Rabat Zoo

The Rabat Zoo (Jardin Zoologique National de Rabat), located in the northern part of Temara, is one of the larger and better-maintained zoos in Morocco. Established in 1973 on the grounds of a former royal hunting reserve, it covers about 70 hectares of wooded grounds and houses a substantial collection of African and international species.

The zoo is notable primarily for its Barbary lion breeding programme. The Barbary lion — the subspecies native to North Africa, once kept by Roman emperors for the arena and later by the Moroccan royal family — is extinct in the wild, and the zoo maintains one of the few captive populations in the world. Other notable residents include African elephants, giraffes, cheetahs, and a variety of Moroccan native species. The grounds are well maintained and spacious by regional standards. A visit takes about two to three hours.

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The zoo was founded in 1973 on the site of a former royal hunting reserve, which meant it began with a collection of animals already present in the royal grounds. It gained early attention for its Barbary lion breeding programme — the Barbary lion is extinct in the wild, having been hunted to elimination across North Africa by the late 20th century. The last known wild Barbary lion was shot in the Moroccan Atlas in 1942. The zoo's captive population represents the only surviving members of the subspecies, though the genetic purity of the captive group has been debated.