Franklin Park Zoo
Encyclopedia
The Franklin Park Zoo is a 72 acres (29.1 ha) zoo
located in Boston, Massachusetts. It is currently operated by Zoo New England, which also operates the Stone Zoo
in Stoneham, Massachusetts
. The zoo is located in the northeast portion of Franklin Park
, Boston's largest park and the last component of the city's famed Emerald Necklace
.
The zoo was opened to the public in 1912, and managed by the City of Boston until 1958, when the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) took control. Under the MDC's management, the zoo opened several new exhibits, including Bird's World (c. 1975), the Children's Zoo (1984), and the African Tropical Forest (1989). In 1991, the zoo's management was handed over to the Commonwealth Zoological Corporation (CZS), which also gained management of the Stone Zoo. (In July 1997, the CZS was renamed Zoo New England to "reflect the changing image of both zoos".) The zoo has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
(AZA) since 1990.
The facility is funded by state money, and has had a history of staff and financial problems, most notably in 2002 and 2009. Luckily, the zoo has never actually closed during these difficult times.
, the original landscape designer of Franklin Park, created plans for a future zoological garden. This plan, however, was to be a naturalistic area for native animals, rather than a traditional zoo. The Franklin Park Zoo officially opened to the public on October 4, 1912 (although most citations say 1913). According to plans by Arthur A. Shurtleff, the new zoo represented a major departure from Olmstead's original plans, and included more exotic animals. However, Shurtleff's design for the zoo was modest and was intended to be in harmony with key elements of the plan, such as a half-mile long grassy mall called "the Greeting", which began at Peabody Circle. The zoo was managed by the Boston Parks Department, was free to all, and extremely popular. An estimated two-million people visited the zoo in 1920.
Unfortunately, the zoo fell into disrepair starting around the time of the Depression and through World War II
. In 1958, the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) took control of the Franklin Park Zoo. The MDC put up fences and gates and started charging admission to the zoo, and areas of the zoo that were difficult to take care of, such as the Bear Dens in Long Crouch Woods, were lobbed off of the zoo property and left to deteriorate. In 1969, the State Legislature
created a special commission to study the Franklin Park Zoo. The resulting report described deplorable conditions. As a result, in 1970 the Boston Zoological Society assumed some, but not all, of the management duties at the zoo. The State continued to fund the zoo, but this system of bifurcated management made long-term planning and daily operations difficult.
Plans for the zoo were in basic ways consistent with the original Shurcliff design until 1973. That year, a new $24 million master plan
, which would "recommend replacing 'the Greeting' with new zoo exhibits", was formulated to revitalize and expand the facility, and included a new domed pavilion for gorilla
s, crocodile
s, hippo
s, and bongo antelope
. Construction began in 1978, but the process would take a decade to complete due to inadequate funding and political complications.
In June 1984 after extensive renovations, the 3 acres (1.2 ha) Children's Zoo, which had originally been built in 1962, was reopened; around this time it became the zoo's most popular exhibit. After eleven years of construction, the new African Tropical Forest Pavilion opened on September 9, 1989 at a cost of $26 million. The zoo was finally accredited by the AZA
in 1990. After being accredited, the zoo's attendance jumped to 200,000, and it was the only zoo in the nation to be run by a state government (besides the Stone Zoo). The number of visitors, however, would continue to fluctuate over the next few years.
Franklin Park Zoo's management was handed over to the Commonwealth Zoological Corporation (later renamed Zoo New England in July 1997) in 1991. This private, non-private corporation also took over management of the Stone Zoo, which would reopen in June 1992 after 18 months of closure due to state budget cuts (see Stone Zoo
). In the late 1990s, many new exhibits were built, including Bongo Congo (1997), Outback Trail (1998), and Butterfly Landing (1998). Also at this time, the zoo faced many problems, including multiple budget cuts and dwindling attendance. The zoo is now doing well financially and continues to grow, due to the kindness of many supporters.
The 2011 film Zookeeper
, starring Kevin James
, was filmed at the zoo in 2009, and was screened at the zoo on June 28, 2011 as a charity event.
The Tropical Forest (known as the African Tropical Forest from 1989-1997), a 3 acres (1.2 ha) building roofed by a huge Teflon-coated cloth dome. The building mimics the animals' natural environment with streams, moats, faux-rock structures, hidden fences and barriers, and free-flight birds. The exhibit includes gorilla
s, bat
s, mandrill
, crocodile
s, ocelot
s, capybara
, potto
s, tapir
s, vulture
, and a pygmy hippopotamus
. This exhibit was included in the zoo's 1973 master plan, and was originally intended to house only African tropical species; however, more South American
and Asian
tropical animals began being displayed in the Tropical Forest by the late 1990s. One gorilla named Little Joe escaped his enclosure several times in 2003. He was later separated from the gorilla family, but later returned in 2007. Also in 2007, the zoo's gorilla exhibit was reopened after extensive renovations. As of 2011, a giant anteater
resides in the former warthog
enclosure.
Serengeti
Crossing (known as Bongo Congo from 1997-c. 2003), a 4 acres (1.6 ha) grassland
exhibit with ostrich
es, zebra
s, and wildebeest
. The exhibit first opened in 1997, making it one of the first new exhibits to open at the zoo since the opening of the African Tropical Forest in 1989.
Kalahari Kingdom, a large Africa
themed area housing an old male lion
named Christopher. Visitors can view this lion through a replica of a land rover "crashed" into the exhibit, glass, or from over a moat. The opening of this exhibit in 1997 marked the first time lions had been exhibited at the zoo since the old Lion House was closed in the early 1970s.
Outback
Trail, where visitors can view kangaroo
s, cockatoo
s, emu
s, and tree kangaroos. This exhibit opened around 1998, the same year the Butterfly Landing exhibit first opened. Additionally, a new seasonal budgerigar
aviary was recently added in this exhibit area.
Giraffe
Savannah, a large area containing three Masai Giraffes
. A herd of rare Grevy's Zebra
can be found coexisting with them.
Bird's World, a large building with an Orient
-themed exterior containing dozens of bird species in four different environments: swamp
, rainforest
, desert
, and wetlands. Outside, there is a large flight cage, a flamingo
exhibit, and a waterfowl pond. This building originally opened in 1912 (the same year the zoo itself opened to the public), and was renovated around the mid 1970s to exhibit birds in more naturalistic environments.
Butterfly
Landing, a seasonal exhibit containing over 1,000 butterflies in free flight. This large outdoor "tent" also has streams and a waterfall surrounded by numerous plant species. The exhibit first opened in 1998.
The Children's Zoo, a three-acre complex which includes ducks, prairie dogs, and two rare Amur Leopard
s, as well as a farmyard exhibit (known as Franklin Farm). A design for this exhibit was published in a 1954 master plan, but the exhibit was not built until 1962, under a much modified design. The Children's Zoo was renovated in the early 1980s and reopened in June 1984 with a grant from the George Robert White
Fund.
Tiger
Tales, which contains two rescued tigers named Anala (orange) and Luther (white). The exhibit opened in June 2006, marking the first time tigers had been exhibited at the zoo since the old Lion House closed in the early 1970s.
There is also an African Wild Dog
exhibit, outside the Tropical Forest, that is not part of any major area.
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
located in Boston, Massachusetts. It is currently operated by Zoo New England, which also operates the Stone Zoo
Stone Zoo
Stone Zoo is a medium-small sized zoo of about in Stoneham, Massachusetts, United States, by the Spot Pond reservoir. It is operated by Zoo New England, which also operates the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston....
in Stoneham, Massachusetts
Stoneham, Massachusetts
Stoneham is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Its population was 21,437 at the 2010 census, down from 22,219 in 2000. The town is the birthplace of Olympic figure skating medalist Nancy Kerrigan and is the home of the Stone Zoo.- History :...
. The zoo is located in the northeast portion of Franklin Park
Franklin Park, Boston
Franklin Park, a partially wooded parkland in the Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, and Dorchester neighborhoods of Boston, Massachusetts, is maintained by the City of Boston Parks and Recreation Department...
, Boston's largest park and the last component of the city's famed Emerald Necklace
Emerald Necklace
The Emerald Necklace consists of an chain of parks linked by parkways and waterways in Boston and Brookline, Massachusetts. It gets its name from the way the planned chain appears to hang from the "neck" of the Boston peninsula, although it was never fully constructed.-Overview:The Necklace...
.
The zoo was opened to the public in 1912, and managed by the City of Boston until 1958, when the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) took control. Under the MDC's management, the zoo opened several new exhibits, including Bird's World (c. 1975), the Children's Zoo (1984), and the African Tropical Forest (1989). In 1991, the zoo's management was handed over to the Commonwealth Zoological Corporation (CZS), which also gained management of the Stone Zoo. (In July 1997, the CZS was renamed Zoo New England to "reflect the changing image of both zoos".) The zoo has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Association of Zoos and Aquariums
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums was founded in 1924 and is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation.The AZA headquarters is located in Silver...
(AZA) since 1990.
The facility is funded by state money, and has had a history of staff and financial problems, most notably in 2002 and 2009. Luckily, the zoo has never actually closed during these difficult times.
History
Frederick Law OlmstedFrederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted was an American journalist, social critic, public administrator, and landscape designer. He is popularly considered to be the father of American landscape architecture, although many scholars have bestowed that title upon Andrew Jackson Downing...
, the original landscape designer of Franklin Park, created plans for a future zoological garden. This plan, however, was to be a naturalistic area for native animals, rather than a traditional zoo. The Franklin Park Zoo officially opened to the public on October 4, 1912 (although most citations say 1913). According to plans by Arthur A. Shurtleff, the new zoo represented a major departure from Olmstead's original plans, and included more exotic animals. However, Shurtleff's design for the zoo was modest and was intended to be in harmony with key elements of the plan, such as a half-mile long grassy mall called "the Greeting", which began at Peabody Circle. The zoo was managed by the Boston Parks Department, was free to all, and extremely popular. An estimated two-million people visited the zoo in 1920.
Unfortunately, the zoo fell into disrepair starting around the time of the Depression and through World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In 1958, the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) took control of the Franklin Park Zoo. The MDC put up fences and gates and started charging admission to the zoo, and areas of the zoo that were difficult to take care of, such as the Bear Dens in Long Crouch Woods, were lobbed off of the zoo property and left to deteriorate. In 1969, the State Legislature
State legislature
In the United States of America, a state legislature is a generic term referring to the legislative body of any of the country's 50 states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 24 states, the legislature is simply called the "Legislature", or the "State Legislature", while in 19 states,...
created a special commission to study the Franklin Park Zoo. The resulting report described deplorable conditions. As a result, in 1970 the Boston Zoological Society assumed some, but not all, of the management duties at the zoo. The State continued to fund the zoo, but this system of bifurcated management made long-term planning and daily operations difficult.
Plans for the zoo were in basic ways consistent with the original Shurcliff design until 1973. That year, a new $24 million master plan
Master plan
A master plan has many meanings, it can refer to:Generally it may be used for serious plans or strategies, see:*Strategy**Strategic planning**Comprehensive planning**Blueprint...
, which would "recommend replacing 'the Greeting' with new zoo exhibits", was formulated to revitalize and expand the facility, and included a new domed pavilion for gorilla
Gorilla
Gorillas are the largest extant species of primates. They are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and either four or five subspecies...
s, crocodile
Crocodile
A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
s, hippo
Hippopotamus
The hippopotamus , or hippo, from the ancient Greek for "river horse" , is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal in sub-Saharan Africa, and one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae After the elephant and rhinoceros, the hippopotamus is the third largest land mammal and the heaviest...
s, and bongo antelope
Bongo (antelope)
The western or lowland bongo, Tragelaphus eurycerus eurycerus, is a herbivorous, mostly nocturnal forest ungulate and among the largest of the African forest antelope species....
. Construction began in 1978, but the process would take a decade to complete due to inadequate funding and political complications.
In June 1984 after extensive renovations, the 3 acres (1.2 ha) Children's Zoo, which had originally been built in 1962, was reopened; around this time it became the zoo's most popular exhibit. After eleven years of construction, the new African Tropical Forest Pavilion opened on September 9, 1989 at a cost of $26 million. The zoo was finally accredited by the AZA
Association of Zoos and Aquariums
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums was founded in 1924 and is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation.The AZA headquarters is located in Silver...
in 1990. After being accredited, the zoo's attendance jumped to 200,000, and it was the only zoo in the nation to be run by a state government (besides the Stone Zoo). The number of visitors, however, would continue to fluctuate over the next few years.
Franklin Park Zoo's management was handed over to the Commonwealth Zoological Corporation (later renamed Zoo New England in July 1997) in 1991. This private, non-private corporation also took over management of the Stone Zoo, which would reopen in June 1992 after 18 months of closure due to state budget cuts (see Stone Zoo
Stone Zoo
Stone Zoo is a medium-small sized zoo of about in Stoneham, Massachusetts, United States, by the Spot Pond reservoir. It is operated by Zoo New England, which also operates the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston....
). In the late 1990s, many new exhibits were built, including Bongo Congo (1997), Outback Trail (1998), and Butterfly Landing (1998). Also at this time, the zoo faced many problems, including multiple budget cuts and dwindling attendance. The zoo is now doing well financially and continues to grow, due to the kindness of many supporters.
The 2011 film Zookeeper
Zookeeper (film)
Zookeeper is a 2011 comedy film starring Kevin James, and featuring the voices of Adam Sandler, Sylvester Stallone, Nick Nolte, Don Rickles, Judd Apatow, Jon Favreau, Cher and Faizon Love. The film contains computer animation, is produced by Sandler's production company, Happy Madison, and is...
, starring Kevin James
Kevin James
Kevin James is an American playwrite, actor, writer, and producer. He is widely known for playing Doug Heffernan on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens. He is also known for his lead roles in the comedy films I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Grown Ups, The Dilemma, and...
, was filmed at the zoo in 2009, and was screened at the zoo on June 28, 2011 as a charity event.
Exhibits
The zoo contains more than 220 species of animals and includes the following main exhibit areas.The Tropical Forest (known as the African Tropical Forest from 1989-1997), a 3 acres (1.2 ha) building roofed by a huge Teflon-coated cloth dome. The building mimics the animals' natural environment with streams, moats, faux-rock structures, hidden fences and barriers, and free-flight birds. The exhibit includes gorilla
Gorilla
Gorillas are the largest extant species of primates. They are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and either four or five subspecies...
s, bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
s, mandrill
Mandrill
The mandrill is a primate of the Old World monkey family, closely related to the baboons and even more closely to the drill. Both the mandrill and the drill were once classified as baboons in genus Papio, but recent research has determined they should be separated into their own genus, Mandrillus...
, crocodile
Crocodile
A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
s, ocelot
Ocelot
The ocelot , pronounced /ˈɒsəˌlɒt/, also known as the dwarf leopard or McKenney's wildcat is a wild cat distributed over South and Central America and Mexico, but has been reported as far north as Texas and in Trinidad, in the Caribbean...
s, capybara
Capybara
The capybara , also known as capivara in Portuguese, and capibara, chigüire in Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador ronsoco in Peru, chigüiro, and carpincho in Spanish, is the largest living rodent in the world. Its closest relatives are agouti, chinchillas, coyphillas, and guinea pigs...
, potto
Potto
The potto is a strepsirrhine primate from the Lorisidae family. It is the only species in genus Perodicticus...
s, tapir
Tapir
A Tapir is a large browsing mammal, similar in shape to a pig, with a short, prehensile snout. Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South America, Central America, and Southeast Asia. There are four species of Tapirs: the Brazilian Tapir, the Malayan Tapir, Baird's Tapir and the Mountain...
s, vulture
Vulture
Vulture is the name given to two groups of convergently evolved scavenging birds, the New World Vultures including the well-known Californian and Andean Condors, and the Old World Vultures including the birds which are seen scavenging on carcasses of dead animals on African plains...
, and a pygmy hippopotamus
Pygmy Hippopotamus
The pygmy hippopotamus is a large mammal native to the forests and swamps of western Africa . The pygmy hippo is reclusive and nocturnal...
. This exhibit was included in the zoo's 1973 master plan, and was originally intended to house only African tropical species; however, more South American
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and Asian
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
tropical animals began being displayed in the Tropical Forest by the late 1990s. One gorilla named Little Joe escaped his enclosure several times in 2003. He was later separated from the gorilla family, but later returned in 2007. Also in 2007, the zoo's gorilla exhibit was reopened after extensive renovations. As of 2011, a giant anteater
Giant Anteater
The Giant Anteater, Myrmecophaga tridactyla, is the largest species of anteater. It is the only species in the genus Myrmecophaga. It is found in Central and South America from Honduras to northern Argentina...
resides in the former warthog
Warthog
The Warthog or Common Warthog is a wild member of the pig family that lives in grassland, savanna, and woodland in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the past it was commonly treated as a subspecies of P...
enclosure.
Serengeti
Serengeti
The Serengeti ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa. It is located in north Tanzania and extends to south-western Kenya between latitudes 1 and 3 S and longitudes 34 and 36 E. It spans some ....
Crossing (known as Bongo Congo from 1997-c. 2003), a 4 acres (1.6 ha) grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
exhibit with ostrich
Ostrich
The Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
es, zebra
Zebra
Zebras are several species of African equids united by their distinctive black and white stripes. Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual. They are generally social animals that live in small harems to large herds...
s, and wildebeest
Wildebeest
The wildebeest , also called the gnu is an antelope of the genus Connochaetes. It is a hooved mammal...
. The exhibit first opened in 1997, making it one of the first new exhibits to open at the zoo since the opening of the African Tropical Forest in 1989.
Kalahari Kingdom, a large Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
themed area housing an old male lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
named Christopher. Visitors can view this lion through a replica of a land rover "crashed" into the exhibit, glass, or from over a moat. The opening of this exhibit in 1997 marked the first time lions had been exhibited at the zoo since the old Lion House was closed in the early 1970s.
Outback
Outback
The Outback is the vast, remote, arid area of Australia, term colloquially can refer to any lands outside the main urban areas. The term "the outback" is generally used to refer to locations that are comparatively more remote than those areas named "the bush".-Overview:The outback is home to a...
Trail, where visitors can view kangaroo
Kangaroo
A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus, Red Kangaroo, Antilopine Kangaroo, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to the country...
s, cockatoo
Cockatoo
A cockatoo is any of the 21 species belonging to the bird family Cacatuidae. Along with the Psittacidae and the Strigopidae , they make up the parrot order Psittaciformes . Placement of the cockatoos as a separate family is fairly undisputed, although many aspects of the other living lineages of...
s, emu
Emu
The Emu Dromaius novaehollandiae) is the largest bird native to Australia and the only extant member of the genus Dromaius. It is the second-largest extant bird in the world by height, after its ratite relative, the ostrich. There are three subspecies of Emus in Australia...
s, and tree kangaroos. This exhibit opened around 1998, the same year the Butterfly Landing exhibit first opened. Additionally, a new seasonal budgerigar
Budgerigar
The Budgerigar , also known as Common Pet Parakeet or Shell Parakeet informally nicknamed the budgie, is a small, long-tailed, seed-eating parrot, and the only species in the Australian genus Melopsittacus...
aviary was recently added in this exhibit area.
Giraffe
Giraffe
The giraffe is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all extant land-living animal species, and the largest ruminant...
Savannah, a large area containing three Masai Giraffes
Masai Giraffe
The Masai Giraffe or Maasai Giraffe, also known as the Kilimanjaro Giraffe is the largest subspecies of giraffe and the tallest land mammal. It is found in Kenya and Tanzania.-Description:...
. A herd of rare Grevy's Zebra
Grevy's Zebra
The Grévy's zebra , also known as the Imperial zebra, is the largest extant wild equid and one of three species of zebra, the other two being the plains zebra and the mountain zebra. Named after Jules Grévy, it is the sole extant member of the subgenus Dolichohippus. The Grévy's zebra is found in...
can be found coexisting with them.
Bird's World, a large building with an Orient
Orient
The Orient means "the East." It is a traditional designation for anything that belongs to the Eastern world or the Far East, in relation to Europe. In English it is a metonym that means various parts of Asia.- Derivation :...
-themed exterior containing dozens of bird species in four different environments: swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
, rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
, desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
, and wetlands. Outside, there is a large flight cage, a flamingo
Flamingo
Flamingos or flamingoes are gregarious wading birds in the genus Phoenicopterus , the only genus in the family Phoenicopteridae...
exhibit, and a waterfowl pond. This building originally opened in 1912 (the same year the zoo itself opened to the public), and was renovated around the mid 1970s to exhibit birds in more naturalistic environments.
Butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
Landing, a seasonal exhibit containing over 1,000 butterflies in free flight. This large outdoor "tent" also has streams and a waterfall surrounded by numerous plant species. The exhibit first opened in 1998.
The Children's Zoo, a three-acre complex which includes ducks, prairie dogs, and two rare Amur Leopard
Amur Leopard
The Amur leopard , also known as the Far Eastern leopard, Korean leopard, and Manchurian leopard is one of nine recognised subspecies of leopard. It is a wild feline predator native to the mountainous areas of the Russian Far East. It used to inhabit the forests of Korea and China, but it has...
s, as well as a farmyard exhibit (known as Franklin Farm). A design for this exhibit was published in a 1954 master plan, but the exhibit was not built until 1962, under a much modified design. The Children's Zoo was renovated in the early 1980s and reopened in June 1984 with a grant from the George Robert White
George Robert White
George Robert White was an American philanthropist. He was a citizen of Boston, Massachusetts for most of his life. As a boy he began working for the Weeks and Potter Drug Company. Over time White's responsibilities grew and he eventually became the president and owner of the firm. White changed...
Fund.
Tiger
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
Tales, which contains two rescued tigers named Anala (orange) and Luther (white). The exhibit opened in June 2006, marking the first time tigers had been exhibited at the zoo since the old Lion House closed in the early 1970s.
There is also an African Wild Dog
African Wild Dog
Lycaon pictus is a large canid found only in Africa, especially in savannas and lightly wooded areas. It is variously called the African wild dog, African hunting dog, Cape hunting dog, painted dog, painted wolf, painted hunting dog, spotted dog, or ornate wolf...
exhibit, outside the Tropical Forest, that is not part of any major area.
Attendance
The zoo's attendance has been rising in the last few years, but never to the point when it was free to all. It hopes in the future to have one million visitors to qualify for a regional zoo.- 1920 - 2,000,000 visitors (Zoo was free)
- 1984 - 100,000 visitors (after the renovated Children's Zoo opened)
- 1988 - 35,000 visitors
- 1990 - 200,000 visitors (after the African Tropical Forest opened in 1989)
- 1993 - 132,832 visitors
- 1994 - 153,310 visitors
- 1996 - 130,000 visitors
- 1997 - 130,000 visitors
- 1998 - 240,000 visitors
- 2006 - 266,997 visitors
- 2007 - 308,166 visitors
- 2008 - 326,543 visitors
- 2009 - 342,313 visitors