A zoo (short for zoological garden ; also called an animal park or menagerie ) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes.
161-504: London Zoo , previously known as ZSL London Zoo or London Zoological Gardens and sometimes called Regent's Park Zoo , is the world's oldest scientific zoo . It was opened in London on 27 April 1828, and was originally intended to be used as a collection for scientific study . In 1831 or 1832, the animals of the Tower of London menagerie were transferred to the zoo's collection. It was opened to
322-643: A menagerie or "zoological forest". The abbreviation "zoo" first appeared in print in the United Kingdom around 1847, when it was used for the Clifton Zoo , but it was not until some 20 years later that the shortened form became popular in the rhyming song " Walking in the Zoo " by music-hall artist Alfred Vance . The term "zoological park" was used for more expansive facilities in Halifax, Nova Scotia , Washington, D.C. , and
483-734: A 1,500-acre (6.1 km ) zoo called Ling-Yu, or the Garden of Intelligence. Other well-known collectors of animals included King Solomon of the Kingdom of Israel and Judah , Queen Semiramis and King Ashurbanipal of Assyria , and King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia . By the 4th century BCE, zoos existed in most of the Greek city states; Alexander the Great is known to have sent animals that he found on his military expeditions back to Greece. The Roman emperors kept private collections of animals for study or for use in
644-533: A 90-room hotel, a Conservation College, and a revamped main entrance that would link the zoo to a marina to be developed on zoo land, all to be completed by 2018. Plans went before the public for comment in June 2009. The projected Heart of Africa bio-dome, along with plans for the hotel, were shelved in 2011 due to the loss of £40m potential funding when the North West Regional Development Agency
805-400: A Congolese pygmy , displayed in a cage with the chimpanzees, then with an orangutan named Dohong, and a parrot. The exhibit was intended as an example of the "missing link" between the orangutan and white man. It triggered protests from the city's clergymen, but the public reportedly flocked to see Benga. Humans were also displayed at various events, especially colonial expositions such as
966-529: A Grade II listed building because of its historical and architectural significance. Rainforest Life is a walk-through indoor exhibit that houses many species of South American rainforest animals. Among the species in the main forest walk-through are Linnaeus's two-toed sloths , golden lion tamarins , red titi monkeys , red-faced spider monkeys , big hairy armadillos , Goeldi's marmosets , southern tamandua , golden-headed lion tamarins , red-footed tortoises and Rodrigues flying foxes . The building also has
1127-585: A collection of 51 lodges, restaurant and access into the zoo. The North of England Zoological Society (NEZS) is the organisation that runs Chester Zoo. It was formed in 1931 by the zoo's founder, George Mottershead . The zoo is managed by a team led by CEO Jamie Christon DL and he reports to the Board of Trustees. Christian is tasked with focusing on the unified strategy which supports the Strategic Development Plan and Conservation Plan. The plan includes
1288-482: A consequence, various management tools are used to preserve the space for the genetically most important individuals and to reduce the risk of inbreeding . Management of animal populations is typically through international organizations such as AZA and EAZA . Zoos have several different ways of managing the animal populations, such as moves between zoos, contraception , sale of excess animals and euthanization (culling). Contraception can be an effective way to limit
1449-700: A darkened area called "Nightlife", which houses nocturnal animals such as Mohol bushbaby , slender lorises , West African pottos , Malagasy giant rats , aye-ayes and blind cave fish . The Mappin Terraces opened in 1913, and features an artificial rocky cliff made of concrete blocks for animal enrichment. This was the zoo's first major attempt at recreating natural environments without bars, influenced by European zoos such as Tierpark Hagenbeck, and many different species have been kept in this enclosure during its lifetime, including bears , penguins , sheep , goats , kangaroos , leopards, and wild boar . The Mappin Terraces
1610-587: A difference in wildlife conservation and education. Humans were occasionally displayed in cages at zoos along with non-human animals, to illustrate the differences between people of European and non-European origin. In September 1906, William Hornaday , director of the Bronx Zoo in New York—;with the agreement of Madison Grant , head of the New York Zoological Society —had Ota Benga ,
1771-617: A dry savannah , and the two outside contain rivers and pools so that the jaguars can exercise their swimming skills. A new breeding pair of Jaguar , Napo (Spotted male) and Goshi (Black female) arrived from separate French zoos in Spring 2013. Spirit of the Jaguar is also home to a colony of leaf-cutter ants , Azara's agoutis , bush dogs , sloths, and an aquarium featuring numerous rainforest fish such as Discus fish and shoals of tetra . The exhibit went through another makeover in late 2011, and now has
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#17328379088501932-573: A fountain, a wood-ornamented greenhouse, a forest area, and enclosures and buildings. The first zoological garden in Australia was Melbourne Zoo in 1860. In German states leading roles came Berlin (1841), Frankfurt (1856), and Hamburg (1863). In 1907, the entrepreneur Carl Hagenbeck founded the Tierpark Hagenbeck in Stellingen, now a quarter of Hamburg . His zoo was a radical departure from
2093-649: A gas station. The animals may be trained to perform tricks, and visitors are able to get closer to them than in larger zoos. Since they are sometimes less regulated, roadside zoos are often subject to accusations of neglect and cruelty . In June 2014 the Animal Legal Defense Fund filed a lawsuit against the Iowa-based roadside Cricket Hollow Zoo for violating the Endangered Species Act by failing to provide proper care for its animals. Since filing
2254-573: A group of lar gibbons. Animals and plants from Indonesia are exhibited inside Realm of the Red Ape in a rainforest-themed setting. Birds on display include blue-crowned hanging parrots , Timor sparrows , chestnut-backed thrushes , roul-roul partridges , superb fruit doves and black-naped fruit doves . Crocodile monitors , reticulated pythons , red-tailed racers , Bell's Angle-Head Lizards , Chinese water dragons , emerald tree monitors , white-lipped tree vipers and green tree pythons feature among
2415-485: A juvenile male named Gernot (the son of Effie and former silverback Kumbuka) born in November 2015, a female infant named Juno born to mother Mjukuu on 17 January 2024 and a second female infant named Venus was born to mother Effie on 8 February 2024, just three and a half weeks after the first. The Gorilla Kingdom area also features smaller enclosures housing white-naped mangabeys and Diana monkeys . The exhibit also features
2576-503: A lack of natural wild habitat in which to reintroduce animals. This highlights the importance of in situ conservation, or preservation of natural spaces, in addition to the utility of zoo captive breeding and reintroduction programs. In situ conservation and reintroduction programs are key elements to obtaining certification by reputable organisations such as the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Efforts to clone endangered species in
2737-497: A lake, giving uninterrupted views of the birds. In addition to the 100-strong flock of flamingos, the aviary is home to scarlet ibis , roseate spoonbill , black-necked stilt , Orinoco goose , Muscovy duck , ringed teal , black-bellied whistling duck and other waterfowl species. Fruit Bat Forest is the largest free-flying bat cave in Europe. The cave holds two species of bat: Rodrigues fruit bats , and Seba's short-tailed bats . It
2898-518: A large coral reef aquarium with corals and over 200 reef fish. The Millennium Conservation Centre aims to be environmentally friendly, constructed from materials requiring little energy to produce, and generating its heating from the body heat of both the animals and visitors. In May 2015, an exhibit called "In With the Spiders" opened in the exhibit as Europe's first and only spider walkthrough exhibit. It houses many different types of spiders, including one of
3059-433: A large fire broke out at Animal Adventure. The fire was brought under control by 9:30 am after spreading to the cafe and shop on the premises. It is estimated that three-quarters of the cafe/shop suffered severe damage. A nine-year-old aardvark named Misha was pronounced dead, and four meerkats were declared unaccounted for and presumed dead. The zoo reopened on Christmas Eve. One of London Zoo's most well-known buildings,
3220-424: A managed captive breeding programme. The zoo manages the studbooks for Congo buffalo , jaguar , blue-eyed cockatoo , Madagascan tree boa , gemsbok (all ESB species), eastern black rhinoceros , Ecuadorian amazon parrot , Mindanao writhe-billed hornbill , Sumatran tiger and Rodrigues flying fox (all EEP species). In addition, Chester holds 265 threatened plant species. At the end of 2015, Chester zoo became
3381-455: A matter of public interest in the 1970s, a few zoos began to consider making conservation their central role, with Gerald Durrell of the Jersey Zoo , George Rabb of Brookfield Zoo , and William Conway of the Bronx Zoo ( Wildlife Conservation Society ) leading the discussion. From then on, zoo professionals became increasingly aware of the need to engage themselves in conservation programs, and
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#17328379088503542-448: A model of cooperation for conservation. Loaned animals usually remain the property of the original park, and any offspring yielded by loaned animals are usually divided between the lending and holding institutions. For decades the capture of wild animals or purchasing of animals has been broadly considered unethical and has not been practiced by reputable zoos. Especially in large animals, a limited number of spaces are available in zoos. As
3703-571: A more spacious site at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire to which the larger animals such as elephants and rhinos have been moved. As well as being the first scientific zoo, London Zoo also opened the first reptile house (1849), the first public aquarium (1853), first insect house (1881) and the first children's zoo (1938). ZSL receives no state funding and relies on 'Fellows' and 'Friends' memberships, entrance fees, venue hire, and sponsorship to generate income. The Zoological Society of London (ZSL)
3864-418: A new strategy that sets out the aims and mission of zoological gardens of the 21st century. When studying behaviour of captive animals, several things should however be taken into account before drawing conclusions about wild populations. Including that captive populations are often smaller than wild ones and that the space available to each animal is often less than in the wild. Conservation programs all over
4025-434: A place of refuge . Today, many zoos are improving enclosures by including tactile and sensory features in the habitat that allow animals to encourage natural behaviors. These additions can prove to be effective in improving the lives of animals in captivity. The tactile and sensory features will vary depending on the species of animal. There are animals that are injured in the wild and are unable to survive on their own, but in
4186-481: A population's breeding. However it may also have health repercussions and can be difficult or even impossible to reverse in some animals. Additionally, some species may lose their reproductive capability entirely if prevented from breeding for a period (whether through contraceptives or isolation), but further study is needed on the subject. Sale of surplus animals from zoos was once common and in some cases animals have ended up in substandard facilities. In recent decades
4347-416: A reptile house. The pavilion houses roughly 50 different species of exotic rainforest birds, including blue-crowned laughingthrushes , collared trogons , Socorro doves , red-crested turacos , splendid sunbirds and red-and-yellow barbets . Outside the entrance is one of the pavilion's prominent features, a large elaborate clock by Tim Hunkin . It gives a bird-themed display every thirty minutes throughout
4508-587: A small number of zoos. To solve this organizations like EAZA and AZA have begun to develop husbandry manuals. Many modern zoos attempt to improve animal welfare by providing more space and behavioural enrichments . This often involves housing the animals in naturalistic enclosures that allow the animals to express more of their natural behaviours, such as roaming and foraging. Whilst many zoos have been working hard on this change, in some zoos, some enclosures still remain barren concrete enclosures or other minimally enriched cages. Chester Zoo Chester Zoo
4669-547: A suitable alternative. Off-site conservation relies on zoos, national parks, or other care facilities to support the rehabilitation of the animals and their populations. Zoos benefit conservation by providing suitable habitats and care to endangered animals. When properly regulated, they present a safe, clean environment for the animals to increase populations sizes. A study on amphibian conservation and zoos addressed these problems by writing, Whilst addressing in situ threats, particularly habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation,
4830-541: A suitable environment for wild native animals such as herons to live in or visit. A colony of black-crowned night herons has regularly summered at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. for more than a century. Some zoos may provide information to visitors on wild animals visiting or living in the zoo, or encourage them by directing them to specific feeding or breeding platforms. In modern, well-regulated zoos, breeding
4991-399: A theme focusing on human/wildlife conflict. An outdoor enclosure for two-toed sloths is currently under-going construction. Realm of the Red Ape is a GBP 3.5 million extension to the existing orangutan house, home to Bornean orangutans , and was the most expensive capital project in the zoo's history before the construction of Islands. The exhibit opened to the public on 26 May 2007 after
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5152-400: A two-year construction period. It comprises a new two-story building linked to the existing orangutan house with three indoor and two outdoor enclosures, providing accommodation for a larger number of apes. The outdoor areas can be viewed from a first floor public gallery and feature mesh roofs supported by tree-like structures which act as climbing frames for the apes. A further enclosure houses
5313-553: A variety of waterfowl , amongst other species. At the other side of the Bird Safari is a Large pen for wattled cranes and Black Crowned Cranes . The former Caribbean flamingo exhibit has been redeveloped as a mixed-species netted aviary for Latin American wetland birds. The new exhibit opened in June 2021, coinciding with the Zoo's 90th anniversary. Visitors enter the aviary along a walkway and viewing platform which project out over
5474-548: A variety of fish species. That phase including Monsoon Forest is now complete and open with the installation of the Sumatran orangutans and the arrival of a breeding pair of Javan silvery gibbons in December 2015. A third phase for Islands opened in summer 2017. The third phase included new exhibits for Malayan sun bear , Palawan binturongs , Malayan tapir , and a new songbird aviary featuring various birds from Indonesia as well as
5635-485: A walk-through aviary housing African birds . Into Africa is an Africa -themed area that opened in April 2006. Animals on display in this area include Chapman's zebras , common warthogs , okapis , common ostriches , giraffes , pygmy hippos , and African wild dogs . The Giraffe House at London Zoo, built in 1837, is the world's oldest zoo building still used for its original purpose. The Giraffe House has been designated as
5796-401: A walk-through bird aviary featuring the critically endangered Bali starling , as well as Java sparrows , pied imperial pigeons and purple-naped lories . Phase two opened later in the summer and includes Sumatran tigers , Sunda gharials , and other reptiles (such as tentacled snakes and brown tortoises ), birds ( Javan rhinoceros hornbills , and Indonesian songbirds) invertebrates and
5957-484: A week to assist the running of London Zoo, wearing red pullovers, are employed by both Education and Animal care. During the covid epidemic , which started in 2020, the zoo was closed from 21 March to 15 June 2020. This closure resulted in a "perilous financial position" for the zoo due to the loss of revenue. The Snowdon Aviary was redeveloped as Monkey Valley , opening in 2022. The Zoo has many named areas and attractions. Several of them are available for hire outside
6118-580: A year and have special programs for schools. They are organized by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums . Japan's first modern zoo, Tokyo's Ueno Imperial Zoological Gardens , opened in 1882 based on European models. In World War II it was used to teach the Japanese people about the lands recently conquered by the Army. In 1943, fearing American bombing attacks, the government ordered the zoo to euthanize dangerous animals that might escape. When ecology emerged as
6279-887: Is "the advancement of Zoology and Animal Physiology and the introduction of new and curious subjects of the Animal Kingdom." It maintains two research institutes, the Nuffield Institute of Comparative Medicine and the Wellcome Institute of Comparative Physiology. In the United States, the Penrose Research Laboratory of the Philadelphia Zoo focuses on the study of comparative pathology . The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums produced its first conservation strategy in 1993, and in November 2004, it adopted
6440-579: Is a zoo in Upton-by-Chester , Cheshire , England. Chester Zoo was opened in 1931 by George Mottershead and his family. The zoo is one of the UK's largest zoos at 51 hectares (130 acres) and the zoo has a total land holding of approximately 160 hectares (400 acres). Chester Zoo is operated by the North of England Zoological Society, a registered charity founded in 1934. The zoo receives no government funding and
6601-430: Is a suburb of Chester . He bought Oakfield Manor for £3,500 in 1930. The house had 9 acres (3.6 ha) of gardens and provided easy access to the railways and to Manchester and Liverpool . There were local objections, but Mottershead prevailed, and Chester Zoo opened to the public on 10 June 1931. The first animals were displayed in pens in the courtyard. An Ordnance Survey inch-a-mile map published in 1936 shows
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6762-470: Is a walk-through exhibit housing various species of birds including waldrapp ibises , Abdim's storks , great arguses , emerald doves , and scarlet ibises . The Blackburn Pavilion is a rainforest-themed tropical bird aviary that opened in March 2008 as a refurbishment of the zoo's outdated birdhouse. It rejuvenated the birdhouse by adding a walk-through element. The building was originally constructed in 1883 as
6923-492: Is also home to a varied collection of other species including, common tenrecs and blind cave fish . Monkey Islands was opened in 1997, replacing the old monkey house, and is currently home to four monkey species: Colombian spider monkeys , mandrills , lion-tailed macaques and Buffy-headed capuchins . Campbell's guenons and porcupines were formerly housed with the mandrills, and Sulawesi crested macaques were kept here until they moved to 'Islands' in 2015. Visitors enter
7084-546: Is constructed with a pyramidal aluminium framework reaching 21m high. In 2021, the aviary was re-developed into a walkthrough primatarium called "Monkey Valley", which opened to the public in August 2022 and houses a troop of eastern black and white colobus monkeys . The structure has been a Grade II* listed building since 1998. Land of the Lions is London Zoo's Asiatic lion enclosure, opened in 2016. It covers 2,500 square metres, and
7245-414: Is controlled to maintain a self-sustaining, global captive population. This is not the case in some less well-regulated zoos, often based in poorer regions. Overall "stock turnover" of animals during a year in a select group of poor zoos was reported as 20%-25% with 75% of wild caught apes dying in captivity within the first 20 months. The authors of the report stated that before successful breeding programs,
7406-408: Is currently an Australia-themed exhibit called "The Outback", housing emus and red-necked wallabies . There was an aquarium at the zoo from 1853 until 2019. The zoo's first aquarium was also the world's first public aquarium, and was created and stocked by Philip Henry Gosse who coined the word "aquarium", as a portmanteau of aquatic vivarium. In 1853 opened a building known as Fish House, while
7567-540: Is currently undeveloped. London Zoo established a Community Access Scheme in 2019 to provide 100,000 subsidised tickets to charities and groups assisting low-income families, older individuals, and people with disabilities. The scheme is intended to run until 2023. This started with a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to convert the Snowdon Aviary to a colobus monkey enclosure. The scheme
7728-473: Is designed to resemble an Indian town on the edge of the Gir Forest National Park , intended to demonstrate how the lion's natural habitat overlaps with local urban environments. Hanuman langurs , small Indian mongooses , and Rüppell's vultures are also displayed in this area. Tiger Territory is London Zoo's Sumatran tiger enclosure, designed by architect Michael Kozdon and officially opened by
7889-427: Is home to Asian small-clawed otters , while the other enclosure houses meerkats . The exhibit was initially designed to accommodate meerkats , otters , European forest reindeer and Goeldi's monkeys . However, the reindeer were relocated to Whipsnade Zoo , and the monkeys were transferred to the zoo's Rainforest Life building. Three Island Pond was only granted exhibit status in 2021. This artificially shaped pond
8050-525: Is home to 26 Western chimpanzees . This is the largest colony of chimps in Europe, housed in the Roundhouse, a conical indoor enclosure linked to an outside moated island. The island is planted with many bushes and has large poles for the chimps to climb on. The inside area has a climbing frame that allows the chimps to stay close together on several levels of platform. There are seven interconnected off-show dens. The zoo's black rhinoceros exhibit, modelled on
8211-493: Is named after the three islands within it. It is separated into two enclosures: one houses greater flamingoes , and the other is home to Eastern white pelicans . Other notable animals in London Zoo's collection include Bactrian camels , military macaws , hyacinth macaws , blue-throated macaws and Alaotran gentle lemurs . The zoo's north bank, north of the canal, formerly housed the bird incubation and rearing unit. The area
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#17328379088508372-511: Is now its own exhibit, known as The Cassons, and it houses a family of red river hogs and babirusas . Opened by the Duke of Edinburgh in March 2007, Gorilla Kingdom consists of a moated island, home to a group of western lowland gorillas . The zoo currently holds seven gorillas: an adult male named Kiburi, two adult females named Mjukuu and Effie, a juvenile female named Alika (the daughter of Mjukuu and former silverback Kumbuka) born in December 2014,
8533-462: Is of primary importance; for many amphibian species in situ conservation alone will not be enough, especially in light of current un-mitigatable threats that can impact populations very rapidly such as chytridiomycosis [an infectious fungal disease]. Ex situ programmes can complement in situ activities in a number of ways including maintaining genetically and demographically viable populations while threats are either better understood or mitigated in
8694-631: Is the most-visited wildlife attraction in Britain with more than 2 million visitors in 2019. In 2007 Forbes described the zoo as one of the fifteen best zoos in the world. In 2017 and more recently, 2024, the zoo was named as the best zoo in the UK and as also regarded as the third best in the world by TripAdvisor . The Mottershead family's market garden business was based in Shavington near Crewe . George Mottershead collected animals such as lizards and insects that arrived with exotic plants imported by
8855-570: Is the oldest zoo in Poland, opened in 1865 when the city was part of Prussia , and was home to about 10,500 animals representing about 1,132 species (in terms of the number of animal species, it is the third largest in the world ). In 2014 the Wrocław Zoo opened the Africarium , the only themed oceanarium devoted solely to exhibiting the fauna of Africa , comprehensively presenting selected ecosystems from
9016-531: The American Zoo Association soon said that conservation was its highest priority. In order to stress conservation issues, many large zoos stopped the practice of having animals perform tricks for visitors. The Detroit Zoo , for example, stopped its elephant show in 1969, and its chimpanzee show in 1983, acknowledging that the trainers had probably abused the animals to get them to perform. Mass destruction of wildlife habitat has yet to cease all over
9177-502: The Bronx in New York, which opened in 1846, 1891 and 1899 respectively. Relatively new terms for zoos in the late 20th century are " conservation park" or "bio park". Adopting a new name is a strategy used by some zoo professionals to distance their institutions from the stereotypical and nowadays criticized zoo concept of the 19th century. The term "bio park" was first coined and developed by
9338-478: The Duke of Edinburgh in March 2013. The zoo currently houses four tigers: a male named Asim, a female named Gaysha, and their two cubs, Zac and Crispin, born in June 2022. The enclosure is 2,500 square metres (27,000 square feet) in size and features authentic Indonesian plant life, as well as a net canopy of 3mm steel cable supported by four metal poles. The Casson Pavilion is one of the zoo's Grade II listed buildings and
9499-529: The National Zoo in Washington D.C. in the late 1980s. In 1993, the New York Zoological Society changed its name to the Wildlife Conservation Society and re branded the zoos under its jurisdiction as "wildlife conservation parks". The predecessor of the zoological garden is the menagerie , which has a long history from the ancient world to modern times. The oldest known zoological collection
9660-615: The OBE , an honorary degree of MSc, and served as President of the International Union of Zoo Directors. He died in 1978 aged 84. Mottershead wanted to build a zoo without the traditional Victorian iron bars to cage the animals. He was influenced by the ideas of Carl Hagenbeck , who invented the modern zoo concept and by Heini Hediger , a pioneer of ethology . At Chester, Mottershead took Hagenbeck's idea for moats and ditches as an alternative to cage bars, and extended their use throughout
9821-481: The United Kingdom , was focused on providing scientific study and later educational exhibits to the public for entertainment and inspiration. A growing fascination for natural history and zoology , coupled with the tremendous expansion in the urbanization of London, led to a heightened demand for a greater variety of public forms of entertainment to be made available. The need for public entertainment, as well as
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#17328379088509982-973: The Zoological Society of London in 1931 which today (2014) covers 600 acres (2.4 km ). Since the early 1970s, an 1,800 acre (7 km ) park in the San Pasqual Valley near San Diego has featured the San Diego Zoo Safari Park , run by the Zoological Society of San Diego. One of two state-supported zoo parks in North Carolina is the 2,000-acre (8.1 km ) North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro. The 500-acre (2.0 km ) Werribee Open Range Zoo in Melbourne, Australia, displays animals living in an artificial savannah . The first public aquarium
10143-930: The thylacine , the Falkland Islands Wolf , a pair of pink headed ducks , some Passenger pigeons , the Bubal hartebeest , the Syrian wild ass , the Northern Sumatran rhinoceros , the Javan tiger , the Schomburgk's deer , the Pinta Island tortoise , the Caspian tiger , as well as the endlings of the norfolk kaka , the Partula turgida snail, and the Santa Lucian Pilorie . Obaysch
10304-507: The 1931 Paris Colonial Exposition , with the practice continuing in Belgium at least to as late as 1958 in a "Congolese village" display at Expo '58 in Brussels. These displays, while sometimes called "human zoos", usually did not take place in zoos or use cages. Zoo animals live in enclosures that often attempt to replicate their natural habitats or behavioral patterns, for the benefit of both
10465-400: The 1980s, London Zoo housed 8,000 animals of more than 900 species, and in the 1990s, the zoo possessed 7,000 animals of 850 species; the next biggest collection in Britain was Chester Zoo , with just under 3,500 animals. Many of the species in London Zoo could not be seen anywhere else in the country, such as the wombat , Tasmanian devil or long-nosed potoroo . Although this vast collection
10626-414: The 19th century, usually using London and Paris as models. The transition was made from princely menageries designed to entertain high society with strange novelties into public zoological gardens. The new goal was to educate the entire population with information along modern scientific lines. Zoos were supported by local commercial or scientific societies. The modern zoo that emerged in the 19th century in
10787-503: The 2010s. Thus the zoo is entered in the 'newer' part west of Flag Lane, near the elephants, and the old car parks at the east end are being built over with service, admin and educational buildings. The new entrance was re-modelled in 2012 to commemorate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee . The zoo owns land outside the public area, and uses that land to grow food for its herbivorous animals. Chester's catering facilities include Bembé Kitchen (formerly
10948-601: The Acorn Bar, are both used for private functions as well as catering to zoo visitors. There are children's play areas, shops, kiosks and several picnic lawns around the zoo. A second pedestrian entrance is located in the southeast corner of the zoo behind Oakfield House. Chester Zoo holds a large and diverse collection. At the end of 2007, over half the species at the zoo appeared on the IUCN Red List and 155 were classified as threatened species . 134 species were kept as part of
11109-531: The Asian Forest opened in Easter 2006, as a major alteration of the zoo's previous elephant house. Inside the elephant house, other indigenous Asian species are exhibited, including Great hornbills , azure-winged magpies , red-billed blue magpies , prevost's squirrels , belanger's tree shrews , northern Luzon giant cloud rats , There is an aquarium for clown loach and tiger barb fish. On 10 February 2011 Sheba,
11270-623: The Aztec revolt against the Spanish rule, and during the subsequent battle for the city, Cortés reluctantly ordered the zoo to be destroyed. The oldest zoo in the world still in existence is the Tiergarten Schönbrunn in Vienna , Austria. It was constructed by Adrian van Stekhoven in 1752 at the order of Emperor Francis I , to serve as an imperial menagerie as part of Schönbrunn Palace . The menagerie
11431-460: The Galápagos was opened in 2009 to coincide with the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin , and is home to three female Galápagos giant tortoises named Dolly, Polly and Priscilla. It includes a large indoor area with a heated pond and underfloor heating , while the outdoor paddock has been designed to mimic the tortoise's natural environment and features two heated pools, one of which is a naturalistic clay wallow. London Zoo's Komodo dragon enclosure
11592-538: The Lemurs is a walk-through exhibit housing a group of ring-tailed lemurs and Lac Alaotra bamboo lemurs . It also has a family of aye-ayes living in the indoor section as well as lesser hedgehog tenrecs . The exhibit is designed to resemble a shrub forest in Madagascar , featuring plant life such as loquat and Chusan palm trees. Opened by comedians Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt of The Mighty Boosh in 2005, Meet
11753-521: The Monkeys is a walk-through enclosure that houses a troop of black-capped squirrel monkeys . The exhibit has no roof, and there are no boundaries between the monkeys and the visitors. It is the southernmost enclosure in the zoo. Opened in May 2006, Butterfly Paradise houses several species of butterfly and moth from around the world, as well as plant species specially selected to provide nectar and breeding areas for
11914-470: The Monsoon Forest Habitat. The zoo had to be evacuated and was closed. Fifteen fire crews attended the zoo along with two rapid response units and an ambulance. All mammals were accounted for and one person was treated for the effects of smoke inhalation . Some birds , frogs , fish and small insects were killed in the blaze. The zoo reopened on Sunday 16 December 2018. Chester Zoo monorail
12075-473: The Nova Scotia public in 1847. It was originally intended to be used as a collection for scientific study. By the early 1860s, the zoo grounds covered 40 hectares with many fine flowers and ornamental trees, picnic areas, statues, walking paths, The Glass House (which contained a greenhouse with an aviary, aquarium, and museum of stuffed animals and birds), a pond, a bridge over a waterfall, an artificial lake with
12236-549: The Queen begging her to stop the sale. He was sold to Phineas Barnum 's circus, the Barnum & Bailey Circus , in 1882, where he was later crushed by a locomotive and killed. Winnipeg the Bear (or Winnie) was an American black bear given to the zoo in 1914 by a Canadian lieutenant , Harry Colebourn . A. A. Milne visited with his son Christopher Robin , and the boy was so enamoured with
12397-743: The Reptile House opened in 1927 and was designed by Joan Beauchamp Procter and Sir Edward Guy Dawber . It housed several species of reptile, including Jamaican boa , Philippine crocodiles , Annam leaf turtles , Fiji banded iguanas , northern caiman lizards , puff adders , king cobras and emerald tree boas . In December 2012, a refurbished amphibian section was opened to the public, displaying amphibians such as Chinese giant salamanders , axolotls , African bullfrogs , Lake Oku clawed frogs , White's tree frogs and various types of poison dart frog . A new Reptile House, titled "The Secret Life of Reptiles and Amphibians", opened in Easter 2024. Giants of
12558-532: The Society, providing access to species such as Arabian oryx , greater kudus , orangutan and the now extinct quagga and thylacine . The Society was granted a royal charter in 1829 by King George IV , and in 1847 the zoo opened to the public to aid funding. It was believed that tropical animals could not survive outside in London's cold weather, so they were all kept indoors until 1902, when Peter Chalmers Mitchell
12719-628: The Tsavo Cafe) near the main entrance which opened in 2006 to replace the former Oasis Cafe (formerly Mpila Snack Bar until the early 1980s). June's Pavilion (formerly the Jubilee Cafe and latterly the Ark Restaurant) is on the west of the zoo and Manado Street Kitchen is found on Sulawesi in the Islands exhibit. The Oakfield is a restaurant in a Victorian mansion house near the lion enclosure, and along with
12880-584: The Tsavo National Park in Kenya, was opened in 2003 at a cost of GBP2 million. The zoo has a successful rhinoceros breeding programme and currently keeps eight rhinos. Meerkats and crested porcupines are kept in a co-habitated enclosure nearby, and a nearby paddock is home to warthogs . In 2009, a walk-through bird safari with African bird species opened. It currently houses von der decken's hornbills , lilac-breasted rollers , hammerkops , weaver birds and
13041-560: The Twilight Zone (now called Fruit Bat Forest), has improved the ability of visitors to circulate. For a long time the public entrance was at the east end off Caughall Road. In Summer 1995 the public entrance moved to the north side with dedicated access off the A41 Chester By-Pass. A brown sign which gave visitors directions to the new entrance was installed at the junction of the former entrance, and curiously it remained there until
13202-900: The U.S. and Canada by Species Survival Plans; in Australasia, by the Australasian Species Management Program; in Europe, by the European Endangered Species Program; and in Japan, South Asia, and South East Asia, by the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the South Asian Zoo Association for Regional Cooperation , and the South East Asian Zoo Association. Besides conservation of captive species, large zoos may form
13363-461: The United Kingdom's most endangered animals, the fen raft spider , as well as golden orb weavers . Penguin Beach opened on 26 May 2011 and houses Humboldt penguins . A single male northern rockhopper penguin named Ricky also lived there until he was moved to Whipsnade Zoo in March 2017. The pool itself is the largest penguin pool containing penguins in an English zoo. Opened in March 2015, In with
13524-544: The United States, Europe, and Asia are frequently embedded in zoos and zoological parks. The position of most modern zoos in Australasia , Asia , Europe , and North America , particularly those with scientific societies, is that they display wild animals primarily for the conservation of endangered species , as well as for research purposes and education, and secondarily for the entertainment of visitors. The Zoological Society of London states in its charter that its aim
13685-737: The animals and visitors. Nocturnal animals are often housed in buildings with a reversed light-dark cycle, i.e. only dim white or red lights are on during the day so the animals are active during visitor hours, and brighter lights on at night when the animals sleep. Special climate conditions may be created for animals living in extreme environments, such as penguins. Special enclosures for birds , mammals , insects , reptiles , fish , and other aquatic life forms have also been developed. Some zoos have walk-through exhibits where visitors enter enclosures of non-aggressive species, such as lemurs , marmosets , birds, lizards , and turtles . Visitors are asked to keep to paths and avoid showing or eating foods that
13846-487: The animals might snatch. Some zoos keep animals in larger, outdoor enclosures, confining them with moats and fences, rather than in cages. Safari parks , also known as zoo parks and lion farms, allow visitors to drive through them and come in close proximity to the animals. Sometimes, visitors are able to feed animals through the car windows. The first safari park was Whipsnade Park in Bedfordshire, England, opened by
14007-434: The animals' needs, but constraints such as size and expense can complicate this. The type of enclosure and the husbandry are of great importance in determining the welfare of animals. Substandard enclosures can lead to decreased lifespans, caused by factors as human diseases, unsafe materials in the cages and possible escape attempts (Bendow 382). However, when zoos take time to think about the animal's welfare, zoos can become
14168-469: The area around as farmland and villages and marks the present Zoo area north of Oakfield as "Butter Hill". Rapid expansion followed after the Second World War, despite the difficulty of sourcing materials. Mottershead had to be resourceful; the polar bear exhibit (1950) was built from recycled wartime road blocks and pillboxes . "Always building" was the zoo's slogan at the time. Mottershead received
14329-448: The arena, the latter faring notoriously poorly. The 19th-century historian W. E. H. Lecky wrote of the Roman games , first held in 366 BCE: At one time, a bear and a bull , chained together, rolled in fierce combat across the sand ... Four hundred bears were killed in a single day under Caligula ... Under Nero , four hundred tigers fought with bulls and elephants. In a single day, at
14490-508: The bear Milne wrote the famous series of books for him entitled Winnie-the-Pooh . A 2004 film, A Bear Named Winnie , is based on the story of Winnie the bear, with Michael Fassbender playing Harry Colebourn. Zoo The term zoological garden refers to zoology , the study of animals. The term is derived from the Ancient Greek ζῷον , zōion , 'animal', and the suffix -λογία , -logia , 'study of'. The abbreviation zoo
14651-419: The boundary of the main zoo and is free for people to enter. In October 2018, two Indian elephant calves (Nandita Hi Way, age 3 years, and Aayu Hi Way, age 18 months), died of elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV). From 1995 on this virus disease has caused many deaths of Indian elephants across the world in zoos and in the wild. On 15 December 2018, an electrical fault caused a fire to break out at
14812-630: The breeding male Aung-Bo, ageing female Maya, Thi Hi Way, her daughters Sithami Hi Way and Nandita Hi Way and Sithami's son, Aayu Hi Way who was born in January 2017 and daughter Sundara Hi Way and her daughter Indali Hi Way who was born in December 2016. The elephant house also used to house African elephants , rhinos , hippos and tapirs . Motty , a hybrid African-Asian elephant calf was born in July 1978, but died in infancy. A £2 million breeding facility modelled on an Assam (India) rainforest called Elephants of
14973-627: The building. It now currently houses spiny turtles in one side and the critically endangered Mountain Chicken Frogs with some Caribbean Hermit Crabs in the other. Dragons in Danger also houses various Indonesian and Philippine rainforest birds, such as Palawan peacock-pheasants , pheasant pigeons , Montserrat Orioles and Visayan tarictic hornbills . Recently added was a pair of Philippine Mouse Deer which have successfully bred. Also housed here are Montserrat Tarantulas which Chester bred in 2016 for
15134-525: The business. A visit to Belle Vue Zoo in Manchester as a boy in 1903 fuelled his developing interest in creating a zoo of his own. Mottershead was wounded in the First World War and spent several years in a wheelchair. Despite this, his collection of animals grew and he began to search for a suitable home for his zoo. He chose Oakfield Manor in Upton-by-Chester , which was a country village then but now
15295-673: The camel house, this enclosure adjoining the giraffe house was remodelled in 2006 to house okapi . Initially two males were kept: Dicky arrived from Marwell Wildlife in 2005 and Mbuti came from Bristol Zoo in the same year. In 2006 Dicky left for London Zoo to make way for a female named Stuma from Germany. In 2009 Mbuti and Dicky were swapped back, with Mbuti going to London Zoo and Dicky coming back to Chester. Other animals that can be seen here include Red forest duikers , Gambian pouched rats , butterfly barbs , Gaboon vipers and short-eared elephant shrews . Mount Kulal spiny mice and Mesic four- striped grass mice have also been kept here in
15456-633: The classical zoo, such as stage shows, roller coasters, and mythical creatures. Some examples are Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida , both Disney's Animal Kingdom and Gatorland in Orlando, Florida , Flamingo Land in North Yorkshire, England , and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, California . By 2000 most animals being displayed in zoos were the offspring of other zoo animals. This trend, however
15617-537: The conservation and observation of animals was expressed in connection with the political construction of republican citizenship. The Kazan Zoo , the first zoo in Russia was founded in 1806 by the Professor of Kazan State University Karl Fuchs . Until the early 19th century, the function of the zoo was often to symbolize royal power, like King Louis XIV 's menagerie at Versailles . Major cities in Europe set up zoos in
15778-709: The construction, renovation, and expansion of zoos when the Great Depression severely reduced local budgets. It was "a new deal for animals." The Atlanta Zoo , founded in 1886, suffered neglect. By 1984 it was ranked among the ten worst zoos in the United States. Systematic reform by 2000 put it on the list of the ten best. By 2020, the United States featured 230 accredited zoos and aquariums across 45 states, accommodating 800,000 animals, and 6,000 species out of which about 1,000 are endangered. The zoos provide 208,000 jobs, and with an annual budget of $ 230 million for wildlife conservation . They attract over 200 million visits
15939-736: The continent of Africa . Housing over 10 thousand animals, the facility's breadth extends from housing insects such cockroaches to large mammals like elephants on an area of over 33 hectares . In the United States, the Philadelphia Zoo , opened on July 1, 1874, earning its motto "America's First Zoo." The Lincoln Park Zoological Gardens in Chicago and the Cincinnati Zoo opened in 1875. In the 1930s, federal relief programs provided financial aid to most local zoos. The Works Progress Administration and similar New Deal government agencies helped greatly in
16100-431: The critically endangered Javan green magpie . The magpies are, sometimes, off-show and replaced by sumatran laughingthrush . Chester was the first zoo in the UK to successfully breed Asian elephants in captivity. The most famous of these was Jubilee (1977–2003), so named as he was born in 1977, the year of the Queen's Silver Jubilee. The zoo has a breeding herd of eight elephants, composed of two males and six females –
16261-525: The culling proceeded. Although zoos in some countries have been open about culling, the controversy of the subject and pressure from the public has resulted in others being closed. This stands in contrast to most zoos publicly announcing animal births. Furthermore, while many zoos are willing to cull smaller and/or low-profile animals, fewer are willing to do it with larger high-profile species. Many animals breed readily in captivity. Zoos frequently are forced to intentionally limit captive breeding because of
16422-504: The day. The Gibbon Habitat is a new enclosure for the zoo's two gibbons. It has two viewing points: one at ground level near the camel paddock and one at a higher level from Tiger Territory. One male pair is a northern white-cheeked gibbon , and the other is a hybrid species. They were initially housed in the Gorilla Kingdom. The Meerkats and Otters exhibit, previously known as "Happy Families", consists of two enclosures. One enclosure
16583-695: The dedication of the Colosseum by Titus , five thousand animals perished. Under Trajan ... lions , tigers, elephants, rhinoceroses , hippopotami, giraffes, bulls, stags, even crocodiles and serpents were employed to give novelty to the spectacle. Charlemagne had an elephant named Abul-Abbas that was given to him by the Abbasid caliph. King Henry I of England kept a collection of animals at his palace in Woodstock which reportedly included lions, leopards, and camels. The most prominent collection in medieval England
16744-410: The development of Heart of Africa, The Reserve Hotel, new education facilities, The Square wedding venue, and from 2028 the development of African Forests. The executive focuses on education change and DEAI through its people and culture. Chester Zoo leads in public affairs and has influenced heavily at the heart of UK government. The zoo employs over 650 permanent staff, increasing to over 1,000 during
16905-584: The dragon's natural habitat of a dry river bed, and sounds of Indonesian birds are regularly played into the enclosure. Tiny Giants, formerly called B.U.G.S., is an exhibit featuring invertebrates and fish. It is held in a building called The Millennium Conservation Centre, and the building displays over 160 species, including western honey bees , leafcutter ants , emperor scorpions , golden orb weavers , Madagascar orb weavers , Mexican redknee tarantulas , bird-eating spiders , desert locusts , moon jellyfish , partula snails and many others. It also features
17066-416: The dragons in the warmer summer months. The exhibit is built on the site of the zoo's former bird house. In 2007, several young baby Komodo dragons were put on display after one of the zoo's two females laid eggs which hatched although the female had not been mated; this is parthenogenesis, the first such case recorded in this species. The exhibit was revamped in 2009 to house Caribbean iguanas in one section of
17227-402: The first time in captivity. Species formerly kept in the exhibit include Socorro doves , Mindanao bleeding-hearts , Papuan lorikeets and Saint Lucia parrots . For some time, this small area on the eastern part of the zoo used to be a children's petting farm until 2001 when it permanently closed due to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease . The petting farm later became a picnic lawn, and
17388-458: The first zoo outside of New Zealand to breed the tuatara . The zoo opened Islands at Chester Zoo in July 2015, a project extending the footprint of the zoo by 15 acres and built to the south of the west half of the current site. Islands showcases areas where the zoo is involved in conservation programmes, including Sumatra , the Philippines and Indonesia . Visitors are able to walk between
17549-458: The food is supplied by the zoo, either from vending machines or a kiosk nearby. An animal theme park is a combination of an amusement park and a zoo, mainly for entertaining and commercial purposes. Marine mammal parks such as Sea World and Marineland are more elaborate dolphinariums keeping whales , and containing additional entertainment attractions. Another kind of animal theme park contains more entertainment and amusement elements than
17710-410: The high mortality rate was the reason for the "massive scale of importations." One 2-year study indicated that of 19,361 mammals that left accredited zoos in the U.S. between 1992 and 1998, 7,420 (38%) went to dealers, auctions, hunting ranches, unaccredited zoos and individuals, and game farms. The welfare of zoo animals varies widely. Many zoos work to improve their animal enclosures and make it fit
17871-424: The importance of animal conservation, often through letting visitors witness the animals firsthand. Some critics, and the majority of animal rights activists, say that zoos, no matter their intentions, or how noble these intentions, are immoral and serve as nothing but to fulfill human leisure at the expense of the animals (an opinion that has spread over the years). However, zoo advocates argue that their efforts make
18032-503: The insects. Species on display include the clipper butterfly , blue morpho butterfly , atlas moth , zebra longwing , glasswing butterfly and postman butterfly . The exhibit also features a caterpillar hatchery and a pupa display cabinet, where visitors can witness different types of pupae and the development of new butterflies. The Bird Safari opened in 2005 as a redevelopment of the old stork and ostrich house, replacing enclosures that were outdated by modern zoo-keeping standards. It
18193-545: The islands via a series of bridges and can also view the animals whilst on a boat trip. The project also includes educational exhibits, play areas and a restaurant, the Manado Street Kitchen. The exhibit is opening in phases with phase one including a boat trip around the enclosures for visitors to view some of the zoo's key species from South East Asia, including Visayan warty pigs , southern cassowary , Javan banteng , lowland anoa and North Sulawesi babirusa ; plus
18354-508: The lawsuit, ALDF has obtained records from investigations conducted by the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services; these records show that the zoo is also violating the Animal Welfare Act. A petting zoo, also called petting farms or children's zoos, features a combination of domestic animals and wild species that are docile enough to touch and feed. To ensure the animals' health,
18515-404: The layout of the zoo that had been established in 1828. It was the first zoo to use open enclosures surrounded by moats, rather than barred cages, to better approximate animals' natural environments. He also set up mixed-species exhibits and based the layout on the different organizing principle of geography, as opposed to taxonomy. The Wrocław Zoo ( Polish : Ogród Zoologiczny we Wrocławiu )
18676-520: The main summer period, making it the largest zoo in the UK. The zoo is bisected by a public bridleway, Flag Lane (formerly the Millennium Cycle Path). For many years, a single bridge (now called Elephants' Bridge), drivable by zoo vehicles and powered wheelchairs, near the elephant exhibit was the only crossing place within the grounds. A second crossing, passable by pedestrians and mobility scooters , called Bats' Bridge, opened in April 2008 near
18837-402: The matriarch of Chester Zoo’s Asian elephant herd, had to be put down because of digestive tract illness caused by inability to chew her food because her last molar teeth were worn to stumps. Spirit of the Jaguar was opened in 2001 and is sponsored by Jaguar Cars and was designed by McCormick Architecture.The exhibit is split into four sections. The two inside are modelled on a rainforest and
18998-571: The monkey house and view the animals from a central corridor. Each species has a glass-fronted indoor enclosure with climbing apparatus and an outdoor enclosure, moated and heavily planted. Miniature Monkeys, opened in May 2004, consists of two enclosures. The first is home to a pair of pied tamarins with pygmy marmosets , and the second is shared by three emperor tamarins and three golden-headed lion tamarins . Geoffrey's marmosets , black-tailed marmosets , black lion tamarins , Red Titi monkeys and white-faced sakis have also been housed here in
19159-741: The most recent aquarium was built in 1921 next to and beneath the Mappin Terraces and was officially opened by King George V and his wife Queen Mary in April 1924. The collection in 1853 included 58 fish species and 200 invertebrate species. The aquarium was separated into three halls, each home to different types of fish and other aquatic wildlife. The first hall primarily contained freshwater species such as rudd and European eels , as well as some saltwater species involved in various conservation projects and captive-breeding programmes, such as broad sea fans , uarus and seahorses . The second hall displayed various species of coral reef fish from around
19320-512: The past along with various other small species. The Okapi bred for the first time in 2012, producing a female calf named Tafari. The success was repeated in 2014 with the birth of a new male calf. This exhibit is primarily a herpetarium for the zoo's Komodo dragons , Jantan and Ora who arrived from Prague Zoo in 2014, originating from the Lesser Sunda Islands. It was opened in 1998 and extended in 2003 to include an outdoor enclosure used by
19481-499: The past but have been moved out for various reasons. Bears of the Cloud Forest opened in 2004 and is home to a pair of spectacled bears and other South American animals. The purpose-built exhibit is designed to mimic the bear's natural habitat by providing trees and a rocky terrain. Nearby are paddocks housing capybaras , giant anteaters , and Brazilian tapirs . Guanaco and Vicuna were previously housed with Rhea . Formerly
19642-496: The practice of selling animals from certified zoos has declined. A large number of animals are culled each year in zoos, but this is controversial. A highly publicized culling as part of population management was that of a healthy giraffe at Copenhagen Zoo in 2014. The zoo argued that his genes already were well-represented in captivity, making the giraffe unsuitable for future breeding. There were offers to adopt him and an online petition to save him had many thousand signatories, but
19803-450: The price of admission was three half-pence, or the supply of a cat or dog for feeding to the lions. The animals were moved to the London Zoo when it opened. Aztec emperor Moctezuma had in his capital city of Tenochtitlan a "house of animals" with a large collection of birds, mammals and reptiles in a garden tended by more than 600 employees. The garden was described by several Spanish conquerors, including Hernán Cortés in 1520. After
19964-543: The proper equipment or understanding to care for them. The dedicated London Aquarium , unconnected with ZSL, opened in 1997. The Zoo's smaller aquarium closed on 22 October 2019; some of the aquatic creatures were moved to a new aquarium at Whipsnade Zoo, while others were set to be housed in a new corals exhibit in the Tiny Giants building in 2020. Animal Adventure, formerly known as the Ambika Paul Children's Zoo,
20125-538: The public in 1847. As of December 2022, it houses a collection of 14,926 individuals, making it one of the largest collections in the United Kingdom. It is managed under the aegis of the Zoological Society of London (established in 1826), and is situated at the northern edge of Regent's Park , on the boundary line between the City of Westminster and the borough of Camden (the Regent's Canal runs through it). The Society also has
20286-465: The public. Old Martin was a large grizzly bear , the first in Britain, moved to the zoo with many other animals from the Royal Menagerie, Tower of London when it was closed in 1832. The zoo was home to the only living quagga ever to be photographed before the species became extinct in the wild due to hunting in southern Africa in about 1870. Other now extinct species the zoo once held were
20447-417: The reptiles. Invertebrates include Rhinoceros beetles , giant walking sticks , common crow butterflies jungle nymphs , praying mantises , Malaysian Katydids and leaf insects . The zoo's Sumatran Orang-utans were relocated from Realm of the Red Ape to a new exhibit in the Islands development during January 2016 This pavilion was opened in 1989 by Diana, Princess of Wales and Countess of Chester , and
20608-489: The requirements of scholarly research, came together in the founding of the first modern zoos. Whipsnade Park Zoo in Bedfordshire , England, opened in 1931. It allowed visitors to drive through the enclosures and come into close proximity with the animals. The Zoological Society of London was founded in 1826 by Stamford Raffles and established the London Zoo in Regent's Park two years later in 1828. At its founding, it
20769-662: The war for safety. On 27 September 1940, high explosive bombs damaged the Rodent house, the Civet house, the gardener's office, the propagating sheds, the North Gate and the Zebra house. In January 1941, the Camel House was also hit, and the aquarium could not open until May 1943 due to extensive bombing. No animals were harmed during the incidents, although a zebra, a female ass, and her foal escaped from
20930-501: The wild The breeding of endangered species is coordinated by cooperative breeding programmes containing international studbooks and coordinators, who evaluate the roles of individual animals and institutions from a global or regional perspective, and there are regional programmes all over the world for the conservation of endangered species . In Africa, conservation is handled by the African Preservation Program (APP); in
21091-403: The world and many species such as elephants , big cats, penguins , tropical birds, primates, rhinos , exotic reptiles, and many others are in danger of dying out. Many of today's zoos hope to stop or slow the decline of many endangered species and see their primary purpose as breeding endangered species in captivity and reintroducing them into the wild. Modern zoos also aim to help teach visitors
21252-516: The world fight to protect species from going extinct , but many conservation programs are underfunded and under-represented. Conservation programs can struggle to fight bigger issues like habitat loss and illness. It often takes significant funding and long time periods to rebuild degraded habitats, both of which are scarce in conservation efforts. The current state of conservation programs cannot rely solely in situ (on-site conservation) plans alone, ex situ (off-site conservation) may therefore provide
21413-505: The world, such as clownfish , copperband butterflyfish and regal tangs , as well as real coral. The third hall housed species native to the Amazon River , including red-bellied piranhas , angelfish , arapaimas and ocellate river stingrays . In addition to the three halls, the aquarium also featured the "Big Fish Tank". This tank housed large fish species that were all former pets. They had to be rescued because their owners did not have
21574-439: The zoo during the bombings. For safety reasons, all venomous animals were killed at London Zoo. Throughout the war, members of the armed forces paid half price for entry, and the wounded entered free of charge. In 1962, 'Caroline', an Arabian oryx, was lent to Phoenix Zoo , Arizona , US, in the world's first international co-operative breeding programme. Today, the zoo participates in breeding programmes for over 130 species. In
21735-458: The zoo from Jardin des Plantes in Paris. His name, possibly from Jambo , Swahili for hello , became an epithet for anything of large size, such as Boeing 's 747 Jumbo jet . Jumbo became a crowd favourite due to his size, and would give rides to children on his back, including those of Queen Victoria . The sale of Jumbo sent the citizens of London into a panic, and 100,000 schoolchildren wrote to
21896-415: The zoo to continue its work, attempt to balance its books and take on the huge task of restoring its buildings and creating environments more suitable for animal behaviour in the late 20th century. The BAFTA winning 1993 documentary series The Ark by Molly Dineen chronicled this period of time. One benefit of the 'swell of public support' was the development of volunteer staff. Volunteers who give one day
22057-508: The zoo was enclosed with a fence, in line with the Zoo Licensing Act 1981 . Realm of the Red Ape , an Indonesian -forest-themed exhibit, featuring threatened Sumatran and Bornean orangutan , opened in May 2007. In January 2009, Chester Zoo unveiled Natural Vision, a £225 million plan to transform itself into the largest conservation attraction in Europe. The first phase of the plan
22218-439: The zoo's opening hours, including The Terrace, Penguin Beach, Ninos cove, Tiny Giants, Land of the Lions, Tiger Territory, and Attenborough Komodo Dragon House. The Snowdon Aviary was designed by Cedric Price , Frank Newby and Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon , built between 1962 and 1964, and opened in 1965. It was Britain's first public, walk-through aviary, and primarily housed shorebirds such as gulls and ibis. It
22379-415: The zoo, often with species that Hagenbeck had not considered. For example, when chimpanzees were released into their new enclosure at Chester in 1956, a group of grassy islands, they were separated from visitors by no more than a 12-foot (3.7 m) strip of water. Nobody knew then if chimps could swim. It turned out that they could not, and today the chimp islands are a centrepiece of Chester Zoo. In 1986
22540-432: The zoos they can live out the rest of their lives healthy and happy (McGaffin). In recent years, some zoos have chosen to move out some larger animals because they do not have the space available to provide an adequate enclosure for them (Lemonic, McDowell, and Bjerklie 50). An issue with animal welfare in zoos is that best animal husbandry practices are often not completely known, especially for species that are only kept in
22701-460: The £3 tickets were not cannibalising demand for full-price tickets. However, they intended to maintain the £3 scheme if further funding became available. The director general of the Zoological Society of London described the result of the scheme as a "brilliant development", despite the queues and challenges. Throughout its history, the zoo has had many well-known residents. Those individuals could have been scientifically important or simply beloved by
22862-485: Was abolished. In December 2012 planning permission was gained for a later phase of the Natural Vision masterplan. One of the largest zoo developments in Europe, Islands at Chester Zoo is a £40 million redevelopment project to extend the zoo's footprint and recreate six island habitats of Southeast Asia . As of 2017 it is now open. A 600,000 square foot nature reserve was opened in April 2018. The reserve sits outside
23023-409: Was an internal transport system for visitors from 1991 to 2019, but was closed as it had become unreliable and covered less than half the zoo due to the zoo's expansion to over 125 acres (51 ha). Land from the monorail will be used for a new attraction called Heart of Africa, an open African savannah habitat and vulture aviary. The zoo are also at the same time developing The Reserve Hotel project,
23184-560: Was and still is somewhat species-specific. When animals are transferred between zoos, they usually spend time in quarantine, and are given time to acclimatize to their new enclosures which are often designed to mimic their natural environment. For example, some species of penguins may require refrigerated enclosures. Guidelines on necessary care for such animals is published in the International Zoo Yearbook . Animal exchanges between facilities are usually made voluntarily, based on
23345-417: Was appointed secretary of the Society. He set about a major reorganisation of the buildings and enclosures of the zoo, bringing many of the animals out into the open, where many thrived. This was an idea inspired by Hamburg Zoo , and led to newer designs for many of the buildings. Mitchell also envisaged a new 600-acre (240 ha) park to the north of London, and in 1926 Hall Farm, near to Whipsnade village ,
23506-507: Was bought. In 1931, Whipsnade Wild Animal Park, the world's first open zoological park, opened. The first woman to be a curator at London Zoo was Evelyn Cheesman , in 1920. After the start of the Second World War , the London Zoo was closed multiple times for over a week, the first time being at 11:00 am on 3 September 1939, when all zoological places were closed by government order. Valuable animals were transferred to Whipsnade Zoo during
23667-415: Was designed by architect Sir Hugh Casson between 1962 and 1965. The building was originally built to house rhinos and elephants . However, after an accident in which a keeper was killed in 2001, the animals were relocated to Whipsnade Zoo, and since then, the building has housed camels and porcupines . At one point, it was also part of Tiger Territory when it housed bearded pigs and Malayan tapirs . It
23828-449: Was designed to cater for the large London population. The London zoo was widely copied as the archetype of the public city zoo. In 1853, the Zoo opened the world's first public aquarium . Dublin Zoo was opened in 1831 by members of the medical profession interested in studying animals while they were alive and more particularly getting hold of them when they were dead. Downs' Zoological Gardens created by Andrew Downs and opened to
23989-404: Was established by Sir Stamford Raffles and Sir Humphry Davy in 1826, who obtained the land for the zoo and saw the plans before Raffles died of apoplexy (a stroke ) later that year on 5 July, his birthday. After his death, Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne took over the project and supervised the building of the first animal houses. The zoo opened in April 1828 to fellows of
24150-639: Was established in 2009. It is a dedicated area for children, featuring playgrounds and a water fountain. It was built after a child who loved visiting the zoo with her family, Ambika Paul, died from cancer. Her parents donated £1,000,000 to the zoo to build a children's zoo in her honour. Many of the animals in Animal Adventure are domestic animals, such as llamas , alpacas , and goats , as well as kunekune pigs . Exotic species on display include Cape porcupines , South American coatis , and yellow mongooses . At approximately 6 am on Saturday, 23 December 2017,
24311-626: Was first used of the London Zoological Gardens , which was opened for scientific study in 1828, and to the public in 1847. The first modern zoo was the Tierpark Hagenbeck by Carl Hagenbeck in Germany . In the United States alone, zoos are visited by over 181 million people annually. The London Zoo , which was opened in 1828, was initially known as the "Gardens and Menagerie of the Zoological Society of London", and it described itself as
24472-556: Was in the Tower of London , created as early as 1204 by King John I . Henry III received a wedding gift in 1235 of three leopards from Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor , and in 1264, the animals were moved to the Bulwark, renamed the Lion Tower, near the main western entrance of the Tower. It was opened to the public during the reign of Elizabeth I in the 16th century. During the 18th century,
24633-506: Was initially reserved for the viewing pleasure of the imperial family and the court, but was made accessible to the public in 1765. In 1775, a zoo was founded in Madrid, and in 1795, the zoo inside the Jardin des Plantes in Paris was founded by Jacques-Henri Bernardin , with animals from the royal menagerie at Versailles, primarily for scientific research and education. The planning about a space for
24794-601: Was opened at the London Zoo in 1853. This was followed by the opening of public aquaria in continental Europe (e.g. Paris in 1859, Hamburg in 1864, Berlin in 1869, and Brighton in 1872) and the United States (e.g. Boston in 1859, Washington in 1873, San Francisco Woodward's Garden in 1873, and the New York Aquarium at Battery Park in 1896). Roadside zoos are found throughout North America , particularly in remote locations. They are often small, for-profit zoos, often intended to attract visitors to some other facility, such as
24955-420: Was opened by Sir David Attenborough in July 2004. The zoo used to own two Komodo dragons, a female named Rinka and a male named Raja. Raja was filmed in his exhibit for an action sequence in the 2012 James Bond film Skyfall . A new male dragon called Ganas (one of the parthenogenic hatchlings from Chester Zoo ) moved to London in 2015 after the previous dragons died. Their enclosure is designed to resemble
25116-441: Was part of the zoo's appeal, it may also have been one of the main causes of its financial problems. This contributed to the zoo being faced with closure in the 1980s. Due to the public change of attitude to animals kept in captivity and unsuitably cramped space, the zoo also suffered dwindling visitor numbers. However, when it was announced that London Zoo would close in 1991, a swell of public support in visitors and donations allowed
25277-561: Was revealed during excavations at Hierakonpolis , Egypt in 2009, of a c. 3500 BCE menagerie. The exotic animals included hippopotami , hartebeest , elephants , baboons and wildcats . King Ashur-bel-kala of the Middle Assyrian Empire created zoological and botanical gardens in the 11th century BCE. In the 2nd century BCE, the Chinese Empress Tanki had a "house of deer" built, and King Wen of Zhou kept
25438-406: Was successful and was later extended to allow anyone who received certain benefits to buy tickets for £3, about a tenth of the full price, leading to visits by thousands of families, and long queues which were controlled by requiring pre-booking and capping numbers. Some visitors who were not receiving benefits complained about the crowds. As of February 2023 the Zoo was trying to ensure that
25599-566: Was the first hippopotamus to be seen in Europe since the Roman Empire and the first in England since prehistoric times. The hippo arrived at the London Zoo in May 1850 as a gift from the Ottoman Viceroy of Egypt in exchange for some greyhounds and deerhounds. Obaysch led to a doubling of the zoo's visitors that year. In 1865, Jumbo , the largest elephant known at the time, was transferred to
25760-424: Was the world's first scientific zoo. Originally intended to be used as a collection for scientific study , it was opened to the public in 1847. The Zoo was located in Regent's Park —then undergoing development at the hands of the architect John Nash . What set the London zoo apart from its predecessors was its focus on society at large. The zoo was established in the middle of a city for the public, and its layout
25921-399: Was to be a £90 million, 56-hectare (140-acre) enclosed African-rainforest-themed sanctuary containing a band of gorillas and a troop of chimpanzees , as well as okapi and a variety of tropical birds, amphibians , reptiles, fishes, and invertebrates , moving freely among lush vegetation. It included a water ride to take visitors through the exhibit. Natural Vision was to eventually include
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