Reid Park Zoo
| Date opened | 1965 |
|---|---|
| Location | Tucson, Arizona, USA |
| Coordinates | 32°12′29″N 110°55′12″W / 32.208°N 110.920°WCoordinates: 32°12′29″N 110°55′12″W / 32.208°N 110.920°W |
| Land area | 24 acres (9.7 ha) |
| No. of animals | 500+ |
| Memberships | AZA |
| Website | www.reidparkzoo.org |
The Reid Park Zoo, founded in 1967,is a 24-acre (9.7 ha) city-owned and operated non-profit zoo located within Reid Park in Tucson, Arizona. The zoo features more than 500 animals. It was unofficially established in 1965 by Gene Reid, the parks and recreation director at the time.
Reid Park Zoo consists of four zones that are organized by the types of habitats and animals they house. The Adaptation Zone houses animals such as the grizzly bear and Aldabra giant tortoise, the South America zone houses animals such as the jaguar and spectacled bear, the Asian zone features the tiger, and the African Animals zone features animals such as the lion and giraffe. The African Animals zone also houses a 7-acre expansion (Expedition Tanzania) which was opened to the public in 2012. Expedition Tanzania is home to a herd of 6 African elephants, including a female calf born at the zoo on August 20, 2014, the first ever elephant born in the State of Arizona. A large aviary named Flight Connection hosts dozens of species of birds from Australia, Africa, and Asia.
1965: A fledgling zoo was started by Gene Reid, then Parks & Recreation director, with exhibits of pheasants, peafowl, and guinea fowl just north of the present zoo site.
1966: Prairie dogs from Lubbock, Texas, were exhibited in “Prairie Dog Town” in the former “overlook” at Randolph Park. A 1.5 acre “collection of animals” become known as the “Randolph Park Children’s Zoo”. The first purchase of an “exotic” animal was made in the fall: a two-year-old male Asian elephant.
1967-1968: The first budget of $49,000 presented to and approved by Tucson City Council, effectively opening the zoo and making it part of city operations. New animal additions included alligator, bear, camel, leopard, primates, and tapir. The zoo’s name was changed to Randolph Park Zoo. A group called Friends of Gene Reid was informally organized to assist with everyday operations.
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