Tsimbazaza is Madagascar's main zoological and botanical garden, occupying a large forested site in the southwest of the city. Founded in the 1920s, it holds the country's most accessible collection of living lemurs — ring-tailed, ruffed, and several nocturnal species in dedicated dark rooms — along with tortoises, chameleons, crocodiles, and a wide range of endemic birds. The botanical section displays labelled examples of Madagascar's extraordinary plant life, including many species found nowhere else on earth.
A natural history museum on the grounds holds paleontological specimens, including the reconstructed skeleton of the elephant bird (Aepyornis), the largest bird ever to have lived, which became extinct in Madagascar within the last few centuries. The zoo is not to international standards in terms of enclosure size, but the animals are well cared for and the setting — shaded paths, ponds, mature trees — makes for a pleasant few hours. It is the most practical place in Tana to see lemurs up close before heading into the wild.