The 'Navajo Nation Zoo and Botanical Park' 7 acres (28,000 m²) is a
zoo and
botanical garden located in
Window Rock, Arizona,
USA. Set beneath sandstone pinnacles known as The Haystacks, it showcases native animals and plants that relate to
Navajo culture, and is the only tribal zoo licensed by U.S. Department of Agriculture. It is open to the public for free during daylight hours.
The zoo contains about 30 species of wild animals and birds of prey in natural habitats, most of which are native to the Navajo Nation, as well as several kinds of domestic animals. Its wild creatures include black
bear,
bobcat,
cougar,
coyote,
elk,
gila monsters,
rabbits,
rattlesnakes,
porcupines, and
prairie dogs, as well as
cranes, golden
eagle, red-tailed
hawk, and
quail. Many of these animals roam freely through the park. Domestic animals include the Navajo churro
sheep.
The botanical park is a native "dwarf forest" of
piñon pine and
juniper (commonly called "cedar") interspersed with grasslands. Four-winged
shadscale is common within the park, as are the non-indigenous
Siberian
elms.
See also
★
List of botanical gardens in the United States