Just above Central is one of the loveliest outdoor places within urban Hong Kong - the Zoological and Botanical Gardens. As one of the world's oldest botanical and zoological centers, Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens is like a well maintained public park with good selection of trees and plants, birds, mammals and reptiles, benches under shade and around a large fountain; the entry is free.
The Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens (HKZBG) is located on the northern slope of Victoria Peak (it is a few minutes' walk above the lower Peak Tram station) with the highest point of 100 meters and lowest point of 62 meters above sea level. HKZBG, occupying an area of 5.6 hectares, was founded in 1871 as a Botanic Garden and renamed in 1975 as Botanical and Zoological Gardens to reflect the increased commitments to zoological exhibits.
Having served as a temporary Government House from 1841 to 1842, the Garden is still called "Bing Tau Fa Yuen" by the Chinese. Bounded by Garden Road, Robinson Road, Glenealy and Upper Albert Road, the Garden is divided into two parts by Albany Road, but linked by a subway. The eastern part of the Garden is known as the Old Garden where a Children's Playground, Aviaries, Green House and a Fountain Terrace Garden are found. The New Garden in the west is mainly the home of mammals and reptiles.
Beside one of the entrances from Garden Road is this greenhouse, which has a good collection of pitcher plants.
There are also superb orchids, land birds in the garden. Just outside the green house are several large aviaries, with birds including waterbirds like Wood Duck, as well as flamingos, cranes, and intensely coloured Scarlet Ibises that grace an artificial waterfall. Many of the land birds are small, and with several species from East Asia.
This Black-casqued Hornbill is among the ZBG's larger land birds; this is an African species. Below the aviaries is a large fountain, set in an open area with good views over Central high-rises. Above them is a large enclosure that's home to (two) Jaguars. And at the western edge - beside a small magnolia garden - is the entrance to a subway, which leads under Albert Road to the west section of the ZBG.
In the west section of the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens, mammals and reptiles are exhibited. Orang-utans are the stars, though they can seem disdainful of their fans, maybe just slumping on the floor or on high ledges. There are also lemurs, tamarins (tiny monkeys; the ZBG's had success in breeding some rare species, which in the wild are now restricted to tiny pockets of South American rainforest), macaques, porcupines, gibbons, and mouse deer - the world's smallest hoofed animals, also some tortoises and - if you walk down to a lower exhibit - a huge python, and a couple of Yangtze Alligators.