A List of 20 Distinguished Zoo Logotypes

Zoos often build their brands by referring to the artificial natural environment created to protect endangered animals from humans and other wild animals. Hence their logotypes feature, surprisingly, animals, trees, or some natural objects. This article explores 20 logotypes that play a prominent role in the visual identity of their zoo brands.

Vancouver Zoo

Greater Vancouver Zoo appeared in 1970 to inspire recognition of their eco structure and encourage nature preservation by communicating with people. The Greater Vancouver Zoo logotype shows four animals: a camel, turtle, bear, and heron, colored yellow, green, blue, and red, respectively. They stand close to each other, representing that they live in one eco structure. Below the image, the brand designers wrote the nameplate in three scripts: a slim lowercase for the word ‘greater’, a bit bolder font for the ‘Vancouver’ part, and the ‘zoo’ portion written in bold capitals.

Prague Zoo

Prague zoo is one of the largest zoological organizations in Europe. Established in 1931, Prague Zoo claims its mission is to develop zoology, protect the wild, and enlighten the public. One of the best ways to do this is to advance the study and examine the wild. Their logotype reflects this idea by showing five different feet, colored yellow, green, blue, red, and orange. Below the emblem, they wrote the brand name in a simple sans-serif typeface with all caps, whereas the ‘Prague’ word is gray, while the ‘zoo’ is white.

Budapest Zoo

The Zoo and Botanical Garden of Budapest is a zoological science research complex located at the center of Hungary’s capital. It opened its doors in 1866. Their logotype shows a green elephant contoured white. It stands on the background of an orange shape having its upper end sharpened and symbolizing the local architecture. Why did the brand designers choose the elephant as the medallion animal? According to some archeological researches, these animals once lived on the territory of modern Hungary.

Kolner Zoo

Kolner Zoo, also known as Cologne Zoological Garden, is a 20-hectare home to 10,000 donated or rescued wild animals of 850 species from across the world. Founded in 1860, Kolner Zoo is the third-oldest zoological collection in the world. It also attracts 1,7 million visitors annually. Their logotype shows a green elephant with the contours of a giraffe and a rhino on it. The third silhouette features two spires of Cologne’s main cathedral. Below the emblem, the nameplate is written in a sans-serif capitalized typeface colored red and green.

Minnesota Zoo

Minnesota Zoo, founded in 1978 as a state-owned entity, was one the pioneer zoological organizations to house animals in separate rooms according to their natural habitats. It has much more space for animals than most zoos – 196 hectares. This site is a living area for more than 2300 exotic wild animals. The zoo’s logotype depicts a tiger’s face composed of many leaves. The name caption below has an uppercase serif typeface with the first letters enlarged. The whole logotype is colored golden and bright blue, which adds to the spring style.

ZSL London Zoo

Founded in 1828, London Zoo has a long history as the oldest nature preservation organization. Initially, it was an animal collection gathered by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) to advance the study of biology and zoology and protect the wild. Today, the zoo provides safe and friendly habitats to nearly 700 species, including exotic ones. Their brand mark features the name caption, written in bold sans-serif capitals. The ‘o’, ‘d’, and ‘n’ characters have empty places styled as animal contours – of a snake, monkey, and penguin, respectively.

Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium

The Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium is a facility having the function of both land and aquatic animals conservation and exploration. The zoo’s site includes 31 hectares of land and many small aquarium complexes with 4,000 animals of 475 species. The zoo has an inspirational logo, featuring a prospering tree with two birds flying above it. Below this, they wrote the nameplate in a serif semibold inscription, split into two lines by a slim line.

Bronx Zoo

Bronx Zoo is one of the most successful zoological organizations in the United States, located in Bronx Park in New York. Bronx zoo occupies a territory of 107 ha, which is home to 4000 animals, referring to 650 animal species. It opened its doors in 1899 to educate the public and attract its attention to nature preservation. The organization’s emblem shows an image of two giraffes and two birds flying near them. It often stands above the nameplate, written in uppercase serif characters, whereas the word ‘zoo’ is bigger.

Denver Zoo

Denver Zoo has quite a distinctive logotype, showing a lion’s head colored purple and black. It is placed inside a beige circle contoured bold black. There is a rectangle adjoined to the round from below. It shows the word ‘Denver’ in a capitalized sans-serif script with the letters spread wide from one another. Below it, the word ‘zoo’ is executed in all extra bold caps with inner lines, repeating their forms, inside them.

San Diego Zoo

San Diego Zoo is the most visited zoological garden in California, US. A home to 12,000 orphaned and saved animals, it is the first zoo to house animals in on-air cageless environments, built according to their natural living areas. They have a simple logo, featuring the nameplate in a custom typeface with bold capitals. The word ‘zoo’ look like three bold paw traces.

Melbourne Zoo

The zoo based in Melbourne, Australia, has not just a collection of local and foreign animals from around 320 species but also wonderful views of Royal Park in Parkville, 2,5 km away from the city. The zoo is famous for its exhibits, including exotic monkeys, tigers, snakes, and others. The Melbourne Zoo logotype shows a green and white rectangular emblem. Due to the game of shades, one can easily recognize a family of three guerrillas and several leaves at the two edges of the block. Below it, there is the nameplate in all bold caps.

Edinburgh Zoo

Edinburgh Zoo is a Scottish science research organization, that works with the top zoos in Europe and the UK to preserve and explore nature. It opened its doors in 1913, titled the Scottish National Zoological Park. The zoo’s logotype shows a penguin in flying. Several yellow curved lines add dynamic to the logo and depict the direction of the penguin’s flight – top-bottom and again.

Australia Zoo

Australia Zoo is a zoological site housing more than 1,200 animals and encompassing 280 hectares of land. Founded in 1970, this is one of the most respected and famous zoos today, having an annual clients number of 700,000. Most of the animals here are donated by the locals or rescued in Australia, so considering the huge territory and focus on local animals, no wonder the designers chose the contours of Australia as the logotype. The brand name is incorporated inside it, while the ‘home of the crocodile hunter’ wording below is a slogan meant to attract the public attention to the zoo.

Erlebnis Zoo Hannower

Erlebnis Zoo offers its visitors to look at 3,414 animals from 237 species, themed according to their natural habitats. It has a 22-hectare location, performing different natural zones such as African savannahs or South American jungles. The zoo’s mission – to encourage people to love animals and attract their view to species preservation – is reflected in its operations and corporate logotype. The brand mark depicts a lion’s head, drawn so that one can recognize a human’s face right behind it. To the right of it, there is the zoo name in an extra bold script and the slim address below it.

Dvůr Králové Safari Park

Safari Park Dvůr Králové is a 72 ha site that offers visitors to check a collection of 2300 animals brought to the Czech Republic, mostly from Africa. Alongside giraffes, crocodiles, and behemoths, one can see northern white rhinos – one of the rarest animals in Africa. The logotype shows this exotic focus of the zoo, displaying a black rhino contoured beige and placed in an orange rectangle, contoured beige-brown-and-beige. There are three other rectangles, colored brown, white, and beige, each containing its portion of the name, written in a hand-drawn bold typeface with uppercase letters.

Rotterdam Zoo

Rotterdam Zoo is a relatively small zoo based in the Blijdorp district of Rotterdam. It was established in 1857, and since then it has grown into the largest zoo in the Netherlands with around 180 animal species. They’re spread across the 22-hectare site, themed in several natural zones, which makes it an amazing place to walk. Rotterdam Zoo has a simple yet thought-out logotype that displays the heads of two young and adult giraffes. This image is bordered from below by a wavy line from the zoo’s local name, Diergaarde Blijdorp, and its international name caption below it.

Fort Worth Zoo

Fort Worth Zoo first opened its doors in 1909 when it housed just a few animals, donated by the locals or rescued in the wild. Now it has more than 7,000 local and exotic exhibits, that live in a 26-hectare territory, themed to fit their natural habitats. Minimalistic and elegant, the zoo’s brand sign shows a schematic silhouette of an elephant, colored red. It stands to the right of the nameplate, written in a classic slim serif typeface.

Lisbon Zoo

Being one of the most interesting tourist attractions of Portugal’s capital today, Lisbon Zoo was founded in 1884 to educate the public and save wild animals from disappearing. Now it has 2000 animals, referring to mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians species. Its logotype displays a brown elephant walking somewhere and raising its trunk. Below this emblem, the designers wrote the nameplate in Portuguese. The address, ‘Lisboa Portugal’, is handwritten and split into two parts – one placed above the nameplate, one below.

ZooParc De Beauval

The zoo in Beauval, France, is one of the largest homes for wild animals in the country. It offers its visitors to enjoy a wonderful 40-hectare site, split into several zones, and more than 35,000 exhibits. The zoo’s logotype shows a wordmark, colored yellow and written in cartoon-styled bold typeface. The inscription stands on a blue rectangle.

Saint Louis Zoo

St. Louis zoo is an organization offering its visitors to look at the large collection of 18,000 animals from 600 species. Moreover, it is a leader in scientific research and education in the field of zoology, claiming its main values are reliance and compassion. Their logotype depicts a black head of an antelope, placed to the left of the nameplate. Below it, a memorable slogan reads ‘animals always’.