Blank Park Zoo is a zoo on the south side of Des Moines, Iowa near Fort Des Moines. is the 128th day of the year (129th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ... “Des Moines” redirects here. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article is about the unit of measurement. ... A square metre (US spelling: square meter) is by definition the area enclosed by a square with sides each 1 metre long. ... 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. ... For other uses, see Zoo (disambiguation). ... “Des Moines” redirects here. ... Nickname: Location in the State of Iowa, USA Coordinates: Country United States State Iowa County Polk County Incorporated September 22, 1851 Government  - Mayor Frank Cownie Area  - City  77. ...

Early years

In 1963, Mr. A.H. Blank donated $150,000 ($916,000 in 2005 dollars) for the construction of a children's zoo on decommissioned Fort Des Moines property. The Des Moines Children’s Zoo was officially opened on May 8, 1966. It was originally designed around nursery rhymes and included a castle with moat, a replica of Noah's Ark, petting zoo and miniature railroad. The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... Little Kids Childrens Zoo, St. ... is the 128th day of the year (129th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ...

Over the next 16 years the city failed to make improvements to the zoo and was on the verge of closing until in 1981 a group of civic minded business leaders formed the Blank Park Zoo Foundation to help save the zoo. The Foundations number one goal was to provide financial support for capital improvements, animal acquisitions and promotional and marketing activities. The Foundation succeeded by forming a partnership with the City of Des Moines that resulted in a $1.8 million dollar bond referendum, as well as an additional $1.4 million dollars from the community. Finally at the end of 1982 the zoo closed for some much needed renovations.

Post renovation

On May 17, 1986 the new and improved Blank Park Zoo reopened, and officially became an AZA accredited zoo. The renovated Zoo had a new mission of conservation, education and recreation, and featured geographic themed exhibits with spacious, naturally landscaped environments. In 1995 the Blank Park Zoo Foundation purchased 25.3 additional acres of historic Fort Des Moines property and 9 historic buildings for future growth and expansion of the Zoo. It also began a capital campaign to build a new great cats exhibit and a 30,000-square-foot (3,000 m²) indoor Discovery Center exhibit. On May 1, 1999 the Tom and Jo Ghrist Great Cats exhibit opened and on September 1, 2001, the Blank Park Zoo opened the Myron & Jackie Blank Discovery Center which has become a popular year round attraction. On July 1, 2003 the Blank Park Zoo Foundation officially accepted all responsibility of the management and operations of the zoo from the City of Des Moines. In October of 2003 the first Zoo CEO, Terry Rich, was hired and has opened the door to further growth and development, and on May 8, 2006 the zoo successfully celebrated 40 years.^[1] is the 137th day of the year (138th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... 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. ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ... is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 128th day of the year (129th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

• An expanded world class “modern” zoo to include updating the current zoo and adding additional acres for new exhibits.
• Establishing a “conservation/education” headquarters for K-12 students and early childhood organizations which would also educate the public about the historic values of Fort Des Moines.
• Designate county park preserve, wetland preserve, and a new neighborhood playscape park.
• A partnership with south side businesses, including Southridge Mall, to revitalize southern Polk County’s economic development.
• A partnership with the Des Moines School District to include relocation of the Central Campus Marine Biology program and a diving pool for Iowa’s EMT and Police departments.
• Establishment of an international festival grounds for state-wide events.
• Historic living area to include a grand entrance and bandshell.
• The south side bike trail and a trail hub for southern Polk County.
• An endangered species conservation facility.

Southridge Mall is an enclosed regional shopping mall in Des Moines, Iowa. ... The Des Moines Public Schools (The Des Moines Independent Community School District, or DMPS) is the largest public school district in Iowa. ... // Central Academy Where students can earn high school and college credit The third floor of the former Model-T factory and the current Central Campus building, lovingly refered to as third floor nerd floor, as well as the Pappajohn Learning Center. ...

Animals

The Blank Park Zoo contains a variety of wildlife in several various exhibits:

Discovery Center

Wied's Marmoset in the Discovery Center

The Discovery Center is an entirely enclosed area you encounter first when you enter the zoo and contains many different types of animal and plant life. The Discovery Center itself is broken down into separate sections to create a unique viewing experience: Binomial name Callithrix (Callithrix) kuhlii Coimbra-Filho, 1985 Wieds Marmoset (Callithrix (Callithrix) kuhlii), also known as Wieds Black-tufted-ear Marmoset, is a New World monkey that lives in tropical and subtropical forests of south western Brazil. ...

The Cave

• Madagascar hissing cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa)
• Emperor scorpion (Pandinus imperator)

Binomial name (Schaum, 1853) Hissing roaches kept as pets. ... Binomial name (Koch, 1841) The emperor scorpion or imperial scorpion (Pandinus imperator) is a species of scorpion native to Africa. ...

Free Range Aviary

• Finches

Genera Many, see text Finches are seed-eating passerine birds, the many species of which are found chiefly in the northern hemisphere, but also to a limited extent in Africa and South America. ...

Butterfly Garden

• Butterflies

For other uses of the term butterfly, see butterfly (disambiguation). ...

Waterlab

Shows the various properties and uses of water

Bat Cave

• Egyptian Fruit Bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus)

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Amazon Pool

• Red Bellied Pacu (Colossoma brachypomus)
• Redtail catfish (Phractocephalus hemioliopterus)

Binomial name Phractocephalus hemioliopterus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) The redtail catfish, Phractocephalus hemioliopterus, is a pimelodid (long-whiskered) catfish named for its red or orange caudal fin. ...

Coral Reef

Containing many different varieties of reef fish

Macaw

Contains several blue and red macaws

Australian Trail

Red-necked Wallaby at the Australian Trail exhibit

• Red-necked Wallaby {Macropus rufogriseus)
• Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)
• Giant Kingfisher (Megaceryle maxima)
• Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)

Binomial name Desmarest, 1817 The Red-necked Wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus) is a medium-sized macropod, common in the more temperate and fertile parts of eastern Australia. ... For other uses, see EMU. Binomial name (Latham, 1790) The Emu has been recorded in the areas shown in orange. ... Binomial name Megaceryle maxima (Pallas, 1769) The Giant Kingfisher, Megaceryle maxima, is the largest kingfisher in Africa, where it is a resident breeding bird over most of the continent south of the Sahara Desert other than the arid southwest. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 The Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) is a small white heron. ...

Contact Area

• Trumpeter swan (Cygnus buccinator)
• Llama
• Goat
• Koi

Binomial name Cygnus buccinator Richardson, 1832 The Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) is the largest native North American swan. ... For other uses, see Llama (disambiguation). ... This article is about the domestic species. ... Binomial name (Linnaeus, 1758) Koi can also mean a virtual pet species in Neopets. ...

Great Cats

• Serval (Leptailurus serval)
• Lion (Panthera leo}
• Snow leopard (Uncia uncia)
• Siberian Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)

For the commune in northern France, see Serval, Aisne. ... For other uses, see Lion (disambiguation). ... Binomial name (Schreber, 1775) Range map Synonyms Uncia uncia The Snow Leopard (Uncia uncia), sometimes known as the ounce, is a large cat native to the mountain ranges of Central Asia from Afghanistan to Lake Baikal and eastern Tibet. ... Trinomial name Panthera tigris altaica Temminck, 1884 Distribution of the Siberian tiger (in red) The Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) is a rare subspecies of tiger (). Also known as the Amur, Manchurian, Korean, Altaic, or North China tiger, it is confined completely to the Amur region in the Far East...

Marine Animals

• Harbor seal (Phoca vitulina)
• California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus)
• Magellan Penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus)

Binomial name Phoca vitulina Linnaeus, 1758 The Harbor Seal or Common seal (Phoca vitulina) is a true seal of the Northern Hemisphere. ... Binomial name (Lesson, 1828) The California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus) is a coastal sea lion of the northern Pacific Ocean. ...

African Section

• Reticulated Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata)
• Bongo (antelope) (Tragelaphus eurycerus)
• Zebra

Binomial name Giraffa camelopardalis Linnaeus, 1758 The Somali Giraffe or Reticulated Giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata, is a subspecies of giraffe native to Somalia. ... Binomial name Ogilby, 1837 Binomial name Ogilby, 1837 The Western or Lowland Bongo, Tragelaphus eurycerus eurycerus, is a herbivorous, mostly nocturnal forest ungulate and among the largest of the African forest antelope species. ... For other uses, see Zebra (disambiguation). ...

American Bald Eagles

In June 2007, the Blank Park Zoo added the William C Knapp Family American Bald Eagle Exhibit. The birds are a pair from the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. The birds are so called "rehab" birds that were injured in the wild and rescued, but they couldn't make it on their own in the wild. According to the rules of keeping Bald Eagles, all feathers shed by the birds must be collected and sent to a place that distributes them to Native Americans.

Kids' Kingdom

In late June 2007, the Zoo, The Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute and hundreds of volunteers around Des Moines built the new Kids' Kingdom playground. It includes 5,600 sq ft (520 m²) of slides, mazes, monkey bars, sand pits, fossil digs and more. The Kids' Kingdom area also includes many for "contact animals" which includes, sheep, goats, llamas, miniature donkeys, koi fish, and a Zebu. Another fun new attraction is the mining sluice.

Conservation programs

Starting in 1997, The Blank Park Zoo Conservation Committee has raised funds for a wide variety of worldwide conservation projects. The primary projects of the Committee must be international, must focus on protecting animals or their natural ecosystems, and must also have some tie to the Blank Park Zoo. Money is collected through various means such as children's face painting, special event raffles, and coin donation buckets.

In 2005 the Conservation Committee chose to participate in 4 programs:^[2]

• The International Snow Leopard Trust - to protect the natural habitat of snow leopards
• Hornbill Nest Protection - to prevent illegal poaching of hornbills
• The Great Ape Trust - aimed to rescue orangutans in areas of deforestation
• Panamanian Golden Frogs - aimed to sponsor a program to release captive frogs into the wild

The Great Ape Trust is a 200-acre ape sanctuary and language study in Des Moines, Iowa that houses orangutans and bonobos. ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 230th day of the year (231st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 230th day of the year (231st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• http://www.blankparkzoo.com/
• Blank Park Zoo is at coordinates 41°31′10″N 93°37′27″W / 41.519318, -93.624206 (Blank Park Zoo)Coordinates: 41°31′10″N 93°37′27″W / 41.519318, -93.624206 (Blank Park Zoo)