Montgomery Zoo
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| Date opened | 1920, reopened 1972 |
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| Location | Montgomery, Alabama |
| Coordinates | 32°25′12″N 86°16′38″W / 32.420128°N 86.277201°WCoordinates: 32°25′12″N 86°16′38″W / 32.420128°N 86.277201°W |
| Land area | 40 acres (16 ha) |
| No. of animals | 750 |
| No. of species | 140 |
| Memberships | ZAA |
| Website | montgomeryzoo |
Montgomery Zoo is a 40-acre (16 ha) zoo located on the north side of Montgomery, Alabama. The zoo is an independent city department, and is aided by The Montgomery Area Zoolocal Society. It is home to approximately 750 animals representing 140 species. It is an accredited member of the Zoological Association of America and participates in twenty-one Species Survival Plans. In 2007, the zoo was home to the first African elephant birth in Alabama. In 2013, the first Indian rhinoceros ever conceived by artificial insemination was born at the zoo. The Mann Wildlife Learning Museum opened in January 2003. The museum features taxidermy displays with a focus on native wildlife, game species, and resource management.
The Montgomery Zoo began as a small menagerie in 1920 in Oak Park in downtown Montgomery. Initially started as a small children’s zoo as a part of a local community park, the zoo housed alligators, monkeys, bears and assorted other animals. There was a small train and carousel for the children. The zoo closed down between 1960 and 1971 due to racial tensions, and an unwillingness to integrate. In 1972, the Montgomery Zoo reopened at its current location. The zoo began with six acres, a small petting zoo for the children, assorted monkeys, a flight cage designed after the 1906 St. Louis World’s Fair, and a chimpanzee named Benji. In 1976, the Montgomery Zoo hosted its first fundraising event entitled Zoo Day. This initial event grew to become an annual event and is now called Zoo Weekend. Today, an average Zoo Weekend will host as many as 18,000 guests. In 1989, ground-breaking took place expanding the zoo to 40 acres. After two years of construction, the community welcomed a new zoo in 1991. Barrier-free and multi-species exhibits highlighted the expansion, as well as the zoo being divided into five continental realms: Africa, Australia, Asia, North America and South America. Since then the zoo has continued to grow and expand. In 1992, the cougar and lynx exhibit was opened in North American realm, the Reptile House, jaguar, and ocelot exhibit were completed in South America; and the new chimpanzee and colobus monkey exhibits opened in the Africa realm. In 1993, the Bengal tiger exhibit opened in the Asian realm with one white and one orange tiger. In 1995, the bald eagle exhibit opened in North American realm and Monkey Island was completely renovated in South America. In 1996, the American black bear exhibit opened and the first baby cheetah was born. A few years later in 1998, the maned wolf and Indian rhino exhibits opened. In 1999, the new front gate entrance and gift shop opened. In 2003, the Mann Wildlife Learning Museum was completed and opened on zoo property. In 2004, the African elephant exhibit opened, housing three female elephants. In March 2008, the North American river otter exhibit opened featuring two river otters and an additional habitat for an alligator snapping turtle. In June 2010, the zoo opened the Giraffe Encounter and feeding stations at the river otters and koi fish ponds. The following year, both the Parakeet Cove and Horse Trail Rides were added as animal encounters. In August 2012, the Zoofari Skylift Ride was completed. Two months later, the Birmingham Zoo's two male lions, Baron and Vulcan were displayed in their exhibit at the African realm. Two years later, these two lions were sent to Salt Lake City's Hogle Zoo to breed with Woodland Park Zoo's two lionesses. The new American alligator habitat opened with four bachelor males in summer 2014.
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