Fort Wayne Children's Zoo
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Sign at the main entrance
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| Date opened | July 3, 1965 |
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| Location | Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States |
| Coordinates | 41°6′23″N 85°9′16.25″W / 41.10639°N 85.1545139°WCoordinates: 41°6′23″N 85°9′16.25″W / 41.10639°N 85.1545139°W |
| Land area | 40 acres (16 ha) |
| Number of animals | 1,000 |
| Number of species | 200 |
| Memberships | AZA |
| Major exhibits | African Lion, Dr. Diversity's Research Station, Giraffe Feeding Station, Indiana Family Farm, Orangutan Valley, Sea Lion Beach, Stingray Bay, The Reef, Tiger Forest |
| Website | kidszoo |
The Fort Wayne Children's Zoo is a zoo in Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Since opening in 1965, the 1,000-animal zoo has been located on 40 acres (16 ha) in Fort Wayne's Franke Park.
The zoo continuously ranks among the top zoos in the U.S. In 2015, TripAdvisor named it the seventh best zoo in the nation.
The FWCZ can trace its origins to 1952 when 54 acres (22 ha) were added to Franke Park in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to establish a nature preserve. Local popularity of the preserve led to Fort Wayne officials deciding to build a full-fledged zoo by 1962. The zoo's mission was to educate children about animals.
On July 3, 1965, the new Fort Wayne Children's Zoo opened on 5.5 acres (2.2 ha) with 18 animal exhibits. In 1976, a major expansion of the zoo was the African Veldt attraction, where savanna animals grazed in open fields east of the Central Zoo. In 1987, the Australian Adventure premiered, showcasing animals from the Outback. A domed Indonesian Rain Forest exhibit opened in 1994, with Orangutan Valley opening a year later, and Tiger Forest in 1996.
On May 18, 2004, 7.5-year-old "Coolah," the last remaining Tasmanian devil to live outside of Australia, died from complications of inoperable cancer. Coolah had drawn international attention to the zoo once Australia banned the export of Tasmanian devils after the species became endangered. Over the years, the zoo was home to 12 Tasmanian devils, the most of any zoo in the U.S.
On July 1, 2015, the zoo celebrated its 50th anniversary with about 400 guests. The 47th Three Rivers Festival parade honored the occasion, with the theme "Here's to Zoo."
On October 19, 2004, five wildebeests broke through a gate and jumped a fence, roaming the streets of a nearby neighborhood. Eventually, the wildebeests were captured, though two of the five suffered broken legs and were forced to be euthanized. The zoo was fined $825 for the incident.
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Wikipedia