Saint Louis Zoological Park
South entrance
Location	Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri]
Land area	90 acres [1] (0.36 km²)
# of Animals	11,400 [1]
# of Species	810 [1]
Accreditations/ Memberships	AZA
Website
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The Saint Louis Zoological Park is a zoo in Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri. It is recognized as a leading zoo in animal management, research, conservation, and education. Admission is free, although there are fees for some attractions. One special feature is the Zooline Railroad, a small passenger train that encircles the zoo, stopping at the more popular attractions. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (427x640, 83 KB) Summary St. ... McDonnell Planetarium Old Footbridge in Forest Park Forest Park in Saint Louis, Missouri, opened in 1876 and the former site of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904, is one of the large urban landscape parks created in the U.S. during the later 19th century, following the example of Central... Nickname: Gateway City, Gateway to the West, or Mound City Location in the state of Missouri Coordinates: Country United States State Missouri County Independent City Mayor Francis G. Slay (D) Area    - City 66. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... An acre is an English unit of area, which is also frequently used in the United States and some Commonwealth countries. ... 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 Zoo redirects here. ... McDonnell Planetarium Old Footbridge in Forest Park Forest Park in Saint Louis, Missouri, opened in 1876 and the former site of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904, is one of the large urban landscape parks created in the U.S. during the later 19th century, following the example of Central... Nickname: Gateway City, Gateway to the West, or Mound City Location in the state of Missouri Coordinates: Country United States State Missouri County Independent City Mayor Francis G. Slay (D) Area    - City 66. ...

History

The 1904 St. Louis World's Fair is credited for the birth of the St. Louis Zoo. The Fair brought the world's attention to St. Louis and Forest Park. The Smithsonian Institution constructed a walk-through bird cage for the World's Fair. Ten days after the World's Fair closed, the citizens of St. Louis chose to buy the 1904 World's Fair Flight Cage for $3,500, rather than have it dismantled and returned to Washington, D.C. The St. Louis Zoo was born.

By 1910, increased interest in a zoological park brought together some concerned citizens, and they organized the Zoological Society of St. Louis. In 1914 it was incorporated as an independent civic organization of people interested in a zoo.

Meanwhile, the citizens of St. Louis and surrounding municipalities expressed their diverse opinions as to the location of a zoo if there should be one. Fairgrounds Park, Carondolet Park, the Creve Coeur area and Tower Grove Park were some of the places suggested in newspaper articles and letters to the editors and to civic groups. Some concerned citizens residing near Oakland Avenue, south of Forest Park, expressed their displeasure with a zoo in the park because of the smell of the animals. Even the head of the Parks Department, Dwight Davis, voiced his opinion against Forest Park--that is, until the city set aside 77 acres in the park in which to establish a zoological park. A five-man board was appointed to act as the Zoological Board of Control.

Zooline Railroad

The number increased to nine in 1916, the same year the citizens voted to tax themselves for the construction of the Saint Louis Zoo with a 1/5 mill tax. It is said that this was the first zoo in the world which the citizens of a community supported by passing a mill tax. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1200x800, 1177 KB) Summary Zooline Railroad (train), St. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1200x800, 1177 KB) Summary Zooline Railroad (train), St. ... Miniature railways are ground-level, large scale model railroads (railways) that haul passengers and use locomotives that are models of full sized railway locomotives, powered by diesel or gasoline engines, live steam engines or electric motors. ...

In 1939 the zoo became the home to two giant pandas. Their names where Happy and Pao Pei. Sadly Happy died in 1945 and Pao Pei in 1954.

The zoo has featured prominent international animal experts as directors: George P. Vierheller (1922-1962), R. Marlin Perkins (1962-1970), who gained fame for the Zoo as host of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, William J. Hoff (1970-1973), Robert T. Briggs (1973-1975), Richard D. Schultz (1975-1982), Charles H. Hoessle (1982-2002), and Dr. Jeffrey P. Bonner (2002--present). Marlin Perkins (March 28, 1905-October 5, 1986) was a zoologist and the host of the television program Mutual of Omahas Wild Kingdom. ... Mutual of Omahas Wild Kingdom, or simply Wild Kingdom was an American television show that featured wildlife and nature. ...

Park Zones

Hermann Fountain

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1200x800, 1576 KB) Hermann Fountain, Saint Louis Zoological Park, St. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1200x800, 1576 KB) Hermann Fountain, Saint Louis Zoological Park, St. ...

Lakeside Crossing

• South entrance
• Welcome desk
• Guest services
• Hermann Fountain
• Food services
• Shopping

River's Edge exhibits

• South America - Watch the frisky bush dogs playing, the capybaras swimming, and the giant anteater... eating ants.
• African Savanna - Around the bend see a pair of black rhinos bask in the sun and a colony of carmine bee-eaters.
• African Nile - Next comes the gracefully swiming hippos, lazy cheetahs and spotted hyenas, and the little dwarf mongoose.
• Asia - See Raja, Clara, Donna, Pearl, Sri, Ellie, and little Mahlia the St. Louis Zoo's Lords of the Forests, the Asian elephants.
• North America - Walk into a cave and observe the fish of the Missouri and Mississippi River.

Binomial name Speothos venaticus (Lund, 1842) The Bush Dog (Speothos venaticus) is a canid found in Central and South America, including Panama, Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru (West of the Andes), Ecuador, the Guianas, Paraguay, northeast Argentina (Misiones province), and Brazil (from the Amazon rainforest to the state of Amazonas). ... Binomial name Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris (Linnaeus, 1766) Capybara range The capybara (also capibara), Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris (Water pig) is a semi-aquatic herbivorous animal, the largest of living rodents. ... Binomial name Diceros bicornis The Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) is a mammal of the Perissodactyla order which lives in the eastern areas of Africa including Kenya, Tanzania, Cameroon, South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. ... Map of the Decapolis showing the location of Hippos (here spelled Hippus) Hippos was a Greco-Roman city in Palestine. ... Binomial name Acinonyx jubatus (Schreber, 1775) The Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is an atypical member of the cat family (Felidae) that hunts by speed rather than by stealth or pack tactics. ... Binomial name Crocuta crocuta (Erxleben, 1777) The Spotted Hyena, or Laughing Hyena, (Crocuta crocuta) is the largest and best-known member of the hyena family. ... Binomial name Helogale parvula Sundevall, 1847 The Dwarf Mongoose (Helogale parvula), sometimes called Common Dwarf Mongoose to distinguish it from the Desert Dwarf Mongoose () is a small African carnivore belonging to the mongoose family (Herpestidae). ... Binomial name Elephas maximus Linnaeus, 1758 Asian Elephant range The Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus), sometimes known by the name of its nominate subspecies (the Indian Elephant), is one of the three living species of elephant, and the only living species of the genus Elephas. ...

Discovery Corner exhibits

Children's zoo

• Children's Zoo
• Monsanto Insectarium and butterfly garden
• Education department:
  • exhibit halls
  • guest services
  • movie theater
  • cafe
  • gift shop

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1200x800, 1421 KB) Summary Little Kids, Childrens Zoo, St. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1200x800, 1421 KB) Summary Little Kids, Childrens Zoo, St. ... A petting zoo (often called, and/or part of, a childrens zoo) features a combination of domestic animals and some wild species that are docile enough to touch and feed. ... Paper Kite, St. ... Butterfly Zoo Monsanto Insectarium A butterfly zoo is a zoo which is specifically intended for the breeding and display of butterflies. ...

The Wild exhibits

Polar bear at the Saint Louis Zoo Bear Bluffs.

• Bear Pits: The first section of the bear pits was completed in 1921. The St. Louis Zoo replaced barred cages with open, moated exhibits. Here are some of the earliest examples of moated enclosures built in the 1920's. Made from molds taken of the limestone bluffs along the Mississippi river locally, they showcase a variety of bear species including grizzly bears and polar bears. The
• Conservation Carousel: A traditional park ride, this carousel features carved animals representing protected and endangered species.
• Fragile Forest: The Donn and Marilyn Lipton Fragile Forest was opened in 2005. Featuring gorillas, chimpanzees, and orangutans in a naturalized outdoor setting. Large glass windows allow visitors to look into the habitat furnished with live trees and tall grasses. Binoculars are onsite to give a closer view of the primates. These animals have spent most of their lives indoors and as of 2005 are still adjusting to the outdoor section of the habitat. In the Lichtenstein Chimpanzee Refuge you'll observe the antics of Smoke, Tammy, Holly, Cinder(the bald chimp), Hugo, Jimiyu, Bakhari, and dominant male Hugo. Look for the mysterious and critically endangered Sumutran Orangutan in the Dana Brown Orangutan Refuge. If your lucky you'll see Merah and baby Rubih. The St. Louis Zoo holds an all-male group of Western Lowland Gorillas. Wild gorillas choose to live in all-male societies. You can view them in the Ann & Paul Lux Family Gorilla Habitat.
• Penguin and Puffin Coast: A variety of water birds are displayed in this chilly and strong smelling exhibit. A window-like half wall separates visitors from the swimming birds and allows a particularly close encounter. In fact sometimes the birds will jump out allowing visitors to sometimes pick them and let them back in. The exhibit provides a lifelike setting for the
• Prairie Dogs, Malayan Sun Bears
• Motion simulator

Image File history File links Polar_bear_stl_zoo. ... Image File history File links Polar_bear_stl_zoo. ... Binomial name Ursus maritimus Phipps, 1774 The polar bear (Ursus maritimus), also known as the white bear, northern bear, or sea bear, is a large bear native to the Arctic. ... The Mississippi River, derived from the old Ojibwe word misi-ziibi meaning great river (gichi-ziibi big river at its headwaters), is the second-longest river in the United States; the longest is the Missouri River, which flows into the Mississippi. ... Binomial name Ursus arctos Linnaeus, 1758 The Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) is a species of bear that can reach weights of 130-700 kg (300 to 1500 pounds). ... Binomial name Ursus maritimus Phipps, 1774 The polar bear (Ursus maritimus), also known as the white bear, northern bear, or sea bear, is a large bear native to the Arctic. ... A carousel in a summer festival in London, with traditional animal mounts, barley twist poles and fairy lights. ... Type species Troglodytes gorilla Savage, 1847 distribution of Gorilla Species Gorilla gorilla Gorilla beringei The gorilla, the largest of the living primates, is a ground-dwelling herbivore that inhabits the forests of Africa. ... 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 in the genus Pan. ... Type Species Simia pygmaeus Linnaeus, 1760 Orangutan distribution Species Pongo pygmaeus Pongo abelii The orangutans are two species of great apes with long arms and reddish, sometimes brown, hair native to Indonesia and Malaysia . ... 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... Species Cynomys gunnisoni Cynomys leucurus Cynomys ludovicianus Cynomys mexicanus Cynomys parvidens Prairie dogs are small stout-bodied burrowing rodents with shallow cheek pouches native to both North and Central America. ... Binomial name Ursus (Helarctos) malayanus (Raffles, 1821) The sun bear (Ursus malayanus), is found primarily in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia. ... Simulator seating St. ...

Historic Hill exhibits

1904 Flight Cage (Aviary)

• Bird house
• Bird garden
• Herpetarium containing mostly reptiles
• The Chain of Lanks and the Sea Lion Arena.
• 1904 Flight Cage and Cypress Swamp. In 1904, it was the largest bird cage ever built, and it is one of the world's largest free-flight aviaries. The 228 feet long, 84 feet wide, and 50 feet high cage was built for the St. Louis World's Fair. The Flight Cage is one of the few structures that remains from the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. Local pride in the giant cage motivated St. Louis to finally establish a zoo in 1910.[1]
• Primate House

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1200x800, 1413 KB) 1904 Flight Cage (Aviary), Saint Louis Zoological Park, Saint Louis, Missouri, 2006. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1200x800, 1413 KB) 1904 Flight Cage (Aviary), Saint Louis Zoological Park, Saint Louis, Missouri, 2006. ... An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds. ... A Herpetarium is usually a building at a zoo or private collection with different species of reptiles and amphibians. ... Cypress is the name applied to many plants in the conifer family Cupressaceae (cypress family). ... Year 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (see link for calendar). ... An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds. ... Entrance to Creation Exhibit on the Pike Map of the St. ... Families 15, See classification A primate (L. prima, first) is any member of the biological order Primates, the group that contains all the species commonly related to the lemurs, monkeys, and apes, with the latter category including humans. ...

Red Rocks exhibits

Somali Wild Ass
St. Louis Zoo, 2005

• Big cat country
• Takin, Somali Wild Ass, Antelope
• Camels, Zebra, Okapi, Addax
• Antelope House, Giraffes, Ostriches, Kangaroos

Image File history File linksMetadata Somali_Wild_Ass. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Somali_Wild_Ass. ... Big cat refers to large wild felines of the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe. ... Binomial name Budorcas taxicolor Hodgson, 1850 The Takin (Budorcas taxicolor) is a goat-antelope found in heavily forested areas of the Eastern Himalayas. ... Somali Wild Ass St. ... Genera Aepyceros Alcelaphus Antidorcas Antilope Cephalophus Connochaetes Damaliscus Gazella Hippotragus Kobus Madoqua Neotragus Oreotragus Oryx Ourebia Pantholops Procapra Sylvicapra Taurotragus Tragelaphus and others Antelopes are a polyphyletic group of herbivorous African and Asian animals of the family Bovidae, distinguished by a pair of hollow horns on their heads. ... Binomial name Camelus bactrianus Linnaeus, 1758 The Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) is a large even-toed ungulate native to the steppes of eastern Asia. ... Species Equus zebra Equus hartmannae Equus quagga Equus grevyi The Zebra is a part of the horse family, Equidae, native to central and southern Africa. ... Binomial name Okapia johnstoni (P.L. Sclater, 1901) Okapi distribution The okapi (Okapia johnstoni) is a mammal of the Ituri Rainforest in central Africa. ... Binomial name Addax nasomaculatus (Blainville, 1816) Addax is a rare desert antelope that lives in the several isolated regions in the Sahara. ... Binomial name Giraffa camelopardalis Linnaeus, 1758 The Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all land-living animal species. ... Binomial name Struthio camelus Linnaeus, 1758 The present-day distribution of ostriches. ... Species Macropus rufus Macropus giganteus Macropus fuliginosus Macropus antilopinus A kangaroo is any of several large animals of the Macropodidae, a marsupial family that also includes the wallabies, tree-kangaroos, wallaroos, pademelons and the Quokka, some 63 living species in all. ...

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} http://www.stlzoo.org/pressroom/factsheet.htm

External links

• http://www.stlzoo.org
• Zoo Map 2006