The Birmingham Zoo is a major zoological park founded in 1950 in Birmingham, Alabama. The 122 acre (49 hectare) zoo is home to approximately 750 animals of 250 species including many endangered species from six continents. The Zoo, which is managed by a private non-profit corporation, participates heavily in Species Survival Programs. It is located, along with the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, in Lane Park, a 200 acre (81 hectare) city-owned park near the western terminus of U.S. Highway 280 at U.S. Highway 31 on the southern slope of Red Mountain. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... An acre is the name of a unit of area in a number of different systems, including Imperial units and United States customary units. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biodiversity. ... The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (formerly the American Zoo and Aquarium Association), or AZA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation. ... Giraffes in Sydneys Taronga Zoo A zoological garden, zoological park, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures and displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred. ... Nickname: Location in Jefferson County in the state of Alabama Coordinates: Country United States State Alabama County Jefferson, Shelby Government  - Mayor Bernard Kincaid (D) Area  - City  151. ... An acre is the name of a unit of area in a number of different systems, including Imperial units and United States customary units. ... A hectare (symbol ha) is a unit of area, equal to 10 000 square metres, commonly used for measuring land area. ... The Siberian Tiger, a subspecies of tiger. ... The Birmingham Botanical Gardens is a 67. ... Lane Park is a large park located in Birmingham, Alabama. ... An acre is the name of a unit of area in a number of different systems, including Imperial units and United States customary units. ... A hectare (symbol ha) is a unit of area, equal to 10 000 square metres, commonly used for measuring land area. ... U.S. Highway 280 is a spur of U.S. Highway 80. ... US Highway 31 is a long north-south highway connecting northern Michigan to southern Alabama, with termini at Interstate 75 near Mackinaw City, Michigan, and U.S. Highway 90 and U.S. Highway 98 at Spanish Fort, Alabama. ... Red Mountain is a long ridge running southwest-northeast and dividing Jones Valley from Shades Valley south of Birmingham, Alabama,United States. ...

Early History

The origins of the Birmingham Zoo start with a small menagerie of exotic animals kept in a Southside firehouse. As the collection grew it was moved first to Magnolia Park (now Brother Bryan Park) and then to Avondale Park. At the time, the collection consisted mainly of non-exotic animals, except for "Miss Fancy," a lone elephant donated by the Birmingham Advertising Club which had purchased it as a promotional novelty from a struggling circus stranded in the city. The Southside encompasses the southern half of Birminghams downtown area from the Railroad Reservation to the crest of Red Mountain and from Interstate 65 on the west to Elton B. Stephens Expressway (US 31) on the east. ... James Alexander Bryan, known as Brother Bryan, (born 1863 in South Carolina - died 1941) was a well-loved pastor of Third Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama. ... Avondale, Alabama was a company town built around the Avondale Mills east of Birmingham, Alabama. ... The Big Top of Billy Smarts Circus Cambridge 2004. ...

As the collection grew in size and scope, city leaders contacted the Olmsted Brothers landscape architecture firm, which had drawn up plans for a system of parks in Birmingham, for advice about housing a zoological collection. They were put in contact with the few municipal zoos existing in that period and plans began for providing a new permanent home for the growing attraction. The Olmsted Brothers company was an extremely influential landscape design firm in the United States, formed in 1898 by step-brothers John Charles Olmsted (1852-1920) and Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. ... Central Park, like all parks, is an example of landscape architecture. ...

Lane Park

Birmingham, under mayor A. O. Lane, had purchased land on the south of Red Mountain between 1889 and 1896. The former [1]Red Mountain Cemetery, a pauper's cemetery was part of the parcel that was dedicated as a city park in 1934. The Works Progress Administration built a fish hatchery and a number of pavilions from the Hartselle sandstone quarried out of the mountain within the park's borders. The hatchery was fed by a natural spring and provided stock for recreational lakes in the region until the zoo took over the park. WPA Graphic The Works Progress Administration (later Work Projects Administration, abbreviated WPA), was created on May 6, 1935 by Presidential order (Congress funded it annually but did not set it up). ... A hatchery is a facility where eggs are hatched under artificial conditions, especially those of fish or poultry. ... Red sandstone interior of Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona, worn smooth due to erosion by flash flooding over millions of years Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-size mineral or rock grains. ... A natural spring on Mackinac Island in Michigan. ...

The first source of post-World War II support for a new zoo came from the Birmingham Junior Chamber of Commerce. In 1946 Elton B. Stephens chaired a Jaycees committee to create a new zoo for the city of Birmingham. In 1949, then Birmingham mayor, James R. Morgan, a key supporter of the development, began an initiative to help in the planning and development of a city zoo. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The United States Junior Chamber or Jaycees is an organization aimed at individuals aged 21 to 39 to help them in business and their professional careers. ...

Jimmy Morgan Zoo

A zoo commission was also established, and it decided to build the zoo on 50 acres (202,000 m²) of land on the southern foot of Red Mountain with a budget of $250,000. A much larger parcel of land that included the zoo parcel was incorporated into the city of Birmingham and was named Lane Park, home of the zoo as well as the neighboring botanical gardens. Red Mountain is a long ridge running southwest-northeast and dividing Jones Valley from Shades Valley south of Birmingham, Alabama,United States. ... Lane Park is a large park located in Birmingham, Alabama. ...

The budget would be spent to build six exhibits with the opening of the zoo that included "Monkey Island," an elephant house, bear moat, birdhouse, snake pit and seal pool. The funds were raised through private donations, charter memberships, and in-kind donations from a broad base of community and business supporters. Donation is a gift to a fund or cause, typically for charitable reasons. ...

The zoo, once known as The Jimmy Morgan Zoo, opened its doors with Monkey Island as its first official exhibit on April 2, 1955. The Jimmy Morgan Zoo operated as a quasi-private venture until city of Birmingham decided to assume responsibility in November 1955. The city changed the name to the Birmingham Zoo, and set an annual budget of $663,000 for its first year under city control. April 2 is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

By the early 1960s, the Alabama Zoological Society was created as a non-profit support group to raise funds to supplement the escalating operational necessities. Beginning in the 1960s and following decades, the City of Birmingham had many needs more important than the Birmingham Zoo. The situation was such the case with many municipal zoos across the nation at the time, and Birmingham was no different. The sources of funding for the zoo was inadequate to maintain and operate it at acceptable professional standards. A series of master plans were developed but never came to fruition due to lack of funding throughout the 1970s and 1980s. The need for significant improvements became increasingly evident by the 1990s.

The numerous financial demands on the city taking precedence led to the zoo's loss of accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in the late 1990s due to concern about aging facilities and uncertainty over continued funding. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (formerly the American Zoo and Aquarium Association), or AZA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation. ...

In 1999, members of the Alabama Zoological Society worked with Birmingham mayor Richard Arrington Jr. and other political leaders to set up a public-private partnership to operate the zoo. Strong community leaders were recruited to serve as the first board of directors of a new organization, Birmingham Zoo, Inc. (BZI) The new organization established a transitional funding package with contributions from four government entities to support BZI during its first five years of operation. Richard Arrington Jr. ...

Today

BZI undertook an intense 18-month effort to address the most pressing and immediate problems so that the zoo could become accredited by the AZA once again, ranking the Zoo in the top 10% of animal holding facilities in the nation. The Zoo also received 501 (c)(3) status from the IRS, and the first major capital campaign was launched in January 2001. Seal of the Internal Revenue Service Tax rates around the world Tax revenue as % of GDP Part of the Taxation series        “IRS” redirects here. ...

William R. Foster, DVM, joined the Zoo as Chief Executive Officer in January 2004. Foster, a veterinarian and leading zoo management authority on the national scene, is past president of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association and was president and executive director of the Louisville Zoo. The Louisville Zoo, or the Louisville Zoological Garden, is located in Louisville, Kentucky. ...

In the short time following this privatization, the Birmingham Zoo has hosted traveling exhibits of bats, koalas and black-footed penguins, added permanent exhibits of a Komodo dragon and interactive lorikeet aviary, and regained AZA accreditation. The Zoo completed the Junior League of Birmingham - Hugh Kaul Children's Zoo, a $15 million anchor exhibit dedicated to children and devoted to urban, rural and wild animals and environs of Alabama in April 2005, its 50th anniversary of operation. “Chiroptera” redirects here. ... Binomial name Phascolarctos cinereus (Goldfuss, 1817) The Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is a thickset arboreal marsupial herbivore native to Australia, and the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae. ... Modern genera Aptenodytes Eudyptes Eudyptula Megadyptes Pygoscelis Spheniscus For prehistoric genera, see Systematics Some penguins are curious. ... Binomial name Ouwens, 1912 Komodo dragon distribution The Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis), also known as the Komodo Monitor, Komodo Island Monitor, Ora (to the natives of Komodo[2]), or simply Komodo, is the largest living species of lizard, growing to an average length of 2-3 metres (approximately 6. ... Genera Chalcopsitta Eos Pseudeos Trichoglossus Lorius Phigys Vini (genus) Glossopsitta Charmosyna Oreopsittacus Neopsittacus Lorikeets and lories are small, brightly coloured, highly arboreal parrots. ... An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds. ... Official language(s) English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Area  Ranked 30th  - Total 52,419 sq mi (135,765 km²)  - Width 190 miles (306 km)  - Length 330 miles (531 km)  - % water 3. ...

In 2004, the Zoo's older Western Lowland Gorilla, Babec became the first gorilla to be implanted with a pacemaker due to advanced heart disease. shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Trinomial name Gorilla gorilla gorilla (Savage, 1847) The Western Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) is a subspecies of the Western Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla) that lives in montane, primary, and secondary forests and lowland swamps throughout all or parts of Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo... Babec (born December 22, 1979 in Chicago, Illinois, USA) is a male silverback Western Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), the youngest of three sons born to Otto and Benga at Chicagos Lincoln Park Zoo. ...

The zoo draws more than 450,000 visitors annually and, in 2005, was named Alabama's top tourist destination by the state's Bureau of Tourism and Travel. In 2006, the Birmingham Zoo drew more than 470,000 visitors making it second on the list of top tourist attractions in Alabama. Official language(s) English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Area  Ranked 30th  - Total 52,419 sq mi (135,765 km²)  - Width 190 miles (306 km)  - Length 330 miles (531 km)  - % water 3. ...

In 2007, a major expansion plan was announced that would bring new and larger exhibits to the Birmingham Zoo. Though currently only around 50 acres are developed at the zoo, approximately another 70 acres remain for future development. Few details have been released at this point.

Attractions/Exhibits

• Alabama Barn (contact area)
• Alligator Swamp
• Bird Aviary
• Bison
• Butterfly Encounter (Late spring through early fall only)
• Elephant House (contains Rhino and Hippo. Their Elephant recently died)
• Flamingo Lagoon
• Junior League of Birmingham-Hugh Kaul Children’s Zoo
• Lorikeet house
• Predators
• Reptiles
• The Savannah
• Waterfowl Ponds

Species Alligator mississippiensis Alligator sinensis An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. ... An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds. ... Species †B. antiquus B. bison B. bonasus †B. latifrons † †B. priscus Herd of bison grazing in Elk Island National Park, Alberta, Canada. ... Superfamilies and families Superfamily Hedyloidea: Hedylidae Superfamily Hesperioidea: Hesperiidae Superfamily Papilionoidea: Papilionidae Pieridae Nymphalidae Lycaenidae Riodinidae A butterfly is an insect of the order Lepidoptera. ... Genera and Species Loxodonta Loxodonta cyclotis Loxodonta africana Elephas Elephas maximus Elephas antiquus † Elephas beyeri † Elephas celebensis † Elephas cypriotes † Elephas ekorensis † Elephas falconeri † Elephas iolensis † Elephas planifrons † Elephas platycephalus † Elephas recki † Stegodon † Mammuthus † Elephantidae (the elephants) is a family of pachyderm, and the only remaining family in the order Proboscidea... Flamingos ( ) are gregarious wading birds in the genus Phoenicopterus and family Phoenicopteridae. ... Genera Chalcopsitta Eos Pseudeos Trichoglossus Lorius Phigys Vini (genus) Glossopsitta Charmosyna Oreopsittacus Neopsittacus Lorikeets and lories are small, brightly coloured, highly arboreal parrots. ... This snapping turtle is trying to make a meal of a Canada goose, but the goose is too wary. ... Subclasses Anapsida Diapsida Synonyms Reptilia Laurenti, 1768 Reptiles are tetrapods and amniotes, animals whose embryos are surrounded by an amniotic membrane, and members of the class Sauropsida. ... Savanna at Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania. ... Falcated Duck at Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands centre, Gloucestershire, England Wildfowl or waterfowl, also waterbirds, is the collective term for the approximately 147 species of swans, geese and ducks, classified in the order Anseriformes, family Anatidae. ...

External links

• http://www.birminghamzoo.com