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Zoo Guardians

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Be a Conservation Hero

Calling all animal lovers and budding conservationists: we’re recruiting YOU for the Young Guardians Initiative! Your mission: save species. If you choose to accept it, you’re in for a wild ride — caring for animals and combating the threats they face. Join Zoo Guardians, a mobile game where players build their own zoos, interact with animals through augmented reality, and learn what species need to thrive under human care and in the wild.

Guided by their animal keeper mentors, players can choose from among 67 species to adopt, care for and conserve. Grow your Zoo IQ by completing quests, building habitats, creating social groups and adding enrichment items. Along the way, you’ll learn fun facts from Smithsonian animal care and conservation experts. Be a conservation hero — become a Zoo Guardian today!

Zoo Guardians is free and available to download today. To get updates and connect with other players, follow #ZooGuardians on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

  • A still from the mobile game "Zoo Guardians." Two digitally illustrated cheetahs walk near a stream of water. The text "cheetah" and a series of icons are at the bottom of the screen. An icon of a cheetah and a "back" button are in the top left.
  • A still from the mobile game "Zoo Guardians" featuring an aerial view of a zoo with exhibits and pathways. Icons in each corner display different actions a player can take, and information about the zoo and animals is displayed in points across the top.
  • A screenshot from the mobile game "Zoo Guardians" showing a digital representation of Earth from space with land masses, oceans and clouds.

NEW! Oceans and Coasts Expansion

Zoo Guardians Game Trailer

Meet the Zoo Guardians

  • A digital illustration of a Zoo senior curator with a lemur leaf frog. To the right is the text "Dr. Singh, Senior Curator" and the Smithsonian sunburst logo

    As the devoted senior curator, Dr. Singh does everything in her power to see the zoo succeed. She is committed to the Young Guardians Initiative, as teaching the next generation holds a special place in her heart.

  • A digital illustration of a female zookeeper with a cheetah. To the right is the text "Zoe, Savanna Mentor" and a hexagonal icon featuring a sun

    Savanna keeper and team mentor, Zoe, "herd" you wanted to join the Young Guardians Initiative! She appreciates a good animal pun, gets creative when it comes to problem solving and is passionate about fighting poaching and the ivory trade.

  • A digital illustration of a zookeeper with a ring-tailed lemur. To the right is the text "Mac, Tropical Mentor" and a hexagonal icon featuring a flower

    Love rainforest animals? Then tropical forest keeper and team mentor Mac wants to take you under his wing! With a big heart and a brave soul, Mac is devoted to helping animals in need and protecting their homes from deforestation.

  • A digital illustration of a zookeeper with an owl. To the left is the text "Penn, Polar Mentor" and a hexagonal icon featuring a snowflake

    Ready to chill with polar keeper and Team mentor, Penn? Their care for cool creatures and passion for conservation comes through in everything that they do, especially in the fight against climate change.

  • A digital illustration of a zookeeper with a giant panda. To the right is the text "Pandora, Temperate Forest Keeper" and a hexagonal icon featuring a pinecone

    A friend of the forest is a friend to temperate forest keeper Pandora! With her outgoing personality and enthusiasm for the environment, she befriends animals and humans alike. She cares about critters who call the trees "home" and combats habitat degradation.

  • A digital illustration of a zookeeper with a crocodile. To the right is the text "Helaku, Wetlands Keeper" and a hexagonal icon featuring wetland grasses

    Go with the flow like wetlands keeper Helaku. His easy-going attitude makes him a great teacher and problem-solver. To Helaku, protecting habitats against fragmentation is paramount. He believes in inspiring future generations to ride the wave of caring about conservation!

  • A digital illustration of an animal keeper and a sea turtle with text on the righthand side that says "Otto, Oceans and Coasts Keeper" and an icon featuring a wave.

    Make a splash with Oceans and Coasts keeper Otto! A quiet and kind-hearted keeper, Otto is eager to spread kindness in the world. He combats pollution and illegal fishing to help protect the animals that dive in the sea and sun themselves on the shore.

  • A digital illustration of two young people wearing lanyards and badges. In between them is the text: Miguel and Alex, fellow young guardians

    Just like you, Alex and Miguel are budding Zoo Guardians. Alex aspires to be a veterinarian, and Miguel dreams of becoming a biologist. Together, the three of you will learn about what it takes to run a zoo!

  • A digital illustration of three shadowy villains with the text "Villains"

    There are forces at work against global conservation efforts. Each villain represents a very real threat to wildlife: climate change, deforestation and habitat loss. Can you help the Zoo Guardians defeat them and save animals from extinction?

Stories of Real-life Zoo Guardians

Available for download:

Download in the App Store Get it on Google Play