Assiniboine Park Zoo
Assiniboine Park Zoo entrance
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| Date opened | 1904 |
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| Location | 2595 Roblin Boulevard Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3P 2N7 |
| Coordinates | 49°52′09″N 97°13′50″W / 49.86917°N 97.23056°WCoordinates: 49°52′09″N 97°13′50″W / 49.86917°N 97.23056°W |
| Memberships | CAZA |
| Website | www |
Assiniboine Park Zoo is a zoo that was established in 1904 at the West end of Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Zoological Society of Manitoba was formed in 1956 to provide the vision and funding for the zoo.
Assiniboine Park Zoo is accredited by the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA).
The City of Winnipeg Parks Board purchased some native animals including deer, bison, and elk to start the zoo in 1904. In 1908, the bear enclosure was built, and by 1909, the zoo had 116 animals of 19 species.
In 1916, the zoo budget was $8,000 ($1,800 for food, $4,200 for labor, and $1,158 for new construction). By 1998, the animal collection had increased to include 77 different mammal species (390 animals), 151 different birds (700 specimens), and 14 reptiles (34 specimens), with the total collection including about 1,193 individuals of 271 species, and the zoo budget was $2,497,173 ($161,800 for food and supplies, and $1,952,707 for labor).
The zoo got its first lion, a female, in 1935, and its first polar bear, a wild orphaned cub named Carmicheal, in 1939. Carmicheal got a partner in 1940—a female named Clementine.
The Zoological Society of Manitoba was formed in 1956 to provide the vision and funding for the zoo. In 1957, the zoo helped develop "Aunt Sally's Farm", a children's petting zoo, and in 1959 the zoo was officially named Assiniboine Park Zoo.
In the 1960s, the gibbon/monkey house was built, another orphan polar bear cub arrived at the zoo, and a snow leopard was added to the zoo. The Polar bear enclosure was renovated in 1967, adding an upper story, and two more orphaned cubs arrived. Then in 1968 and 1969, the Tropical House, Native Animal Exhibit, and a new south gate were added.
In the 1980s, the Zoological Society of Manitoba, which had not been active for a while, began to provide money for new signage, exhibits, and infrastructure. The main entrance was reconstructed to include a new Gift Store operated by the Society of, and the Carousel Restaurant was renovated.
The Kinsman Discovery Centre opened in 1990, and a statue honoring Winnipeg the Bear (the bear that was made famous as Winnie-the-Pooh) was unveiled in 1992. A special Australian exhibit featuring koalas from the San Diego Zoo was created in 1993, and this enclosure has been used for Matchie’s tree kangaroos since the koalas left.
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Wikipedia