Topeka Zoo
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| Location | Topeka, Kansas, USA |
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| Coordinates | 39°03′25″N 95°43′33″W / 39.0569°N 95.7259°WCoordinates: 39°03′25″N 95°43′33″W / 39.0569°N 95.7259°W |
| Number of animals | 380+[1] |
| Annual visitors | 150,000 |
| Memberships | AZA[2] |
| Website | http://topekazoo.org |
The Topeka Zoo (formally the Topeka Zoological Park) is a medium-sized zoo in Topeka, Kansas in the United States. It is located within Gage Park, just off I-70 in the north central portion of the city. Despite its size, it has a number of exhibits, including one of the first indoor tropical rain forests in the United States. It is one of the most popular attractions in Topeka, with over 150,000 visitors a year.
The Topeka zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
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[edit] History
The Gage Family donated 80 acres (32 ha) to the city of Topeka in 1899 to use for a public park. Over the years, the park has accumulated playgrounds, a swimming pool, a fishing lake, a mini train, a rose garden, and a carousel.[1]
The zoo was opened in the park in 1933. Additional exhibits were constructed over the years, and in 1963 the city hired its first zoo director, Gary K. Clarke. The first major facility at the zoo was constructed in 1966 to house large mammals. Clarke went on to get many of the current exhibits constructed, including Gorilla Encounter (1985), the Koala Exhibit (1986), Lion’s Pride (1989), the Tropical Rainforest, and Discovering Apes.[1][3]
The zoo lost its accreditation with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in 2001, due to mismanagement, poor conditions for some of the animals being exhibited, and the deaths of several animals. In 2003, after a major overhaul of the zoo and the addition of several new exhibits, the Topeka Zoo regained its accreditation.[4]
[edit] Exhibits
- Kansas Carnivores
Kansas Carnivores, opened in 2009, features mountain lions and North American river otters in side-by-side exhibits.
- Black Bear Woods
Black Bear Woods was built in 1997,[3] and features animals from North America. Two small cages house North American porcupine and red-tailed hawk. bald eagle and golden eagle live in tall flight cages. A pronghorn lives in a spacious exhibit, and an arctic fox inhabits a densely planted exhibit. Four black bears live in a spacious enclosure with trees to climb. They can be viewed from an elevated walkway, or a ground level window.
- Waterbird Lagoon
Waterbird Lagoon features three ponds. Waterfowl such as Black-necked Swans, Nenes, and Trumpeter Swans live in these ponds.
- Jungle Cats
The Jungle Cats exhibit features rare Sumatran Tigers and an African Black Leopard in thickly planted, side-by-side exhibits. The tigers have a pool to swim in.
- Tropical Rainforest
The Tropical Rainforest was the first indoor rainforest exhibit in the United States. Birds, such as Scarlet Macaw, Bali Mynah, African Grey Parrot, Roseate Spoonbill, Scarlet Ibis, White-crested Laughingthrush, and Chilean Flamingo, are free roaming, a well as Hoffman's two-toed sloth, a small, deer-like species called Greater Mouse-deer, and Ryukyu Flying Fox. Small exhibits house Asian Small-clawed Otter, Fishing Cat, Three-banded Armadillo, Southern Tamandua, and tortoises.
- Animals and Man
The Animals and Man building features exhibits for small animals, such as solomon island ground boa, Beaded Lizards, Prehensile-tailed Skink, Sugar Glider, Prehensile-tailed Porcupine, and African Crested Porcupine. This building also serves as the indoor house for the zoos Hippopotamus, African and Asian Elephants, and giraffe. They all have large outdoor yards, and the giraffes share theirs with African Crowned Crane.
- Lion's Pride
This exhibit has three lion in a spacious exhibit. Across from the lions is a yard with Grevy's Zebra.
- Discovering Apes
In the Discovering Apes building, orangutans live behind glass in an enclosure. They also have a spacious outdoor yard. Another room houses poison dart frog including the Blue Poison dart frog, Bumblebee poison dart frogs, and Splash Back poison dart frogs, Knights anole and tropical fish. A tunnel leads visitors through the outdoor gorilla enclosure.
- Children's Zoo
The Children's Zoo was added in 1992,[3] and has domestic animals, such as sheep and goats to feed, as well as waterfowl. There is a playground across from the Children's Zoo.
[edit] Incidents
On May 6, 2010, a bobcat in the zoo escaped its cage after a vandal apparently pried the animal's cage open. The bobcat was found several hours later in some bushes not far from its cage, and was tranquilized and returned to its cage without further incident. However, federal regulators cited the zoo for allowing a group of schoolchildren to enter the zoo while the bobcat was still missing.[5]
One orangutang died in 2003 of tularemia, [6]. A dead rabbit was found outside of their enclosure and officials think all three primates handled the rabbit before the 5 orangutangs took ill.Topeka Capital-Journal Article[4]
A hippo died of a seizure after being boiled in 108 degree water in October 2006. Hippo death due to boiler
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c "Welcome". topekazoo.org. Topeka Zoo. http://topekazoo.org. Retrieved 11 September 2010.
- ^ "List of Accredited Zoos and Aquariums". aza.org. Association of Zoos and Aquariums. http://www.aza.org/current-accreditation-list/. Retrieved 11 September 2010.
- ^ a b c Hall, Mike (27 February 2003). "Zoo bullish on reaccreditation". cjonline.com. Topeka Capital-Journal. http://cjonline.com/indepth/zoo/stories/022702_com_zoo.shtml. Retrieved 11 September 2010.
- ^ a b Adamson, Erin (28 March 2003). "Zoo roars back with accreditation". cjonline.com. Topeka Capital-Journal. http://cjonline.com/stories/032803/com_zoo.shtml. Retrieved 11 September 2010.
- ^ "Topeka Zoo finds bobcat after vandals let it loose". ktka.com. KTKA. http://www.ktka.com/news/2010/may/06/officers-search-missing-bobcat/?more_like_this. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
- ^ an infectious disease carried by rabbits and some rodents but sometimes found in humans and primates
[edit] External links
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