In a 4 year period, 77 zoo animals were brought to our diagnostic laboratory. Twenty-six of the 77 animals had diagnostic lesions. Of the diseases of primates, Herpes simplex encephalitis, pyrrolidine alkaloid poisoning and osteodystrophia fibrosa were prominent. Hydatidcsis, trypanosomiasis and myopathies were significant diseases in wild ruminants. Rabies was diagnosed in a lynx. The significance of these diseases to public health and epidemiology, is discussed.