Famous Animals of Paris: From Celebrity Pets to World-Class Zoos

Paris boasts a unique menagerie of celebrity animals, historic zoos, and world-class natural history collections.

Internet-Famous Residents

• Hector the Pig: Resident of Île aux Cygnes (artificial island in the Seine). A beloved local celebrity, model, and artistic muse with a devoted following.
• Marcel the Cat: Instagram star (hundreds of thousands of followers), professional model, frequently photographed at Parisian landmarks.

Major Zoological Institutions

• Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes (est. 1794): World's second-oldest public zoo. 2,500+ animals (red pandas, snow leopards, orangutans, reptiles, birds) in a historic botanical garden setting. Part of Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle.
• Parc Zoologique de Paris (Vincennes Zoo, renovated 2014): 14.5 ha, biozone-based (Patagonia, Sahel-Sudan, Europe, Guyana, Madagascar). Stars: giant pandas (on loan from China), manatees, lemurs, giraffes, lions.
• Cité du Singe (Monkey City) – Moisselles (30 km N): Primate-only park; 30+ species (chimps, orangutans, lemurs, gibbons) in semi-free conditions. Research & conservation focus.

Natural History Treasures

• Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (Jardin des Plantes): Vast collections—fossils (dinosaurs, mammoths), comparative anatomy (Cuvier's gallery), mineralogy, herbarium, Grande Galerie de l'Évolution (spectacular taxidermy displays).
• Galerie de Paléontologie et d'Anatomie comparée: Iconic hall of skeletons.

From a pig on a Seine island to pandas in a biozone, Paris offers animal encounters ranging from the whimsically individual to the scientifically profound.