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Hidden Jungle

Beautiful secrets of the rain forest

A tropical rain forest is teeming with wildlife, beautiful but often hard to see. In the Hidden Jungle, a glass-walled greenhouse exhibit, you get a chance to observe the wonderful secrets of the rain forests, which are rapidly disappearing around the world. The Hidden Jungle's climate-controlled environment allows you to see some of the most delicate and fascinating creatures around, including neo-tropical birds and tropical plants. The dense growth and variety of plants provide important cover and food sources for Hidden Jungle residents.

You'll begin your Hidden Jungle trek in an earthen crevass beneath the rain forest floor. As your eyes adjust to the dark you can pick out tree roots snaking down the walls from the world above. Mud walls come to life with invertebrates, including spiny stick insects and scorpions, all safely sealed with transparent barriers and dimly lit from within.

Continuing along the path, you'll soon reach the understory and canopy layers of the forest. The earthy mustiness is gone, replaced by a rain forests' humidity. You are surrounded by foliage colored every shade of green in nature's paint box. Here you'll find an assortment of colorful birds: hummingbirds, quetzals, and tanagers.

In the spring, the Hidden Jungle gets an added dose of color during our annual Butterflies & Orchids event, when hundreds of colorful butterflies hatch and add their gentle, fluttering presence to the wonders of this extraordinary exhibit. They adorn orchids, bromeliads, lantanas, and even our guests! When butterflies land on you or nearby, please enjoy them without touching—the butterflies' delicate wings are easily damaged by the oil on our fingers.

Filled with lush plantings and botanical beauties of the rain forest, Hidden Jungle will show you the delight and wonder of looking under and among the leaves, instead of just above them.

Fun facts

• A temperature-controlled environment, with eight air-conditioning and heating units located around the perimeter, provides even distribution of the air.
• Extensive drip-irrigation and misting systems contribute to the tropical atmosphere, allowing orchids, bromeliads, and other epiphytes to grow.
• The Andean cock-of-the-rock Rupicola peruviana is one of many rare and exotic species in Hidden Jungle. The Wild Animal Park has the largest flock of this species in North America.