WINTER HOURS (November 7 to March 12)
Open daily 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The last Member entry and admission sold is at 3:30 p.m. (Subject to change based on holiday weekends or serious weather conditions. Please call before your visit on stormy days.)
Children's Zoo open 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. except as noted:
Family Farm 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Insect Zoo 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Animal Resource Center 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
REGULAR HOURS
(March 13 to November 6)
Open daily 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Last admission sold at 4:00 p.m. Members admitted until 4:30 p.m. (Subject to change based on serious weather conditions. Please call before your visit on stormy days.)
Children's Zoo open 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. except as noted:
Family Farm 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Insect Zoo 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Animal Resource Center 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The Lion House is open from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m
The
San Francisco Zoo, housing more than 260 animal species, is located in the southwestern corner of San Francisco, California, between Lake Merced and the Pacific Ocean along the Great Highway. The zoo's main entrance, once located on the north side across Sloat Boulevard and one block south of the Muni Metro L Taraval line, is now to the west on the ocean side of the zoo off of the Great Highway.
The
San Francisco zoo is the birthplace of Koko the gorilla. Read More About Koko Below.
Koko (born July 4, 1971, at
San Francisco Zoo) is a Western Lowland Gorilla who, according to Francine 'Penny' Patterson, is able to understand more than 1,000 signs based on American Sign Language,[1] and understand approximately 2,000 words of spoken English.[2]. As with other ape language experiments, the degree to which Koko masters these signs has been highly controversial, as has been the degree to which such mastery demonstrates language abilities.
Koko has lived most of her life in Woodside, California, although a move to a sanctuary in Maui, Hawaii has been planned since the 1990s.[3]. Koko is short for the name Hanabiko in Japanese, a reference to her date of birth, the Fourth of July. Hanabiko refers to child of fireworks.
Koko was the subject of the 1978 documentary Koko: A Talking Gorilla, directed by Barbet Schroeder.
Koko was mentioned as a predecessor for Amy the talking ape in the Michael Crichton novel Congo, and was inspiration for Sophie from The X-Files episode "Fearful Symmetry".
The title for the 1987 album Darn Floor-Big Bite by alternative rock band Daniel Amos was inspired by Koko's response (by sign language) to an earthquake.
Koko is referenced in The Big Bang Theory Season 3; Episode 10, when Sheldon compares teaching Penny physics with Koko's learning of language. Additionally, in Season 2; Episode 11, Leonard complains about her refusal to date him for his intelligence, only to date MacArthur Genius Grant recipient, Dr. David Underhill, saying that "next to him, I am like one of those sign-language gorillas that knows how to ask for grapes!"
Koko is referenced indirectly in Futurama Jurassic Bark, when Bender comments that he can love inferior beings as a gorilla once loved a cat.
Koko is referenced in season three episode five of The Venture Brothers. When confronted by a menacing gorilla, Dr. Venture tells Billy Quizboy "It's okay, I've talked to a gorilla before! I know their language." and then says to the gorilla "Koko, fine animal person gorilla. Browse drink polite nipple there hurry". When the gorilla becomes more enraged, he tells it "Frown bad!" and then makes Billy Quizboy pretend to be a kitten, explaining to him "They like kittens".
Koko is directly referenced in Seinfeld's 9th season, 19th episode, in which George Costanza is nicknamed by his coworkers because of his behavior.
An episode of the Disney series Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers featured a female gorilla named Koko who possessed a kitten companion, an obvious parody of the real Koko.
In the animated series Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends the character Coco answers "Koko," when asked who her favorite gorilla who knows sign language is.
