Built in 1906 and opened to the public in 1908, The Beijing Zoo is the oldest zoo in China, and covers an area of approximately 124 acres. The zoo's residents consist of more than 6,000 animals of over 500 species including giant pandas, golden monkeys, and brown bears. The zoo also houses many rare animals from other parts of the world: hippopotami, zebras, giraffes, chimpanzees, lions and antelopes from Africa, parrots from South America, birds and polar bears from the Arctic, bison from Europe and apes from Asia.