The Peoria Zoo is a zoo located in Peoria, Illinois

Peoria, Illinois

Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...

, in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The zoo is owned and operated by the Peoria Park District and is open daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve and New Years Day.

The Peoria 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 1976.

History

In 2009, the zoo opened the new Africa exhibit, nearly doubling its size. At the same time it changed its name to "Peoria Zoo."

Exhibits

Africa
The Africa exhibit opened in 2009 after more than a decade of planning and two and a half years of construction. In this exhibit the visitors walk around the main area on a boardwalk, and can see across the entire expanse of the enclosure. The main area is divided into two sections, the northern section containing giraffe

Giraffe

The giraffe is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all extant land-living animal species, and the largest ruminant...

s and gazelle

Gazelle

A gazelle is any of many antelope species in the genus Gazella, or formerly considered to belong to it. Six species are included in two genera, Eudorcas and Nanger, which were formerly considered subgenera...

s, and the southern section being home to 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 rhinos

Rhinoceros

Rhinoceros , also known as rhino, is a group of five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia....

. Lions have their own enclosure, as do the 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...

s. Red River hogs

Red River Hog

The red river hog , also known as the bush pig , is a wild member of the pig family living in Africa, with most of its distribution in the Guinean and Congolian forests...

 and colobus

Black-and-white colobus

Black-and-white colobuses are Old World monkeys of the genus Colobus, native to Africa. They are closely related to the brown colobus monkeys of genus Piliocolobus. The word "colobus" comes from Greek κολοβός kolobós , and is so named because its thumb is a stump.Colobuses are herbivorous, eating...

 monkeys share a home, and the African crested porcupines

Crested Porcupine

The crested porcupine is a species of rodent in the Hystricidae family.It is extant in mainland Italy, Sicily, North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.-Physical Attributes:...

 and Aldabra giant tortoise

Aldabra Giant Tortoise

The Aldabra giant tortoise , from the islands of the Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles, is one of the largest tortoises in the world....

 also live together.

A small animal building houses smaller animals such as the zebra mouse, giant Zambian mole-rats

Zambian Mole Rat

The Zambian Mole Rat is a species of rodent in the family Bathyergidae. It is found in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was formerly considered a subspecies of Cryptomys hottentotus....

, pancake tortoise

Pancake tortoise

The pancake tortoise is a flat-shelled tortoise native to Tanzania and Kenya. Its name is derived from the flat shape of its shell. It is the only member of the genus Malacochersus.-Description:...

s, dung beetle

Dung beetle

Dung beetles are beetles that feed partly or exclusively on feces. All of these species belong to the superfamily Scarabaeoidea; most of them to the subfamilies Scarabaeinae and Aphodiinae of the family Scarabaeidae. This beetle can also be referred to as the scarab beetle. As most species of...

s, Madagascar hissing cockroach

Madagascar hissing cockroach

The Madagascar hissing Cockroach , also known as the Hissing Cockroach or simply Hisser, is one of the largest species of cockroach, reaching 2–4 inches at maturity. They are from the island of Madagascar off the African coast, where they can be found in rotting logs.Unlike most cockroaches, they...

es, African rock python

Python sebae

Python sebae is a large, non-venomous snake of Sub-Saharan Africa. The African rock python is one of seven species in the Python genus. It has two subspecies, one found in Central and Western Africa and the other in Southern Africa....

s, Madagascar tree boa

Madagascar Tree Boa

Boa manditra is a non-venomous boa species endemic to the island of Madagascar. The specific epithet is also the Malagasy common name for this snake...

s, and Taveta Golden Weaver

Taveta Golden Weaver

The Taveta Weaver is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family.It is found in Kenya and Tanzania. The name of the bird comes from the unique markings/coloration of the bird, as well as how these birds weave intricate nests....

s.

Other facilities

Zambezi River Lodge
The Zambezi River Lodge overlooks the Africa exhibit. The facility provides concessions, and is also available for receptions and conferences.

The future

Plans for the future include a new 7000 square feet (650 m²) entry complex with ticketing, food services, a gift shop, and educational facilities, as well as an expansion to the parking lot. Some Peoria area residents have expressed an interest in expanding the Africa exhibit and adding more rare animals, as the exhibit has become a major attraction, a point of pride in the Zoo.

The Zoo has itself detailed new plans for an Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 Walk-About Exhibit with a 600 square foot Aviary

Aviary

An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds. Unlike cages, aviaries allow birds a larger living space where they can fly; hence, aviaries are also sometimes known as flight cages...

 featuring native Australian birds (some of which visitors will be allowed to feed); planned animals are wallabies

Wallabies

A wallaby is the informal name for any of about thirty species of Australian animal.Wallaby may also refer to:* Wallaby ammunition carrier, a variant of the Canadian Ram tank* Wallaby , Japanese fantasy manga...

, black swans

Black Swans

Black Swans is a 2005 Dutch drama film.The film won a Golden Calf for best sound at the Netherlands Film Festival in 2005.-Plot:Marleen works as a volunteer in a rest home in Spain. When she meets Vince they are attracted to each other. Their passionate relationship has its ups and downs, and...

, and emus, among many others.