Objectives Zoos are comprehensive areas integrating education and scientific research, leisure and tourism, and ecological protection. Therefore, studying the spatial distribution of zoos is of great significance as it plays an irreplaceable role in exploring the pattern and situation of ex-situ conservation of wild animals.

Methods In this study, the geographic coordinate data of 401 zoos in the Chinese mainland, including aquariums, were collated, and the spatial analysis of zoos was carried out by using standard deviation ellipse, kernel density estimation, cold and hot spot analysis, and geographical detector methods.

Results The results indicated: (1) From the perspective of spatial distribution characteristics, zoos had obvious agglomeration characteristics in the eastern region, while the number of zoos in the western region was very small, and they were basically distributed in provincial capitals and relatively economically developed cities. On the other hand, the distribution of aquariums was closely related to the distribution characteristics of factors such as economy and population. The preponderance of aquariums in coastal cities suggested that their construction and operation required substantial financial resources, which depended on a robust market economy and a substantial market scale. (2) The kernel density estimation results showed that the construction distribution of aquariums was predominantly influenced by market economy activity. (3) The results of the hot and cold spot analysis revealed that the spatial distribution of zoos in China exhibited significant unevenness, manifesting a spatial pattern of high density in the east, a transition marked by a cliff-like decline in the middle, and a scattered distribution in the west. (4) The results of the single factor detection indicated that economic factors possessed the greatest explanatory power on the distribution of zoos and aquariums. The findings of interaction factor detection further elucidated that the spatial distribution of zoos was most significantly affected by the interplay between the tertiary industry and GDP. The interaction between resident population and per capita GDP also had a strong explanatory power with respect to the spatial agglomeration of the aquarium.

Conclusions The distribution of zoos in the Chinese mainland exhibited clear spatial variations, with the eastern, central, and western regions displaying particularly pronounced disparities. These disparities can be attributed to policy and economic influences. In conclusion, this study provided policy implications for the rational allocation of zoos in China.