Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden

Last updated
Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden
Oklahoma City Zoo logo.png
Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden
Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden
35°31′16″N97°28′21″W / 35.5212°N 97.4724°W / 35.5212; -97.4724
Date opened1902 (Wheeler Park Zoo) [1]
1920 (as Lincoln Park Zoo) [2]
Location Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States
Land area130 acres (53 ha)
No. of animals1,900 [3]
No. of species512 [3]
Annual visitors1+ million [4]
Memberships AZA, [5] AAM [6]
Major exhibitsCat Forest, Children's Zoo, Expedition Africa, Great EscApe, Herpetarium, Lion Overlook, Oklahoma Trails, Sanctuary Asia, Wetlands Walkway
Website www.okczoo.org

The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden is a zoo and botanical garden located in Oklahoma City's Adventure District in northeast Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Contents

The zoo covers 130 acres (53 ha) and is home to more than 1,900 animals. It is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Oklahoma City Zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the American Alliance of Museums. Over a million visitors a year visit the zoo.

Exhibits

Other attractions within the zoo include the giraffe feeding platform, the Elephant Express tram, the Endangered Species Carousel, the Sea Lion Presentation, Stingray Bay, Wild Encounters, elephant presentations, and the Jungle Gym Playground.

Surrounding the zoo are the Zoo Amphitheater, Lincoln Park, Northeast Lake and the Lincoln Park Golf Course. The zoo is located Oklahoma City's Adventure District at the crossroads of I-35 and I-44. Other attractions in the Adventure District are the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Science Museum Oklahoma (formerly called the Omniplex), the ASA National Softball Hall of Fame, and Remington Park Racing/Casino.

List of animals
Mammals
Birds
Invertebrates
Fish

Former exhibits

Dolphin sculpture. Oklahoma City Zoo 5-26-2014 (14279902521).jpg
Dolphin sculpture.

Famous animals

Commemorative plaque for Judy the elephant. OKC Zoo May 2007 - 76 (497215846).jpg
Commemorative plaque for Judy the elephant.

Judy was a famous elephant of the zoo having been a part of the zoo for almost 50 years. [13]

Malee was an Asian elephant born April 15, 2011, weighing 300 pounds, the child of one of the Oklahoma City Zoo's elephants, Asha, and a male elephant named Sneezy who lives at the Tulsa Zoo. The Zoo held birthday parties for her every year. [14] [15] On September 30, 2015, zookeepers noticed discoloration of her trunk. After two failed treatments, she died at 4 AM CST on October 1, 2015. The cause of death was determined to be elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus, which the other elephants at the zoo aside from her sister Achara also had. [16]

See also

Notes

  1. Stephens 2006, pp. 9
  2. Stephens 2006, pp. 37
  3. 1 2 "Animals & Plants - Oklahoma City Zoo". Archived from the original on 2012-10-10. Retrieved 2011-01-07.
  4. "Oklahoma City Zoo sets new annual attendance record". FOX 25. KOKH.
  5. "Currently Accredited Zoos and Aquariums". aza.org. AZA . Retrieved 7 January 2010.
  6. "List of Accredited Museums" (PDF). aam-us.org. American Alliance of Museums. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
  7. "Great EscApe". okczoo.com. Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden. Archived from the original on 20 January 2010. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
  8. "Cat Forest/Lion Overlook". okczoo.com. Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden. Archived from the original on 30 December 2009. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
  9. "Oklahoma Trails". okczoo.com. Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden. Archived from the original on 1 January 2010. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
  10. "Noble Aquatic Center: Aquaticus". okczoo.com. Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden. Archived from the original on 31 December 2009. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
  11. "Butterfly Garden". okczoo.com. Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden. Archived from the original on 30 December 2009. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
  12. "Island Life". okczoo.com. Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden. Archived from the original on 31 December 2009. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
  13. Johnson, Larry. "Judy Visits The Library". Metropolitan Library System of Oklahoma County.
  14. "Malee's 1st Birthday Bash at the OKC Zoo" (Press release). OKC Zoo. April 6, 2012. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  15. "OKC Zoo planning second Birthday Bash" (Press release). OKC Zoo. April 8, 2013. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  16. Patterson, Matt (October 1, 2015). "Virus eyed in death of Malee, zoo's 4-year-old elephant". The Oklahoman. Archived from the original on May 12, 2016. Retrieved April 23, 2016.

Related Research Articles

The Saint Louis Zoo, officially known as the Saint Louis Zoological Park, is a zoo in Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri. It is recognized as a leading zoo in animal management, research, conservation, and education. The zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Admission is free based on a public subsidy from a cultural tax district, the Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District (ZMD); fees are charged for some special attractions. A special feature is the 2 ft narrow-gauge Emerson Zooline Railroad with passenger trains pulled by Chance Rides C.P. Huntington locomotives that encircle the zoo, stopping at the more popular attractions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jersey Zoo</span> Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust

Jersey Zoo is a zoological park established in 1959 on the island of Jersey in the English Channel by naturalist and writer Gerald Durrell (1925–1995). It is operated by the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. It has approximately 169,000 visitors per year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melbourne Zoo</span> Zoo in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Melbourne Zoo is a zoo in Melbourne, Australia. It is located within Royal Park in Parkville, approximately 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) north of the centre of Melbourne. It is the primary zoo serving Melbourne. As of 2021 the zoo contains 3742 animals comprising 243 species, from Australia and around the world. The zoo is accessible via Royal Park station on the Upfield railway line, and is also accessible via tram routes 58 and 19, as well as by bicycle on the Capital City Trail. Bicycles are not allowed inside the zoo itself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles Zoo</span> Public zoo and botanical garden

The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens is a 133-acre (54 ha) zoo founded in 1966 and located in Los Angeles, California, United States. The city of Los Angeles owns the zoo, its land and facilities, and the animals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Francisco Zoo</span> Zoo in San Francisco, California

The San Francisco Zoo is a 100-acre (40 ha) zoo located in the southwestern corner of San Francisco, California, between Lake Merced and the Pacific Ocean along the Great Highway. The SF Zoo is a public institution, managed by the non-profit San Francisco Zoological Society, a 501(c)(3) organization. As of 2016, the zoo housed more than one thousand individual animals, representing more than 250 species. It is noted as the birthplace of Koko the gorilla, and, from 1974 to 2016, the home of Elly, the oldest black rhinoceros in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zürich Zoologischer Garten</span> Zoo in Zurich

The Zoo Zürich is a zoo located in Zürich, Switzerland. It is considered one of the best zoos in Europe. Opened in 1929, it is the third oldest zoo in Switzerland and it accumulated a collection of 2,200 specimens of 300 species by its seventy-fifth year. It is located on Zürichbergstrasse, on the lower reaches of the Zürichberg in the Fluntern quarter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Rock Zoo</span> Zoo in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States

The Little Rock Zoo was founded in 1926 and is located in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States. It is home to more than 725 animals representing over 200 species, and covers an area of 33 acres (13 ha). The Arkansas Zoological Foundation is a private 501 c (3) organization that raises funds for zoo development. The Little Rock Zoo is a department of the city of Little Rock. It is the largest zoo in Arkansas, and the only Arkansas zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birmingham Zoo</span> Zoo in Birmingham, Alabama, United States

The Birmingham Zoo is a zoological park that opened in 1955 in Birmingham, Alabama, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adelaide Zoo</span> Zoo in Australia

Adelaide Zoo is Australia's second oldest zoo, and it is operated on a non-profit basis. It is located in the parklands just north of the city centre of Adelaide, South Australia. It is administered by the Royal Zoological Society of South Australia Incorporated, which is a full institutional member of the Zoo and Aquarium Association and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and which also administers the Monarto Safari Park near Murray Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sedgwick County Zoo</span> Zoo in Kansas, USA

The Sedgwick County Zoo is an AZA-accredited wildlife park and major attraction in Wichita, Kansas, United States. Founded in 1971, with the help of the Sedgwick County Zoological Society, the zoo has quickly become recognized both nationally and internationally for its support of conservation programs and successful breeding of rare and endangered species. Having over 3,000 animals of nearly 400 species, the zoo has slowly increased its visitors and now ranks as the number one outdoor tourist attraction in the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leipzig Zoological Garden</span> Zoo in Leipzig, Germany

Leipzig Zoological Garden, or Leipzig Zoo is a zoo in Leipzig`s district Mitte, Germany. It was first opened on June 9, 1878. It was taken over by the city of Leipzig in 1920 after World War I and now covers about 27 hectares and contains approximately 850 species. By 2020 the zoo featured six different theme worlds, aiming at providing habitats appropriate for the species on display.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diergaarde Blijdorp</span> Zoo in the northwestern Rotterdam, Nederlands

Diergaarde Blijdorp, officially Rotterdam Zoo, is a zoo located in the northwestern part of Rotterdam. It is one of the oldest zoos in the Netherlands, and has been operated by the Stichting Koninklijke Rotterdamse Diergaarde. Divided into several zoogeographic regions, the 26-hectare (64.25-acre) Blijdorp Zoo boasts 562 species. It also has a shop, multiple cafes, and an information centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nandankanan Zoological Park</span> Zoo and botanical garden in Odisha, India

Nandankanan Zoological Park is a 437-hectare (1,080-acre) zoo and botanical garden in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. Established in 1960, it was opened to the public in 1979 and became the first zoo in India to join World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) in 2009. It also contains a botanical garden and part of it has been declared a sanctuary. Nandankanan, literally meaning The Garden of Heaven, is located near the capital city, Bhubaneswar, in the environs of the Chandaka forest, and includes the 134-acre (54 ha) Kanjia lake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Species Survival Plan</span>

The American Species Survival Plan or SSP program was developed in 1981 by the (American) Association of Zoos and Aquariums to help ensure the survival of selected species in zoos and aquariums, most of which are threatened or endangered in the wild.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Antonio Zoo</span> Zoo in Texas, United States

The San Antonio Zoo is an Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited zoo in Midtown San Antonio, Texas, United States. It is located in the city's Brackenridge Park. San Antonio Zoo is a 50+ acre zoo home to over 750 species, some of which are endangered or extinct in the wild, and an annual attendance of more than 1 million. It also runs non-animal attractions, such as the 2 ft narrow gauge San Antonio Zoo Eagle train ride, which first opened in 1956.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shanghai Zoo</span> Zoo in Changning District, Shanghai

Shanghai Zoological Park, or commonly Shanghai Zoo in short, is the main zoological garden in Shanghai. It is located near the township of Hongqiao and is administratively in Changning District. Shanghai Zoo was formerly known as " Xijiao Park", which is still a common name used locally for the zoo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens</span> Zoo in Jacksonville, Florida

The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, located in Jacksonville, Florida, sits at the mouth of the Trout River, near where it flows into the St. Johns River. The zoo occupies approximately 122 acres (49 ha) and has over 2,000 animals and 1,000 plant species in its collection. The zoo has grown from its modest beginnings in Springfield to be considered one of the city's premier attractions, with more than one million visits annually.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banham Zoo</span> Zoo in Norfolk, England

Banham Zoological Gardens is a 50-acre (20 ha) zoo in Banham, Norfolk, England. The zoo itself, which today is home to more than 2,000 animals, opened to the public in 1968, became a charity in 2013, and has since been often awarded the prize of Norfolk's Top Attraction, by numerous different organisations, with an annual visitor attendance of in excess of 200,000 people. It is part of the Zoological Society of East Anglia, a registered charity which also owns Africa Alive Zoological Reserve near Lowestoft, Suffolk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barcelona Zoo</span> Zoo in Catalonia, Spain

Barcelona Zoo is a zoo in the Parc de la Ciutadella in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The zoo used to be internationally known as the home of Snowflake, the only known albino gorilla, who died in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gembira Loka Zoo</span> Zoo in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Gembira Loka Zoo is a zoological garden located in Yogyakarta, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Gembira Loka Zoo was opened in 1956 and comprises a botanical garden, orchid nursery, (artificial) lake, children's park, numerous scenic bridges across the Gajahwong River, and a collection of approximately 470 animals, most notable of which are its native Indonesian tigers, leopards, Komodo dragons, saltwater crocodiles, orangutans, and gibbons, as well as African animals such as lions, camels and hippopotamus. The park is 54 acres in size.

References