The Chilean national zoo is the largest zoo in the country. It is located on the slopes of San Cristobal in the Park Metropolitano de Santiago. The main direction of the National Zoological garden is the preservation and study of species that are in it, as well as entertainment and recreational users.

In 1875, he was made a temporary exhibition of exotic animals in the city Park, known as the QUINTA Normal. Then came the first ideas of the construction of the zoo. In 1882 Professor Julio Bernard opened the first zoo in QUINTA Normal. Twenty years later, in concepción (near Santiago), Professor and entomologist Charles Reid founded the zoo in which lodged the local fauna.

In 1921, the mayor of Santiago Alberto McKenna, along with Professor Charles Reid launched a campaign to attract financing and search of land on which is located the national Zoological gardens. As a result of these efforts, in 1925, the Chilean President Arturo Alessandri Palma has signed a resolution that was allocated 4, 8 hectares of land in the hills of San Cristobal for the construction of the zoo.

After three months, several species of local fauna were transferred to a new zoo from QUINTA Normal, and 70 animals had been transported through the TRANS-Kandinsky railroad from zoos in the cities of Mendoza and Buenos Aires (Argentina). The national zoo was officially opened by Vice-President Luis Barros Borgono December 12, 1925. The first zoo Director was Charles Reid. The Vice President went up the cable car to the middle station, and from there toured the facilities, which were built with the assistance of the architect Teodoro Panoussis two months.

Now the national zoo of Chile covers an area of 4, 8 hectares and has more than 1000 158 species of animals, among them 24% of mammals and 37% of birds are representatives of the local fauna.