Philadelphia Zoo
The gate overhead the zoo's entrance
Date opened	March 21, 1859 (chartered); July 1, 1874 (opened)
Location	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Land area	42 acres (0.17 km²)
Coordinates	39°58′28.22″N, 75°11′44.44″W
# of Animals	1,500
Accreditations/ Memberships	AZA
Website

The Philadelphia Zoo, located in Fairmount Park on the west bank of the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, was the first zoo in the United States. Chartered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on March 21, 1859, its opening was delayed by the American Civil War until July 1, 1874. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (2832 × 1888 pixel, file size: 1. ... March 21 is the 80th day of the year (81st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1859 (MDCCCLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1874 (MDCCCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link with display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Nickname: Motto: Philadelphia maneto - Let brotherly love continue Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States Commonwealth Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Government  - Mayor John F. Street (D) Area  - City 369. ... Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area  Ranked 33rd  - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 km²)  - Width 280 miles (455 km)  - Length 160 miles (255 km)  - % water 2. ... 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. ... 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. ... Depending upon the criteria, Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the largest municipal public park in the world at over 9,100 acres (37 km²). This figure includes all parkland within the city limits, as all 65 city parks are considered part of Fairmount Park and overseen by the Fairmount... The Schuylkill River, pronounced SKOO-kull (IPA: ), is a river in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. ... Nickname: Motto: Philadelphia maneto - Let brotherly love continue Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States Commonwealth Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Government  - Mayor John F. Street (D) Area  - City 369. ... 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. ... State nickname: The Keystone State Other U.S. States Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Governor Ed Rendell Official languages None Area 119,283 km² (33rd)  - Land 116,074 km²  - Water 3,208 km² (2. ... March 21 is the 80th day of the year (81st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1859 (MDCCCLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1874 (MDCCCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link with display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

The Philadelphia Zoo is one of the premier zoos in the world for breeding animals that have been found difficult to breed in captivity.^{[citation needed]} The zoo also works with many groups around the world to protect the natural habitats of the animals in their care. Animals in which are situated in the esscence of humans are in captivity. ...

The zoo comprises 42 acres and is home to more than 1,300 animals, many of which are rare and endangered. The zoo features a children’s zoo, a balloon ride, a paddleboat lake, and many interactive and educational exhibits.

Recent Events

The elephants at the Philadelphia Zoo, who are expected to be phased out in Fall of 2007.

• In 1995, a fire in the World of Primates building in the early morning of December 24 killed 23 animals, including a family group of six lowland gorillas, a family group of three orangutans, four white-handed gibbons, and ten lemurs (2 ruffed, 6 ringtail, and 2 mongoose).^[1][2] All were members of endangered species. The animals died in their sleep from smoke inhalation (carbon-monoxide poisoning); none were burned. Ten primates housed in an adjoining building, the Discovery House, survived. At the time of the fire, detection equipment existed in only 20% of the zoo buildings; the primates building, which had been constructed in 1985, was not one of them. In the ten months following the fire, the zoo installed fire detection equipment in all animal buildings.^[3]

• In 2000, the Zoo opened a new primate exhibit, the PECO Primate Reserve. It features 2.5 acres of indoor and outdoor exhibits with ten species of primates, including Sumatran orangutans, lowland gorillas, lemurs, langurs and gibbons.^[4]

• In 2006 the Philadelphia Zoo opened a new, $20-million big cat exhibit, Big Cat Falls, sponsored by Bank of America. This exhibit showcases the animals in scenes reminiscent of their natural habitats, and allows visitors to get very close to the cats—sometimes separated only by a panel of glass. Visitors can see 12 endangered big cats from around the world, including three new snow leopard cubs, three new cougar kittens and a new black jaguar cub.

• On May 25, 2007, 3 Amur Tiger cubs were born at the Philadelphia Zoo to mother, Kira, and father, Dmitri (also spelled "Dimitri"). The cubs, however won't be on exhibit for a few months.^[5]

Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 532 pixelsFull resolution (3008 × 2000 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 532 pixelsFull resolution (3008 × 2000 pixel, file size: 2. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... December 24 is the 358th day of the year (359th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For people nicknamed The Big Cat, see The Big Cat. ... See also Banc of America Securities, Banc of America Investment Services, Inc. ... Binomial name Schreber, 1775 Range map Synonyms Panthera uncia The Snow Leopard (Uncia uncia[1] or Panthera uncia[3]), sometimes known as the Ounce, is a large cat native to the mountain ranges of central and southern Asia. ... For other uses, see Cougar (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Jaguar (disambiguation). ... is the 145th day of the year (146th 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. ... Trinomial name Panthera tigris altaica Temminck, 1884 Distribution of the Amur Tiger (in red) A stretching Siberian tiger The Amur Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) is a rare subspecies of tiger (). Also known as the Siberian, Korean, Manchurian, or North China Tiger, it is the largest natural animal in the feline...

Features of the zoo

The Channel 6 Zooballoon floats above the Philadelphia Zoo

• The Dodge Rare Animal Conservation Center: Interactive graphics and up-close views of some of the world's most endangered animals: giant Rodrigues fruit bats, naked mole rats, blue-eyed lemurs, tree-kangaroos, and more.

• The Reptile and Amphibian House: Features over 125 species of amphibians and reptiles, including giant tortoises and the venomous king cobra.

• "Bank of America: Big Cat Falls" Features numerous species of wild cats including African Lions, Black Jaguars, Amur Tigers and [[Puma]s.

• Carnivore Kingdom: Features a family of six rare, playful giant otters, snow leopards, red pandas, and clouded leopards in unique naturalistic environments.

• African Plains: warthogs, sable antelope, Mhorr Gazelle, reticulated giraffes, hippos, and zebras.

• Exotic South American animals: such as giant anteaters and capybaras.

• Educational programs are offered at reasonable cost for children age three and older. Summer camps are offered throughout the summer months for grade school aged children.

• The Animal Health Center: The Philadelphia Zoo hosts one of the nation’s busiest and most comprehensive animal hospital and health-care facilities.

• The Channel 6 Zooballooon, a tethered helium balloon, rises 400 feet in the air to offer a view of the Zoo, the Schuylkill River, and the Philadelphia Center City skyline. The balloon is sponsored, in part, by WPVI-TV.

Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 423 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (600 × 850 pixel, file size: 431 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Philadelphia Zoo User:JVinocur/Images Metadata... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 423 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (600 × 850 pixel, file size: 431 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Philadelphia Zoo User:JVinocur/Images Metadata... Binomial name Heterocephalus glaber Rüppell, 1842 Distribution of the Naked Mole Rat The Naked Mole Rat (Heterocephalus glaber), also known as the Sand Puppy, or Desert Mole Rat, is a burrowing rodent native to parts of East Africa and the only species currently classified in genus Heterocephalus. ... Superfamilies and Families Cheirogaleoidea Cheirogaleidae Lemuroidea Lemuridae Lepilemuridae Indriidae Lemurs make up the infraorder Lemuriformes and are members of a class of primates known as prosimians . ... Species About 9; see text. ... Subclasses and Orders    Order Temnospondyli - extinct Subclass Lepospondyli - extinct Subclass Lissamphibia    Order Anura    Order Caudata    Order Gymnophiona Amphibians (class Amphibia; from Greek αμφις both and βιος life) are a taxon of animals that include all living tetrapods (four-legged vertebrates) that do not have amniotic eggs, are ectothermic (term for the animals... 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. ... Giant tortoises are characteristic of certain reptilian tropical island wildlife. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Binomial name Panthera leo (Linnaeus, 1758) Distribution of Lions in Africa Synonyms Felis leo (Linnaeus, 1758) The lion (Panthera leo) is a mammal of the family Felidae and one of four big cats in the genus Panthera. ... For other uses, see Jaguar (disambiguation). ... Trinomial name Panthera tigris altaica Temminck, 1884 Distribution of the Amur Tiger (in red) A stretching Siberian tiger The Amur Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) is a rare subspecies of tiger (). Also known as the Siberian, Korean, Manchurian, or North China Tiger, it is the largest natural animal in the feline... Binomial name Pteronura brasiliensis (Gmelin, 1788) The Giant Otter, Pteronura brasiliensis, (also known as the river wolf) is the longest of the worlds otters, as well as one of the largest mustelids[2]. It is native to South America but is endangered and is also very rare in captivity. ... Binomial name Schreber, 1775 Range map Synonyms Panthera uncia The Snow Leopard (Uncia uncia[1] or Panthera uncia[3]), sometimes known as the Ounce, is a large cat native to the mountain ranges of central and southern Asia. ... Binomial name F. Cuvier, 1825 Red Panda range subspecies The Red Panda, Ailurus fulgens (shining cat, from a Latinized form of the Greek αίλουρος, ailouros, cat, and the participial form of the Latin fulgere, to shine) [1] is a mostly herbivorous mammal, slightly larger than a domestic cat (55 cm long). ... Binomial name Neofelis nebulosa (Griffith, 1821) Range map Synonyms Felis macrorcelis Felis marmota The Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is a medium-sized cat, 55 to 110 cm (2 ft to 3 ft 6 in) long and weighing between 11 and 23 kg (25 to 50 lb). ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... Binomial name Phacochoerus africanus (Pallas, 1766) // Warthogs are really cool man, innit. ... Binomial name Hippotragus niger Harris, 1838 The Sable Antelope (Hippotragus niger) is an antelope that inhabits wooded savannah in East Africa south of Kenya, and in Southern Africa. ... Binomial name Gazella dama (Pallas, 1776) Synonyms Nanger dama The Dama Gazelle (Gazella dama), also known as the Addra Gazelle, is a species of gazelle. ... 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 Linnaeus, 1758 Range map The hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius), from the Greek ‘ιπποπόταμος (hippopotamos, hippos meaning horse and potamos meaning river), is a large, mostly plant-eating African mammal, one of only two extant in the family Hippopotamidae (the other being the Pygmy Hippopotamus). ... Species Equus zebra Equus hartmannae Equus quagga Equus grevyi The Zebra is a part of the horse family, Equidae, native to central, eastern and southern Africa. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... Binomial name Myrmecophaga tridactyla Linnaeus, 1758 Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Anteater The Giant Anteater, Myrmecophaga tridactyla, is the largest species of anteater. ... Binomial name Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris (Linnaeus, 1766) Capybara range The capybara (also capibara), Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris (Water pig) is a semi-aquatic herbivorous animal. ... WPVI-TV, channel 6, is an owned-and-operated station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ...

Gallery

Sign outside the zoo explaining its history. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 416 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1065 × 1536 pixel, file size: 640 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Source Own Picture Date Sunday, July 2, 2006 Author Photo by Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man) Permission You may NOT use this image on your own web...	The zoo’s welcome sign. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 514 pixelsFull resolution (2701 × 1737 pixel, file size: 1. ...	A flock of Flamingos. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 532 pixelsFull resolution (3008 × 2000 pixel, file size: 2. ...	A Cheetah pacing his enclosure. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 532 pixelsFull resolution (3008 × 2000 pixel, file size: 2. ...
A Pygmy Marmoset at the Small Mammals exhibit. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 532 pixelsFull resolution (3008 × 2000 pixel, file size: 2. ...	Polar Bear inside her enclosure. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 532 pixelsFull resolution (3008 × 2000 pixel, file size: 2. ...	The WPVI Zoo Balloon, from ground level. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 398 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (2000 × 3008 pixel, file size: 2. ...

See also

Philadelphia Portal

• Fairmount Park

Image File history File links Portal. ... Depending upon the criteria, Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the largest municipal public park in the world at over 9,100 acres (37 km²). This figure includes all parkland within the city limits, as all 65 city parks are considered part of Fairmount Park and overseen by the Fairmount...

Notes

• Dewan, Vikram.Best for the animals, best for the zoo Philadelphia Daily News, December 4, 2006, retrieved December 4, 2006.

References

AZA can refer to: American Zoo and Aquarium Association Aleph Zadik Aleph The ICAO code for Alitalia Airlies Categories: | ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 146th day of the year (147th 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. ... is the 146th day of the year (147th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Official website of "America's First Zoo"
• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 39.971782° -75.195659°
  • Satellite image from WikiMapia, Google Maps or Windows Live Local
  • Street map from MapQuest or Google Maps
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image from TerraServer-USA