Rosamond Gifford Zoo
 Rosamond Gifford Zoo logo
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 Main building and entrance to the zoo
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| Date opened | 1914; 1986 |
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| Location | Syracuse, New York, United States |
| Coordinates | 43°02′32″N 76°10′52″W / 43.04222°N 76.18111°WCoordinates: 43°02′32″N 76°10′52″W / 43.04222°N 76.18111°W |
| Land area | 43 acres (17 ha) |
| No. of animals | 900+ |
| Memberships | AZA |
| Website |
www |
The Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park is a zoo in Syracuse, New York. It is owned and operated by Onondaga County Parks with support from Friends of the Zoo. The zoo is home to more than 700 animals on 43 acres (17 ha). Some of the more popular animals include Asian elephants, Humboldt penguins, Amur tigers, and African lions. The zoo also houses a conservation education center, banquet/meeting space, Jungle Cafe, and gift shop.
The Rosamond Gifford Zoo has been an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) since 1987.
The first incarnation of the zoo was a small, four acre facility in Burnet Park owned and operated by the Syracuse Department of Parks and Recreation. After opening in 1914, the zoo's first expansion began in 1916 with the construction of stone exhibits for bears and a waterfowl pond. By 1933, the zoo had doubled in size, and by in 1955 a children's zoo and monkey exhibit had been built.
The zoo's decline began in the early 1960s as Syracuse's tax base started to shrink and financial support for the zoo began to erode. In 1974, two teens broke into the zoo and managed to kill and injure about forty animals. The city's financial position and the break-in fueled public debate over the future of the zoo.
Despite the creation of the Friends of the Burnet Park Zoo in 1970 and a grant received by the city to enlarge the zoo to 18 acres (7.3 ha), add a boardwalk, a western plains habitat, and construct a new perimeter fence, the city of Syracuse transferred control of the zoo to Onondaga County Parks in 1979.
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