Detroit Zoo
The Horace Rackham Memorial Fountain by Corrado Parducci
Date opened	1883; August 1, 1928
Location	Royal Oak, Michigan, USA
Land area	125 acres (51 ha) [1]
Coordinates	42°28′36.74″N, 83°9′21.77″W
Accreditations/ Memberships	AZA
Website

The Detroit Zoo is located in Royal Oak and Huntington Woods, Michigan, USA. The Detroit Zoological Society, a non-profit organization, operates both the Detroit Zoo and the Belle Isle Nature Zoo, located in the city of Detroit. The Detroit Zoological Society is responsible for the care and feeding of more than 1,800 vertebrates and 5,000 invertebrates representing over 270 species. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 449 × 599 pixelsFull resolution‎ (999 × 1,333 pixels, file size: 700 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Bear fountain at the Detroit Zoo. ... Year 1883 (MDCCCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 213th day of the year (214th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Star Dream by Marshall Fredericks in downtown Royal Oak Royal Oak is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... 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 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. ... The Star Dream by Marshall Fredericks in downtown Royal Oak Royal Oak is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. ... Huntington Woods, known as the City of Homes, is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... Detroit redirects here. ...

Current activities

The zoo participates in numerous Species Survival Plans helping preserve critically endangered species. Trumpeter swans and Partula snails were raised at the zoo for reintroduction to the wild, while the zoo has taken in abused circus animals (Barle the polar bear in 2002) and a drug-house guard lion. Barle successfully gave birth to a cub, Talini, in late 2004 . In the spring of 2005, two wolverine kits were born at the zoo - a very rare event for the species, which tends to breed poorly in captivity. ^[2] The Species Survival Plan helps endangered animals find zoos to live in. ... Binomial name Cygnus buccinator Richardson, 1832 The Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) is the largest native North American swan. ... For other uses, see Snail (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Circus (disambiguation). ... This article is about the animal. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... For other uses, see Lion (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Wolverine (disambiguation). ...

In 2001, the National Amphibian Conservation Center (2001) (or Amphibiville) and the Arctic Ring of Life (2001) - the world's largest polar bear exhibit - opened to the public.^[3][4] The Arctic Ring of Life exhibit is centered around a 300,000 U.S. gallon (250,000 imp gal; 1,136,000 L) aquarium. The exhibit allows visitors to view the polar bears and seals from a 70 foot (21 m) long underwater tunnel. The tunnel is 12 feet wide by 8 feet tall (3.6 m by 2.4 m) and is made of four-inch (10.1 cm) thick clear acrylic walls that provides a 360-degree view into the aquarium above.^[5][6] Other new buildings include the Ruth Roby Glancy Animal Health Complex (opened 2004) and the 38,000-square-foot Ford Education Center (opened 2005). The gallon (abbreviation: gal) is a unit of volume. ... Imperial Measure was a former system of measurement used in some Commonwealth nations, most notably the United Kingdom and Canada. ... The litre or liter (see spelling differences) is a unit of volume. ...

Detroit Zoo Entrance

A polar bear swims above the crowd at the Arctic Ring of Life exhibit. June 2007

The zoo made additional news in 2005 when it became the first U.S. zoo to give up its elephants on ethical grounds^[7], claiming the Michigan winters were too harsh for the animals and that confining them to the elephant house during cold months was psychologically stressful. The elephants, named Wanda and Winky, were relocated to the Performing Animal Welfare Sanctuary (PAWS) in California.^[8] The zoo had housed elephants since its opening. The former elephant exhibit was renovated, and is now home to two white rhinoceros, Jasiri and Tamba.^[9] Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,000 × 750 pixels, file size: 443 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Tunnel under the polar bear tank at the Detroit Zoo. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,000 × 750 pixels, file size: 443 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Tunnel under the polar bear tank at the Detroit Zoo. ... 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... This article is about the U.S. State. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Binomial name Burchell, 1817 The White Rhinoceros original range (orange: Northern (C. s. ...

A kangaroo rolling in dirt only a few feet from the path.

The Zoo's newest exhibit, Australian Outback Adventure, opened in spring 2006. The exhibit allows visitors to walk through a two-acre simulated Outback containing 17 red kangaroos and 3 red-necked wallabies; only knee-high wire cables separate visitors from the marsupials, allowing the animals to hop freely onto the walking path. ^[10] Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (3,072 × 2,304 pixels, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (3,072 × 2,304 pixels, file size: 1. ... For other uses, see Outback (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Desmarest, 1822 The Red Kangaroo (Macropus rufus) is the largest of all kangaroos and the largest surviving marsupial. ... 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. ...

On February 18, 2006, the Detroit City Council voted to shut down the zoo as part of budget cuts, being unable to reach an agreement with the Detroit Zoological Society to take over the park and a legislative grant having expired that day. An uproar ensued and the Council, on March 1, 2006, voted to transfer operations to the Detroit Zoological Society with a promised $4 million grant from the Michigan Legislature. The city retained ownership of the assets, including the Detroit Zoological Institute in Royal Oak and the Belle Isle Nature Zoo in Detroit. The Society is responsible for governance, management and operations, including creating a plan to raise the money needed to keep the facilities operating for generations to come.
is the 49th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... USD redirects here. ... The Michigan Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Michigan. ...

History

Historical Marker at the main entrance.

The first Detroit Zoo opened in 1883 on Michigan and Trumbull Avenues, across from the current site of Tiger Stadium. A circus had arrived in town, only to go broke financially. Luther Beecher, a leading Detroit citizen and capitalist, financed the purchase of the circus animals and erected a building for their display called the Detroit Zoological Garden. The zoo closed the following year and the building converted into a horse auction.^[11] Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,304 × 3,072 pixels, file size: 3. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,304 × 3,072 pixels, file size: 3. ... Tiger Stadium with football configuration. ... For other uses, see Circus (disambiguation). ...

The Detroit Zoological Society was founded in 1911, but zoo's official opening did not occur until August 1, 1928. At the opening ceremony, acting Mayor John C. Nagel was to speak to the gathered crowd. Arriving late, Nagel parked his car behind the bear dens and as he came rushing around the front, Morris, a polar bear, leaped from his moat and stood directly in front of Nagel. Unaware how precarious his situation was, Nagel stuck out his hand and walked toward the polar bear joking, "He's the reception committee." The keepers rushed the bear and forced him back into the moat, leaving the mayor uninjured.^[12] is the 213th day of the year (214th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the animal. ...

Two years later the Bear Dens and Sheep Rock had been added, followed shortly by the Bird House. Next to be constructed were the Elk Exhibit, the Baboon Rock, and Primate and Reptile houses. The Detroit Zoo was the first in America with cageless exhibits.^[13] The onset of the Great Depression brought to a halt additional major projects, but expansion resumed in the 1940s and has periodically continued since then. For other uses, see The Great Depression (disambiguation). ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

During the depression, one of the more popular attractions was Jo Mendi, a four-year-old chimpanzee purchased by the zoo director with his own funds. A veteran of Broadway and motion pictures, the chimp performed an act for the audience. As one press account stated, "he enjoys every minute of the act...He counts his fingers, dresses, laces his shoes, straps up his overalls; pours tea and drinks it; eats with a spoon, dances and waves farewell to his admirers." When the chimp fell ill in late 1932 after eating a penny, surgeons from area hospitals came to check him out. During his recovery, visitors brought toys, peanuts and more than $500 worth of flowers, along with several thousands cards and letters. Jo died in 1934 from hoof and mouth disease.^[12] Type species Simia troglodytes Blumenbach, 1775 distribution of Species Pan troglodytes Pan paniscus Chimpanzee, often shortened to chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of apes in the genus Pan. ... For other uses of Broadway, see Broadway. ... For other uses see film (disambiguation) Film refers to the celluliod media on which movies are printed Film — also called movies, the cinema, the silver screen, moving pictures, photoplays, picture shows, flicks, or motion pictures, — is a field that encompasses motion pictures as an art form or as... For the NBA basketball player with the nickname see Penny Hardaway A variety of low value coins, including an Irish 2p piece and many U.S. pennies. ... Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), sometimes called hoof-and-mouth disease, is a highly contagious but non-fatal viral disease of cattle and pigs. ...

In 1939, sculptor Corrado Parducci created the Horace Rackham Memorial Fountain, popularly known as "the Bear Fountain." The memorial was one of four major donations made by Mary Rackham in the memory of her late husband Horace, the other three being college buildings named after him in Detroit, Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, Michigan. Corrado Giuseppe Parducci (March 10, 1900 - November 22, 1981) was an American architectural sculptor. ... Horace H. Rackham (1858 - 1933)[1] was one of the original stockholders in the Ford Motor Company and a noted philanthropist. ... Detroit redirects here. ... Ann Arbor redirects here. ... Nickname: Motto: Pride. ...

From the 1950s through the early 1970s, local weatherman Sonny Elliot hosted a television program At the Zoo that was shown on Saturdays on television station WDIV.^[14] This article is about a television transmitting location or company. ... WDIV (Local 4) is the NBC television station based in Detroit, Michigan. ...

Photo gallery

Under the polar bears. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,000 × 750 pixels, file size: 391 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Tunnel under the polar bear tank at the Detroit Zoo. ...	Polar bear swimming. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,000 × 750 pixels, file size: 433 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Tunnel under the polar bear tank at the Detroit Zoo. ...	Peacocks freely roam the zoo and sometimes the streets of Huntington Woods that border the zoo. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,000 × 750 pixels, file size: 605 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) At the Detroit Zoo, Peacocks freely roam the park. ... Huntington Woods, known as the City of Homes or Chanukah Woods, is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. ...	The fountain. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 449 × 599 pixelsFull resolution‎ (999 × 1,333 pixels, file size: 700 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Bear fountain at the Detroit Zoo. ...
Horace Rackham Fountain by Corrado Parducci Photo by Einar Einarsson Kvaran File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

See also

• Architecture of metropolitan Detroit
• Pewabic Pottery

Comerica Tower at Detroit Center by John Burgee and Philip C. Johnson. ... Pewabic Pottery is a pottery studio located in Detroit, Michigan. ...

Notes

1. ^ Detroit Zoo Joins Fight to Save Endangered Karner Blue Butterfly. Retrieved on 2007-07-05. “The Detroit Zoological Society is a non-profit organization that operates the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Zoo. Situated on 125 acres of naturalistic exhibits, the Detroit Zoo is located at the intersection of Ten Mile Road and Woodward Avenue, just off I-696, in Royal Oak.”
2. ^ Detroit Zoological Society.
3. ^ PR NEWS WIRE (October 20, 2001). The World's Largest Polar Bear Exhibit Opens at the Detroit Zoo. United Business Media.
4. ^ Detroit Zoological Society (2001).
5. ^ Artic Ring Arctic Ring of Life page 1. Retrieved on 2007-07-05.
6. ^ Arctic Ring of Life page 2. Retrieved on 2007-07-05.
7. ^ Zoo sends its elephants packing. Detroit Zoo. Retrieved on July 9, 2007.
8. ^ Elephants (April 8, 2005). Detroit Free Press.
9. ^ Rhinos. Detroit Zoological Society. Retrieved on July 9, 2007.
10. ^ Outback Adventure Detroit Zoological Society. Retrieved on July 9, 2007.
11. ^ Austin, William (1974). The First Fifty Years. Detroit Zoological Society.
12. ^ ^{a b} Houston, Kay (compiled). How the Detroit Zoo's first day was almost its last. Rearview Mirror, Detroit News. Retrieved on July 9, 2007.
13. ^ Wayne County - A Brief History. Retrieved on 2007-10-07.
14. ^ WWJ Newsradio 950 Our Staff. Retrieved on 2007-10-07.

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

References and further reading

• Austin, William (1974). The First Fifty Years. The Detroit Zoological Society.
• Detroit Zoological (2003). Wonders Among Us: Celebrating 75 Years of the Detroit Zoo. Detroit Zoological Society. ISBN 0615124100. 
• Rodriguez, Michael and Thomas Featherstone (2003). Detroit's Belle Isle Island Park Gem (Images of America). Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-2315-1. 
• Kvaran, Einar Einarsson. Shadowing Parducci, unpublished manuscript, Detroit.

External links

• http://www.detroitzoo.org
• History of the zoo
• Video review of the zoo with on-site footage

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