Riverside Discovery Center
Riverside Discovery Center | |
---|---|
41°51′19″N 103°41′03″W / 41.8552°N 103.6841°W | |
Location | Scottsbluff, Nebraska, United States |
Land area | 23 acres (9.3 ha) |
No. of animals | 200+ |
No. of species | 73 |
Memberships | AZA[1] |
Website | www |
The Riverside Discovery Center, formerly named the Riverside Park and Zoo, is a park and zoo complex along the North Platte River in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, United States.
Riverside Park is Scottsbluff's city park, and has the only zoo in western Nebraska. It includes three lakes with camping and recreation areas, and a riverside trail that runs along the banks of the North Platte River. There are also over 30 garden spots. December 16, 2017 two brother grizzly bears went on exhibit. In the spring of 2017 their mother was illegally killed in Wyoming. State and Federal wildlife officials hoped the two orphaned cubs would survive in the wild without their mother. After several months on their own in the wild, the two cubs became increasingly habituated to humans for food. State and Federal wildlife officials were concerned about public safety and the well-being of the grizzly cubs. When it was evident the cubs were not going to survive in the wild on their own, State and Federal wildlife officials made the decision to capture the two cubs and try to find them a home. Riverside Discovery Center offered to assist in the rescue of the two cubs and to provide a new home for these two grizzly bear cubs.
Riverside Discovery Center was directly in the path of the August 21, 2017 total eclipse.
Animals
The Riverside Discovery Center has a collection of over 200 animals representing 70+ different species, in various exhibits.
North American Grasslands
Contains animals once common in the grasslands of North America:
- American bison (Bison bison)
Garden Walk
Slither Inn
The reptile house that has various snakes, lizards, and amphibians from around the world
- Bearded dragon
- Blue-tongued skink
- Boa constrictor
- Borneo python
- Grammostola pulchripes
- Mexican black kingsnake
- Fire-bellied toads
- Cane toad
- Uromastyx lizard
- Chinese water dragon
Raptor Row
Contains a collection of various raptors:
- Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
- Turkey vulture (Cathartes aura)
- Swainson's hawk (Buteo swainsoni)
- American Crow
- Red Tailed Hawk
- Rough-legged Buzzard
Rainforest Discovery Center
An area dedicated to some of the smaller animals of the rainforest
- Waldrapp ibis (Geronticus eremita)
- Fischer's Lovebird
- Mission golden-eyed tree frog
- Squirrel Monkey
- Emerald Tree Boa
- Taveta Weaver
Chimpanzee Building
Home of the areas chimpanzee and other unique creatures:
Cat Complex
Home to various big cats:
- Siberian Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris)
- Black leopard (Panthera pardus)
- Lion (Panthera leo)
Primate Building
Contains a small collection of primates:
Zebra Circle
Children's Zoo
- Donkey (Equus asinus)
- Pot-bellied pig
- Sheep
- Alpaca
- Highland Cattle
Pond
Miscellaneous exhibits
There are other animals that are not included in any of the aforementioned exhibits:
Incidents
- On December 29, 1994, a leopard attacked a 26-year-old female zookeeper and bit her on the neck. The accident was featured on the television series Rescue 911 in 1995.
Conservation
The Riverside Discovery Center is actively involved in the Survival Species Program for various species of imperiled wildlife on display.
The zoo and park is located a half mile west of Nebraska Highway 71.
References
- ^ "Currently Accredited Zoos and Aquariums". aza.org. AZA. Retrieved 11 August 2011.