diver, and more.

Enjoy a virtual zoo tour of the New England Aquarium and check out the projects and activities available to both educators and families. New zoo cam videos premiere on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.

Witness the serene existence of Tuppee and Lightcap, two charming two-toed sloths residing in Sloth Forest, a habitat created as a comfortable “sloth retirement home.”

Peek into the lives of playful penguins, sleek sharks in the Shark Lagoon, the graceful sea nettles, the bustling Tropical Reef, the serene Honda Blue Cavern, and the intriguing coral predators. These webcams, complemented by resource kits, offer a vibrant, educational experience for all ages.

Tune into the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s giraffe cams for a live peek into the lives of giraffes in the African Rift Valley exhibit. These cameras capture the giraffes as they roam, mingle, and interact with visitors hand-feeding them lettuce. It’s a “Way Beyond Watching” experience that brings you up close with these majestic animals from anywhere in the world.

Dive virtually into the world of marine rescue at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Their live webcams offer glimpses into the new Ruth & J.O. Stone Dolphin Complex, home to rescued bottlenose dolphins in a sprawling 1.5 million gallons of Clearwater Bay’s filtered water. Additionally, explore more live cams like the Otter Cam, Pelican Cam, and Mavis’s Rescue Hideaway Cam for a closer look at other rescued marine animals.

Catch a glimpse into the daily lives of Beardsley Zoo’s beloved animals with their live webcams. Be sure to switch between the Indoor and Outdoor Red Panda Cams, the Spider Monkey Cams, and the River Otter Cam to see these creatures exploring their habitats.

Did we miss one of your favorite virtual zoo field trips, virtual zoo tours, or zoo cams? Share it with us in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook!

Also, check out the best field trip ideas for every age and interest (virtual options too), about the author.

Sheryl Carpente

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