The San Diego Zoo is a unique zoo located within Balboa Park, a non-profit wildlife sanctuary, and home to more than 3,500 rare animals. The zoo was founded on October 2, 1916, to be one of the most famous zoos in the world. In addition to the animals, the zoo houses an outstanding botanical collection of more than 700,000 plant species, as well as the San Diego Zoo Research Institute and the San Diego Safari Park. Among the animals that you will see are a group of birds, such as the flamingo, in addition to big cats, such as the lion, tiger, leopard, and bears, such as the panda, polar bear, reptiles, and many others.