Metro Richmond Zoo
| Date opened | April 22, 1995 |
|---|---|
| Location | Chesterfield County, Virginia |
| Coordinates | 37°22′54″N 77°46′03″W / 37.3818°N 77.7674°WCoordinates: 37°22′54″N 77°46′03″W / 37.3818°N 77.7674°W |
| Land area | 70 acres (28 ha) |
| No. of animals | 2000 |
| No. of species | 180+ |
| Memberships | ZAA |
| Website | www |
Metro Richmond Zoo is a privately owned, for-profit zoo in Chesterfield County, Virginia. It is located in the central Virginia area, on the western side of I-95. Metro Richmond Zoo encompasses about 70 acres (28 ha) and houses around 2,000 animals representing over 180 species, including reticulated giraffe, white rhinoceros, snow leopard, cheetah and Grant's zebra.
The zoo is accredited by the Zoological Association of America (ZAA), and has one of the largest primate collections in the United States.
Please see their official Facebook page for updates and news: www.facebook.com/metrorichmondzoo
In 1980, Jim Andelin, then 27 years old, began collecting animals. This hobby turned into a full-time profession, and eventually land was allocated solely for his collection. The zoo was opened to the public on April 22, 1995, and was home to 167 animals of 15 species at the time. Many animals were donated to the zoo; in 1999, the zoo received 38 animals.
The Metro Richmond Zoo is noted for giraffe-feeding opportunities. Visitors can purchase zoo treats for giraffe feeding. The zoo houses a herd of nine reticulated giraffe and a single Masai giraffe, kept in a yard across from the main giraffe exhibit along with another reticulated giraffe. Animals residing with the giraffes include eastern bongo, klipspringer, ostrich, black-necked swan, Stanley crane, and crowned crane. Visitors can also purchase zoo treats for deer, goats, sheep, donkeys, and young antelope in the children's farm. Some of the larger animals can be fed zoo treats via tubes that reach to their feeding troughs. Those animals are dromedaries, Bactrian camels, elk, American bison, and warthog.
...
Wikipedia