Roger Williams Park Zoo
| Date opened | 1872, June 1, 1980 (renovated/expanded) |
|---|---|
| Location | Providence, Rhode Island, USA |
| Coordinates | 41°47′24″N 71°24′59″W / 41.7899°N 71.4163°WCoordinates: 41°47′24″N 71°24′59″W / 41.7899°N 71.4163°W |
| Land area | 40 acres |
| No. of species | 100+ |
| Annual visitors | 650,000 |
| Memberships | AZA |
| Website | www |
The Roger Williams Park Zoo of Providence, Rhode Island, United States houses over 100 species of rare animals in naturalistic settings. The park and zoo are named after the founder of Providence, Roger Williams, the 17th-century proponent of religious tolerance.
The zoo was founded in 1872, and is one of the oldest zoos in the nation. The zoo was closed from 1978 to 1980 for renovations.
Since the late 2000s, the zoo has been in the midst of a new renovation project, called "The New Zoo". Recent addition included a bald eagle exhibit, a giant anteater exhibit, river otters, tree shrews, Chinese alligators and renovation of the Fabric of Africa exhibit.
The Roger Williams Park Zoo first opened in 1872. It began as a limited collection of small animals, including raccoons, guinea pigs, mouse, squirrels, rabbits, hawks, peacocks and anteaters. The zoo's first building, the Menagerie, opened in 1890. In the 1900s, the facility began to spread out over the entire park, featuring a variety of animals such as monkeys, hoofstock, bears, and big cats.
Many new exhibits opened over time. In 1929, the Menagerie building was converted to a birdhouse; this was followed by the opening of an elephant house in 1930. In the 1930s, a new sea lion pool was constructed. Bunny Village, one of the zoo's most popular exhibits, opened in 1949.
In the mid-1960s, the zoo started to show visible signs of neglect. In 1962, Sophie Danforth founded the Rhode Island Zoological Society, an organization to increase public awareness of the neglect, and to raise funds for improvement. Its goal is to provide public support for improvements to the Zoo, such as funding new exhibits, improving old exhibits, and providing the groundwork for research, educational programs, and zoo conservation. Today, Rhode Island Zoological Society remains as the non-profit organization that supports and manages the Zoo.
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