Philadelphia Zoo

Philadelphia Zoo

The gate above the zoo's entrance
Date opened	March 21, 1859 (chartered); July 1, 1874 (opened)
Location	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Land area	42 acres (0.17 km²)
Coordinates	39°58′28.22″N 75°11′44.44″W
Number of animals	1,500
Memberships	AZA
Website	http://www.philadelphiazoo.org

The Philadelphia Zoo, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the west bank of the Schuylkill River, was the first zoo in the United States. Chartered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on March 21, 1859, its opening was delayed by the American Civil War until July 1, 1874. It opened with 1,000 animals and an admission price of 25 cents.

The Philadelphia Zoo is one of the premier zoos in the world for breeding animals that have been found difficult to breed in captivity. The zoo also works with many groups around the world to protect the natural habitats of the animals in their care.

The zoo is 42 acres (170,000 m²) and is home to more than 1,300 animals, many of which are rare and endangered. The zoo features a children's zoo, a balloon ride, a paddleboat lake, a rainforest themed carousel, and many interactive and educational exhibits.

Recent events

Entrance

In the early morning of December 24, 1995, a fire in the World of Primates building killed 23 animals, including a family group of six lowland gorillas, a family group of three orangutans, four white-handed gibbons, and ten lemurs (two ruffed, six ringtail, and two mongoose). All were members of endangered species. The animals died in their sleep from smoke inhalation (carbon-monoxide poisoning); none were burned. Ten primates housed in an adjoining building, the Discovery House, survived. At the time of the fire, detection equipment existed in only 20% of the zoo buildings; the primates building, which had been constructed in 1985, was not one of them. In the ten months following the fire, the zoo installed fire detection equipment in all animal buildings.

On July 1, 1999, the zoo opened a new primate exhibit, the PECO Primate Reserve. It features 2.5 acres (10,000 m²) of indoor and outdoor exhibits with ten species of primates, including Sumatran Orangutans, lowland gorillas, lemurs, langurs, and gibbons.

The elephants at the Philadelphia Zoo have been phased out. In July 2009, the last two elephants, both African, departed.

In 2006 the zoo opened a new, $20-million big cat exhibit, Big Cat Falls. Showcasing the animals in scenes reminiscent of their natural habitats, this exhibit allows visitors to get very close to the cats, sometimes separated only by a pane of glass. Visitors can see 12 endangered big cats from around the world, including three new snow leopard cubs, three new cougar kittens, and a new black jaguar cub.

On May 25, 2007, three Amur Tiger cubs were born at the Philadelphia Zoo to mother Kira and father Dmitri (also spelled "Dimitri"). The three female cubs, named Changbai, Koosaka, and Terney, were introduced to the public August 16, 2007.

On June 9, 2008, Petal, the oldest African elephant in a United States zoo, died at the age of 52.

On March 21, 2009, the zoo opened its 150th Anniversary Year-Long Celebrations.

McNeil Avian Centre (photo June 2010)

On May 30, 2009, the zoo opened the McNeil Avian Center, a renovation of its classic bird house. It features two species that are extinct in the wild: the Guam Rail and the Micronesian Kingfisher. A theatre presents a fourteen-minute, 4D-movie about avian migration, following the migration of an animated oriole named Otis.

On October 2, 2009, the Zoo welcomed a baby Sumatran Orangutan, subsequently named "Batu". Batu, a female, is the first-born child to 15-year-old father Sugi and 18-year-old mother Tua. She is also the first baby orangutan to be born in the PECO Primate Reserve, which opened in 1999. The Zoo, however, does have a history of successfully breeding orangutans, being the first zoo in the nation to have a successful birth in 1928.

On April 10, 2010, the Zoo's seasonal "Creatures of Habitat" opened, a unique exhibit featuring 9 animal stations throughout the Zoo, each featuring an endangered animal, and each consisting of statue(s) made completely out of Lego bricks. Each statue was created by Sean Kenney, the first of only nine LEGO-certified artists in the world.

On July 17, 2010, the Zoo welcomed a new female baby giraffe to first-time parents Stella, 7, and Gus, 4 after a gestation period of over 15 months. This is the first giraffe birth at the Philadelphia Zoo in over a decade.

Features of the zoo

The Zooballoon above the Philadelphia Zoo with the pre-2008 balloon.

• The Rare Animal Conservation Center: Interactive graphics and up-close views of some of the world's most endangered animals: giant Rodrigues fruit bats, naked mole rats, blue-eyed lemurs, tree-kangaroos, and more.
• The Reptile and Amphibian House: Features over 125 species of amphibians and reptiles, including giant tortoises and the venomous King Cobra.
• Small Mammal House: Features many species of small mammals, such as meerkats, echidnas, pygmy marmosets, vampire bats, and many others.
• McNeil Avian Center: An aviary finished in 2009 featuring many species of birds, mainly from Africa, the Pacific Islands, South America, and other places. Some species include the Micronesian Kingfisher, Guam Rail, Rhinoceros Hornbill, Mariana Fruit Dove, Victoria Crowned Pigeon, and many others. There is also a 4-D Migration Theater telling the story of an oriole named Otis's migration.
• Bird Valley: A section near the McNeil Avian Center featuring an artificial creek running down a small hill. It's home to waterfowl, Humboldt penguins, flamingos,and Turkey vultures.
• Big Cat Falls: Features numerous species of wild cats including African Lions, Black Jaguars, Amur Tigers, and Pumas. It was in this area of the zoo that Rocky Balboa proposed to Adrian in Rocky II, although that original site, the Carnivora House, has been revamped and renovated into its current Big Cat Falls.
• Carnivore Kingdom: Features a family of six rare, playful Giant Otters, Snow Leopards, Red Pandas, and Canadian Lynx in unique naturalistic environments.
• African Plains: Features Ostriches, a White Rhino, Mhorr Gazelle, reticulated giraffes, an Addax, and zebras.
• Exotic South American animals: Features such animals as Giant Anteaters and capybaras.
• Educational programs are offered for children age three and older. Summer camps are offered for grade school aged children.
• The Animal Health Center: The Philadelphia Zoo hosts one of the nation's busiest and most comprehensive animal hospital and health-care facilities.
• The Zooballoon: a tethered helium balloon, rises 400 feet (120 m) in the air to offer a view of the Zoo, the Schuylkill River, and the Philadelphia Center City skyline.
• The only breeding giant otters in North America. The zoo was also the first to exhibit them in 1996 and the first and only to breed them in 2004.
• Peacocks walk around the zoo freely.

Gallery

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  The zoo's welcome sign.

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  A flock of Flamingos.

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  A Cheetah in his enclosure.

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  A Pygmy Marmoset at the Small Mammals exhibit.

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  Polar bear inside her enclosure.

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  The WPVI Zoo Balloon, from ground level. In late 2008, the zoo changed the color and design of the balloon.

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  Red-shanked Douc

See also

• Fairmount Park

References

• Dewan, Vikram. Best for the animals, best for the zoo, Philadelphia Daily News, December 4, 2006, retrieved December 4, 2006.

External links

• Official website of "America's First Zoo"
• Aerial photographs at the Historic American Buildings Survey
• Listing and photographs at the Historic American Buildings Survey