San Diego Zoo

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

San Diego Zoo
San Diego, California, U.S.
Land area99 acres (40 ha)[1]
No. of animals3,700+[1]
No. of species650+ (incl. subspecies)[1]
Annual visitors4 million (2018)[2]
MembershipsAZA,[3] AAM,[4] WAZA[5]
Major exhibitsAbsolutely Apes, Children's Zoo, Elephant Odyssey, Panda Trek, Lost Forest, Monkey Trails, Polar Bear Plunge
Websitezoo.sandiegozoo.org

The San Diego Zoo is a

better source needed] zoological membership associations in the world, with more than 250,000 member households and 130,000 child memberships, representing more than a half million people.[8]

The San Diego Zoo was a pioneer in the concept of open-air, cageless exhibits that recreate natural animal habitats.[9] For decades, the zoo housed and successfully bred giant pandas,[10] with the largest giant panda population outside China, before the pandas were repatriated to China in 2019.[11]

With more than 4 million visitors in 2018,[2] San Diego Zoo is the most visited zoo in the United States.[12][13] Travelers have also cited it as one of the best zoos in the world.[14][15] The San Diego Zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA). The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance also operates the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

History

"Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a zoo in San Diego? I believe I'll build one."

—Harry M. Wegeforth, after hearing a lion roar at the 1915 Panama-California Exposition[16][17][18]

The San Diego Zoo grew out of exotic animal exhibitions abandoned after the 1915

New York Zoological Society at the Bronx Zoo. He served as president of the society until 1941.[16] A permanent tract of land in Balboa Park was set aside in August 1921; on the advice of the city attorney, it was agreed that the city would own all the animals and the zoo would manage them.[19] The zoo began to move in the following year. In addition to the animals from the Exposition, the zoo acquired a menagerie from the defunct Wonderland Amusement Park.[19] Ellen Browning Scripps financed a fence around the zoo so that it could begin charging an entrance fee to offset costs.[20]
The publication ZooNooz commenced in early 1925.

Me at the zoo, filmed in the San Diego Zoo, was the first video on YouTube, uploaded by Jawed Karim.

Animal collector

William T. Hornaday, director of the Bronx Zoo, had recommended Buck for the job, but Buck quickly clashed with the strong-willed Wegeforth and left the zoo after three months to return to animal collecting.[21]

After several other equally short-lived zoo directors, Wegeforth appointed the zoo's bookkeeper, Belle Benchley, to the position of executive secretary, in effect zoo director; she was given the actual title of zoo director a few years later. She served as zoo director from 1925 until 1953.[22] For most of that time she was the only female zoo director in the world.[22] She was succeeded as director by Dr. Charles Schroeder.

The San Diego Zoo was a pioneer in building "cageless" exhibits.[20] Wegeforth was determined to create moated exhibits from the start, and the first lion area at the San Diego Zoo without enclosing wires opened in 1922.[23]

Until the 1960s, admission for children under 16 was free, regardless of whether they were accompanied by a paying adult.

The zoo's Center for Reproduction of

Endangered Species (CRES) was founded in 1975 at the urging of Kurt Benirschke, who became its first director. CRES was renamed the division of Conservation and Research for Endangered Species in 2005 to better reflect its mission. In 2009, CRES was significantly expanded to become the Institute for Conservation Research.[24]

The world's only albino koala in a zoological facility was born September 1, 1997, at the San Diego Zoo and was named Onya-Birri, which means "ghost boy" in an

Australian Aboriginal language.[25]
The San Diego Zoo has the largest number of koalas outside of Australia.

In 2014, a colony of African penguins arrived for the first time in the zoo since 1979. They have since moved into Africa Rocks when it opened in 2017.

In 2016, Baba, the last pangolin on display in North America at the time, died at the zoo.[26]

In October 2020, two gorillas charged at the glass of their enclosure, damaging the outer pane.

Escapes

The San Diego Zoo has had a number of notable escapees through the years; the most noteworthy of them is Ken Allen, a Bornean orangutan who came to be known as "the hairy Houdini", for his many escapes.[27]

San Diego County Animal Control Officer, Tom Van Wagner, with Tasmanian devil he captured after it escaped from the San Diego Zoo

In 1940, a

Malayan Tapir managed to escape several times, earning it the nickname "Terrible Trudy".[28][29]

In 1977, an animal control officer for the County of San Diego, Tom Van Wagner, a previous employee of the San Diego Zoo as a tour bus guide, captured a Tasmanian devil escapee in a south central San Diego home's garage. The animal was transported to the zoo and the zoo hospital staff took possession of the capture.[citation needed]

In March 2013, the zoo, which was hosting a private party at the time, had to initiate a lockdown when two striped hyenas somehow got past their barriers. They were "darted with a sedative and taken to the veterinary care clinic."[30]

In 2014, a koala named Mundu escaped to a neighboring tree just outside its Koalafornia Australia Outback enclosure. Zookeepers lured him down the tree once the park closed that day.[31]

In early 2015, two Wolf's guenons monkeyed around outside of their Lost Forest enclosure after escaping. One of the monkeys neared a fence line off of Route 163, but was brought back to safety without injury.[32]

Features

Two Skyfari gondolas
An example of one of the thousands of plants taken care of at the San Diego Zoo
An example of one of the thousands of plants taken care of at the San Diego Zoo

The zoo offers a guided tour bus that traverses 75% of the park.

Von Roll tramway company of Bern, Switzerland.[34] The San Diego Zoo Skyfari is a Von Roll type 101.[citation needed
]

Exhibits at the zoo are often designed around a particular

rain forest (featuring gorillas) to the Arctic taiga and tundra in the summertime (featuring polar bears). Some of the largest free-flight aviaries
in existence are here, including the Owens Aviary and the Scripps Aviary. Many exhibits are "natural", with invisible wires and darkened blinds (to view birds), and accessible pools and open-air moats (for large mammals).

The San Diego Zoo also operates the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, which displays animals in a more expansive, open setting than at the zoo. Animals are regularly exchanged between the two locations, as well as between San Diego Zoo and other zoos around the world, usually in accordance with Species Survival Plan recommendations. San Diego Zoo has one of the world's largest and most diverse animal collections; however, the number of animal species held has reduced over the past two decades from 860 to approximately 650. This comes as exhibits are redeveloped into larger, more natural displays, and as a number of animals are transitioned to San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

The temperate, sunny maritime climate of California is well suited to many plants and animals. Besides an extensive collection of birds, reptiles, and mammals, it also maintains its grounds as an arboretum, with a rare plant collection. The zoo is also an accredited botanical garden; the botanical collection includes more than 700,000 exotic plants.[35] As part of its gardening effort, some rare animal foods are grown at the zoo. For example, 40 varieties of bamboo were raised for the pandas when they were at the zoo on long-term loan from China. It also maintains 18 varieties of eucalyptus trees to feed its koalas.


Keepers and most other employees at the San Diego Zoo are members of

Teamsters Union Local 481.[36]

Exhibits

The zoo is expected to open a new exhibit, the Sanford's Children Zoo, sometime in 2021.

Monkey Trail and Forest Tales

Monkey Trails showcases primates and other animals native to the tropical and semi-tropical rainforests of Asia and Africa. Opening in 2005,[37] it replaced a decades-old area of exhibits known as Ape and Bird Mesa. These were some of the oldest animal "houses" still in use (at the time) at the San Diego Zoo, being built in the 1930s, with little to no change until demolition for Monkey Trails. In addition to a few small bird aviaries and a troop of siamang apes living on a treehouse in the center of a pond, the site was centered around two square buildings; these plain structures contained many small exhibits lined up, one after another, on all four sides. One of the buildings was focused on monkeys, while the other was mainly songbirds, parrots, and tropical avian species. There had been a few efforts at landscaping these cages; however, the monkeys notably lived in bleak, "prison-cell" like cages. A number of Zoo members and guests left comments over the years regarding the exhibits and their lack of plant life, the (apparent) lack of enrichment for the monkeys and, mostly, the appearance of cement "cell blocks" as exhibits. The construction and debut of Monkey Trails and Forest Tails was undoubtedly a massive improvement, enriching for visitors but especially for the animals.

Monkey Trails is home primarily to monkeys such as the

cichlids and tilapia. On April 9, 2020 (during lockdown from COVID-19), after weeks of anticipation, Mabel gave birth to Akobi, a male calf. His birth marked the first pygmy hippo born at the zoo in nearly thirty years.[38] They also share their enclosure with Wolf's mona monkeys
.

Throughout the walking paths, visitors can also see

carnivorous plants.[37]

Owens Aviary

The Owens Aviary contains about 200 individual tropical birds from around 45 species, mainly from Australasia, Oceania and Papua New Guinea. The aviary is built onto the side of an approx. 60' high canyon wall, being accessible via an entry/exit at the uppermost level and another at the lower end of the aviary (essentially the canyon floor). The walkway inside the aviary connects these entryways as it ascends and descends with the natural slope. The naturally steep location proves to be perfect for the exhibit's waterfall, which cascades downhill through the aviary before splashing down into a large pond. The ambient white noise of the waterfall is quite noticeable, but relaxing and tranquil, rather than very loud. The waterfall churns up mist, and a cool steam fills the aviary with ambient humidity; additionally, the outside of the structure is painted a dark green color, which helps to block any excess sunlight from penetrating inside. This further gives visitors the feeling of walking through a lush, dense jungle.

The entire aviary is lushly landscaped and thick with palms, ficus,

eclectus parrot, black-naped fruit doves, common emerald doves, red-billed leiothrix, Victoria crowned pigeons, Bali myna, Nicobar pigeons, the blue-crowned laughingthrush, white-rumped shamas, the maleo, Himalayan monal and great argus pheasants.[39]

Scripps Aviary

The Scripps Aviary was built in 1923

Madagascar crested ibises and southern bald ibises
.

Bai Yun the Giant panda

Parker Aviary

The Parker Aviary houses various birds from South America including

blue-crowned motmots, blue-headed macaws, crested oropendola, Inca terns, keel-billed toucans, ringed teals, sunbitterns and toco toucans.[41]
It is situated next to a complex of 20 smaller aviaries previously known as Wings of Australasia, exhibiting tropical birds from Southeast Asia and the Pacific. San Diego Zoo has the largest collection of birds in North America. Together the zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park hold America's most diverse collection of hornbills, with 15 species displayed in 2014.

Panda Canyon

As of April 2019, the panda exhibit is not in operation. The zone was previously called Giant Panda Research Station. The pandas were repatriated to China after successfully serving the larger conservation effort for pandas.[42]

In the past, the San Diego Zoo was one of four zoos in the U.S. which had

Zhen Zhen (both females) and Yun Zi (male)[43]—were born to the resident giant panda parents Bai Yun and Gao Gao.[44] Xiao Liwu (meaning "little gift"), was born on July 29, 2012, and was let outside for visitors to see on January 9, 2013.[45] All of the cubs have since been sent back to China to participate in the breeding program there.[46][47]

In addition to being able to view this rare animal species, the nearby Giant Panda Discovery Center had interactive exhibits that let the visitor experience firsthand what the animals smell and sound like. Since the closing of Panda Trek, there are now exhibits of other Chinese animals, including

Mangshan pit vipers, and an exhibit comparing several types of bamboo. There is also a feline area, featuring the critically endangered Amur leopard and snow leopards
. The leopards' enclosures are located on both sides of the public walkway, and are connected with elevated climbing tunnels which arch over visitors at a height of about 20'. In addition to perfect photo opportunities, this exhibit provides stimulating enrichment for the leopards, who can be seen patrolling the tunnels and people-watching from above.

Throughout the 1980s, this part of the zoo also housed the first group of

snub-nosed monkeys
outside of their native China.

Urban Jungle

Masai giraffe

The Urban Jungle houses different animals including a small herd of

theater
where the zoo has its "Animals in Action" show.

Polar Bear Plunge

Polar Bear Plunge, which opened in 1996,[48] and was renovated in March 2010, houses over 30 species representing the Arctic. The main animals in the area are the three polar bears, named Kalluk, Chinook, and Tatqiq. More animals that make their home in the Plunge include reindeer (or caribou), Canada lynx and black-billed magpies. An underwater viewing area is available to observe the polar bears swimming in their 130,000-US-gallon (490,000 L) pool.[48]

Farther down the path lies the arctic aviary, home to

redwood trees, many different pine trees, and manzanita.[48]

Just up the path of Polar Bear Plunge is Northwest passage, housing

ornate hawk eagles and Steller's sea eagles.[49]

Wildlife Explorers Basecamp

The San Diego Zoo spreads the word of animal conservation through education. The zoo has added a new exhibit called The Wildlife Explorers Basecamp. It has lots of new animals that kids would not normally be able to interact with. This can include prairie dogs, axolotls, or alligators. Kids can learn about these animals, play in the water fountain, climb the tree house, or scramble through the play areas. The zoo wants to provide active thinking through these activities to benefit the animals.[50] There are 4 main zones in the basecamp that feature wildlife that live in the 4 main ecosystems: Desert Dunes, Wild Woods, Marsh Meadows, and The Rainforest.[51]

The Wildlife Explorers Basecamp is located in the southeastern corner of the zoo, near the entrance. It is where the reptile house is located along with the new reptile walk. Inside is the children's zoo and the Discovery Playground.

There is a petting zoo, called the petting paddock, which is home to different breeds of sheep and goats. This is where people, mostly kids, can have more interaction with the animals. There is also a Fisher-Price Discovery Playground, perfect for kids who want to have some fun and play. The children's zoo is under renovation along with the Komodo dragon and hummingbird exhibits.[52]

Other animals in the Children's Zoo include

naked mole rats, fennec foxes, South American coatis, common squirrel monkeys, Burmese star tortoises, southern tamanduas and prehensile-tailed porcupines
.

Hummingbird Habitat

A small aviary that includes 3 species of hummingbirds, the Anna's, Costa's, and Honduran emerald hummingbirds, along with golden-collared manakins, various tanagers, violaceous euphonias, purple honeycreepers and spangled cotingas.

Spineless Marvels

The zoo's insect house with an insect collection including live insects:

jungle nymphs, thorny devil stick insects and western honey bees
.

Cool Critters

This building houses fish, invertebrates, reptiles and amphibians. Some of the species housed here are

sunburst diving beetles
.

Reptile Walk

Previously called Reptile Mesa, the Reptile Walk houses small outdoor yards, one housing European species like

scheltopusiks and ocellated lizards while the other contains African species, radiated tortoises, Sudan plated lizards and yellow-throated plated lizards
.

Walking down the path leads to a building split in two. One side contains terrariums for amphibians such as the

San Diego gopher snake and giant horned lizard
.

The walkway then passes an enclosure for the endangered

broad-shelled river turtles, Roti Island snake-necked turtles, Argentine snake-necked turtles, red-headed Amazon River turtles, Malayan snail-eating turtles, Parker's snake-necked turtles, mata mata and pig-nosed turtles
.

Nearby is the gharial pond. Various turtles like Indian flapshell turtles, Indian narrow-headed softshell turtles, northern river terrapins, painted terrapins and others are also housed with the gharials.

Concluding the Reptile Walk are yards housing

Grand Cayman blue iguanas, Jamaican iguanas- Galápagos tortoises and leopard tortoises.[53]

Reptile House

This is a renowned Spanish-influence structure. Animals at the reptile house and

prehensile-tailed skinks
, along with various other species.

Lost Forest

Based upon the real

Mbuti huts with signage about the people's customs and traditions.[54][55][56] Next, the path leads to the hippopotamus exhibit housing two hippopotamus named Funani and her daughter Amahle, which also houses tilapia, and has an underwater viewing area.[57] After the hippos, the path passes through a bunch of bamboo before reaching a clearing where aviaries have housed emerald starlings and other species.[58] A thatched-roof gift shop and a food stand are located in a plaza near by.[54][59][60] Immediately to the right is the red river hog exhibit, which also houses De Brazza's monkey, Allen's swamp monkey, the red-tailed monkey and the spotted-necked otter.[54][61] The plaza leads to a bridge flanked by the red river hog exhibit on one side and an exhibit that only the small monkeys and otters can access on the other.[62][63] Across the bridge is a creek where the otters can swim, with viewing both above and below the water's surface.[64] Afterwards, the path joins the rest of the zoo.[65]

Elephant Odyssey

Mammoth Plaza at Elephant Odyssey

This exhibit opened on May 23, 2009, on the site of the former

burros, guanacos, llamas, western pond turtles, common ravens and California condors
. The zoo's formerly extensive ungulate collection was significantly reduced with the demolition of Horn and Hoof Mesa.

African bush elephant

The Fossil Portal is an artificial

diving beetles, among other aquatic insects. The path tunnels below the elephant exhibit to reach the other side, where it continues between the elephant exhibit and a creek for native reptiles and amphibians. Just past the source of the stream is a restaurant and gift shop, and after that are exhibits for pronghorns, horses, and camels. Next the path splits between a playground, a rattlesnake terrarium, and a California condor aviary with artificial rock spires and a stream. The paths then reunite and join the rest of the zoo.[66]

Gorilla Tropics

Western gorillas

Simulating the

crested wood partridges, red-tailed black cockatoos, tricolored parrotfinch, mountain peacock-pheasants, western crowned pigeons, beautiful fruit doves, Guam kingfishers, Mindanao bleeding-hearts and blue-crowned lorikeets
.

Absolutely Apes

Sumatran orangutan
Sumatran orangutan with siamangs

This exhibit opened in 2003, as a major renovation of the former "Whittier Southeast Asian Exhibits", which had opened in 1982. It houses three female

Silvered leaf monkeys
also reside in this area.

Sun Bear Forest

This $3.5 million exhibit opened in 1989, and exhibits

crested gibbons.[75] Farther down the path, visitors can see grizzly bears, sloth bears, spectacled bears, North American river otters and aye-ayes
.

A tiger
exploring a San Diego Zoo exhibit

Tiger Trail

Tiger Trail, located in a sloping canyon, opened in 1988 and houses three male

Indian rock pythons and the 1⁄4-acre (0.10 ha) tiger habitat, which has a hillside stream, waterfall, and glass viewing window.[76]

The Tiger Trail area of the zoo, when dedicated in 1988 as 'Tiger River', replaced an exhibit area that was known as Cascade Canyon, which had opened in 1973.[40]

Outback

Maloo is a koala
at the San Diego Zoo.

A new Australian Outback area, nicknamed "Koalafornia", opened in May 2013. The San Diego Zoo has the largest Koala colony outside of

brush-tailed bettongs, parma wallabies, platypus, as well as Australasian birds, such as kagus, laughing kookaburras, blue-faced honeyeaters, common emerald doves, fawn-breasted bowerbirds, metallic starlings, masked lapwings, Gouldian finches and palm cockatoos. Since October 2013, the exhibit also houses Tasmanian devils, the first American zoo to do so; the animals are now kept in half a dozen zoos in the Americas as part of the Australian government's Save the Tasmanian Devil Program.[77][78]

Africa Rocks

Conrad Prebys's Africa Rocks highlights the biodiversity of Africa. The exhibit opened on July 1, 2017, but was not completed until December 6, 2017. The exhibit cost US$60 million to construct. The money was donated to the zoo by 3,800 donors.[79][80] Africa Rocks replaced Dog and Cat Canyon, which featured grottos that were built in the 1930s.

The exhibit features the following six habitats:

Cape Fynbos

The Cape Fynbos exhibit features African penguins, an endangered species native to South Africa. The exhibit was designed to mimic the giant granite boulders that are found on Boulders Beach in South Africa, a place where these birds live. The 70 ft (21 m) long and 10 ft (3.0 m) wide habitat also includes a 200,000 US gal (757,080 L; 166,535 imp gal) pool for the penguins that stretches 170 ft (52 m), with depths up to 13 ft (4.0 m). Along with the large pool, the exhibit features a cobblestone beach and a nesting area. A group of 20 penguins moved in on June 22, 2017, to get ready for when the exhibit opened on July 1, 2017.

The penguins also share their exhibit with

opaleyes. Twelve leopard sharks arrived at the San Diego Zoo on June 23, 2017, from SeaWorld San Diego. The sharks were introduced to their exhibit and their penguin neighbors on Wednesday, June 28, 2017. The sharks range in age from 5 to 20. African penguins do not live alongside leopard sharks in the wild; however, they do live with similar shark species. Leopard sharks feed on crustaceans on the bottom floor and do not pose a threat to the penguins.[81]

Acacia Woodland

The

critically endangered, as there are only around 60 individuals left in the wild. The San Diego Zoo participates in the Amur leopard Species Survival Plan, a breeding program that focuses on preserving the genetics of this endangered cat. The Acacia Woodland exhibit will allow the Zoo to have more breeding spaces for the cats. The Zoo has a spotted and a black leopard
.

Along with the leopard exhibit, the Acacia Woodland exhibit in Africa Rocks features a

zebra waxbills. There are also Mozambique girdled lizards in the aviary.[82]

Madagascar Forest

The Madagascar Forest exhibit features lemur species that the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' (AZA) Prosimian Taxon Advisory Group (TAG) has identified as needing sustainability assistance for the North American population. By building this new exhibit, the Zoo will be able to participate in breeding programs that will help ensure healthy populations of lemurs in zoos. The exhibit houses a ring-tailed lemur family consisting of mom Tweena, dad Mathew, and their baby Bijou along with five other ring-tailed lemurs. The red ruffed lemurs, one of the most endangered primates in the world, include mom Mortica and her baby Ony (Malagasy for "river"). The Zoo is hoping their collared brown lemur pair Pierre and Zaza will produce offspring. Aykroyd and Belushi, two male blue-eyed black lemurs, are still awaiting mates. Ared collard, lemurgrippina, and Thrax are Coquerel's sifakas, the final lemur species exhibited in Africa Rocks. Some of the lemur species will be exhibited together even if they do not live with each other in the wild.

Along with lemurs, the Madagascar Forest exhibit houses the lemurs' main predator the fossa as well as the honey badger.[83]

Ethiopian Highlands

The Ethiopian Highlands exhibit houses two primate species: the gelada and the Hamadryas baboon. The San Diego Zoo is only the second zoo in North America to house geladas, the other facility being the Bronx Zoo in New York City. Alpha male Juma leads the all-male members including Mahbub, Saburi, Abasi, Diwani, and Valentino. the group arrived at the Zoo on September 7, 2016, from the Wilhelma Zoo in Stuttgart, Germany where they lived with 44 other geladas. This move was based by the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums' (EAZA) European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) for geladas—the European equivalent of an Association of Zoos and Aquariums' (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP) program. The bachelor group will be introduced to females later on.

The Ethiopian Highlands exhibit is also home to a troop of Nubian ibex.[84]

Kopje Woodland

The word

servals, trumpeter hornbills and the red-leaved rock fig, a tree species that manages to grow wherever its seeds disperse including the rocky kopje.[85]

West African Forest

The West African Forest exhibits the dwarf crocodile. They are one of the smallest crocodile species, only measuring about 5 ft (1.5 m) in length. Behind the crocodile exhibit features Rady Falls, a 65 ft (20 m) tall waterfall, the largest man-made waterfall in San Diego. The west African exhibit also features Madagascan big-headed turtles, West African mud turtles, and the floating fig tree.[86]

All the exhibits house many rare and endangered species.

Conservation

The zoo is active in conservation and species-preservation efforts. Its Institute for Conservation Research (formerly the Center for Reproduction of Endangered Species) raises

mhorr gazelles, gorillas, Przewalski's horses, koalas, burrowing owls, elephants, African wild dogs, ocelots, Tasmanian devils, okapi, raccoons, Southwestern pond turtles, bisons, Pallas's cats, and 145 other endangered species. As a result, they have reintroduced more than 30 endangered species back into the wild, and have conserved habitat at 50 field sites. They also have over 200 conservation scientists working in 35 countries around the world. It employs numerous professional geneticists, cytologists, and veterinarians and maintains a cryopreservation facility for rare sperm and eggs called the frozen zoo
.

The San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research is the largest zoo-based multidisciplinary research effort in the world. Based at the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center for Conservation Research adjacent to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, more than 200 dedicated scientists carry out research vital to the conservation of animals, plants, and habitats, locally and internationally.[87]

Zoo Corps

Zoo Corps is a volunteer program at the San Diego Zoo that enlists high school students to teach guests at the zoo about the animals they are seeing and their place in the ecosystem. It enrolls students between 13 and 17 years of age. The goals are to promote

public education about animals and conservation, and to help the students develop their ability to speak in public. The program runs year round in two sessions, one from May through November and one from January through May. Members of the Zoo Corps are expected to volunteer at least once a month.[88]

The program utilizes a series of "Kits", which are set on tables throughout the zoo. The kits contain objects that can be used to explain why an animal is endangered or to shed light on the animal's lifestyle. The four kits are "Backyard Habitats", "Saving Species", "Animal Care", and "Sustainability".

Architecture

Local architect Louis John Gill designed the original buildings, cages and animal grottos and later in 1926, the Spanish Revival-style research hospital, for which Gill received an Honor Award from the San Diego Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Gill also designed a bird cage at the zoo in 1937, then the largest bird cage in the world.[89]

Awards

The San Diego Zoo has received numerous awards for its exhibits, programs, and reproduction and conservation efforts. This list includes only awards given to the Zoo specifically, not to its parent organization; for those, see: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Awards.

Year Awarding body Award Notes
1958 San Diego Zoo Convention & Tourist Bureau First tourism award[90]
1961 American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums (AAZPA) Edward H. Bean Award For reproduction of koalas (first koala birth in Western Hemisphere)[90][91]
1963 AAZPA Edward H. Bean Award For Galápagos tortoise hatching[90][91]
For Gila monster hatching (first Gila monster conceived and hatched in captivity)[90][91]
1964 AAZPA Edward H. Bean Award For hatching and rearing of rhinoceros iguana[90][91]
1966 AAZPA Edward H. Bean Award for Most Notable Animal Births in an American Zoo For reproduction of proboscis monkey (first birth outside of Borneo)[90][91]
For reproduction of thick-billed parrot (first hatching recorded in captivity)[90][91]
For reproduction of African softshell turtle (first hatching recorded in captivity)[90][91]
1974 AAZPA Edward H. Bean Award For birth of ruffed lemur[90][91]
1987 AAZPA Exhibit Award For East African Rock
Kopje[90][92]
1988 AAZPA Education Award For East African Rock Kopje Interpretive Program[90][93]
1989 AAZPA Exhibit Award For Tiger River[90][92]
Edward H. Bean Award For California condor breeding (shared with San Diego Zoo Wild Animal Park and Los Angeles Zoo)[90][91]
1991 AAZPA Edward H. Bean Award For François' langur propagation program[90][91]
Significant Achievement Award For long-term propagation of Fijian iguanas[90]
1992 AAZPA Significant Achievement in Exhibits For Gorilla Tropics[90]
1995 Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Significant Achievement Award For Andean condor reintroduction program[90]
1996 AZA Significant Achievement in Exhibis For Hippo Beach[90]
2000 AZA Top Honors in International Conservation For Jamaican Iguana Conservation & Recovery Program (shared with
Toledo Zoo, Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Woodland Park Zoo, Gladys Porter Zoo, and Milwaukee County Zoo)[90][94]
Conservation Endowment Fund Award For restoration of two critically endangered West Indian rock iguana species through headstarting and release (shared with Fort Worth Zoo)[90]
2002 AZA Edward H. Bean Award For Sumatran rhinoceros breeding program (shared with Los Angeles Zoo, Wildlife Conservation Society, and Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden)[90]
2007 Avian Scientific Advisory Group (ASAG) Plume Award for Noteworthy Achievement in Avian Husbandry For the Light-footed Clapper Rail coalition (shared with Chula Vista Nature Center, SeaWorld San Diego, San Diego Zoo Wild Animal Park, and United States Fish and Wildlife Service Reserve)[95]
2010 AZA Significant Achievement in Exhibits For Elephant Odyssey[92][96]
Top Honors for Excellence in Marketing
2014 AZA Top Honors in International Conservation For Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program in Papua New Guinea (shared with Woodland Park Zoo,
Smithsonian National Zoological Park, and Zoo New England)[94]

In popular culture

See also

References

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  2. ^ a b "San Diego Zoo attendance breaks record with more than 4 million visitors". San Diego Tribune. January 11, 2019. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  3. ^ "Currently Accredited Zoos and Aquariums". aza.org. AZA. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
  4. AAM
    . Retrieved July 3, 2011.
  5. ^ "Zoos and Aquariums of the World". waza.org. WAZA. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
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External links

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