Philadelphia Zoo

www.philadelphiazoo.org


Opened 01.07.1874 (Founded in 1859)

 

City: Philadelphia

Country: USA

State: Pennsylvania
 

Species 300

 One of the best laid-out and most animal-packed zoos in the USA is set among a charming 42-acre Victorian garden with tree-lined walks, formal shrubbery, ornate iron cages and animal sculptures. The zoo has garnered many “firsts” in addition to being the first zoo charted in the United States (1859). The first orangutan and chimp births in a U.S. zoo (1928), world’s first Children’s Zoo (1957), and the first U.S. exhibit of white lions (1993), among others. In addition to its animals, the zoo is known for its historic architecture, which includes the country home of William Penn’s grandson, its botanical collections of over 500 plant species, its groundbreaking research and its fine veterinary facilities.

Last visit 2014


Philadelphia Zoo
3400 W Girard Ave
Philadelphia
PA 19104
USA

Phone nr 215-243-1100


Open minimum 9.30am-5pm 


Entrance

• Adult 25,- $
• Child 20,- $

Membership (includes the Annual entrance)

• Adult 65,- $
• Family* 165,- $

*Family Explorer Cards are valid for 2 adults and theire children. Check on line for other membership levels

There are several daily feeding shows, for the time please ask at the till station.

Feel free to take as many pictures as you want. If you publicate the pictures online plese mention the Zoos name


History:

The zoo was once served by the Zoological Garden station on 34th Street and Girard Avenue until the year 1902. In the early morning of December 24, 1995, a fire in the World of Primates building killed 23 animals, including a family group of six lowland gorillas, a family group of three orangutans, four white-handed gibbons, and ten lemurs (two ruffed lemurs, six ring-tailed lemurs, and two mongoose lemurs). 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. On July 1, 1999, the zoo opened a new primate exhibit, the PECO Primate Reserve. It features 2.5 acres (10,000 m2) of indoor and outdoor exhibits with ten species of primates, including Sumatran orangutans, Western lowland gorillas, lemurs, langurs, and gibbons. In 2006, the zoo opened a new, $20-million big cat exhibit, First Niagara Big Cat Falls. Showcasing the animals in scenes reminiscent of their natural habitats, this exhibit allows visitors to get very close to the cats, sometimes separated only by a pane 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 30, 2009, the zoo opened the McNeil Avian Center, a renovation of its classic bird house. It features two birds that are extinct in the wild: the Guam Rail and the Guam Kingfisher, a subspecies of the Micronesian Kingfisher. A theatre presents a fourteen-minute, 4D-movie about avian migration, following the migration of an animated oriole named Otis. On October 2, 2009, the Zoo welcomed a baby Sumatran Orangutan, subsequently named "Batu". Batu, a female, is the first-born child to 15-year-old father Sugi and 18-year-old mother Tua. She is also the first baby orangutan to be born in the PECO Primate Reserve, which opened in 1999. The Zoo, however, does have a history of successfully breeding orangutans, being the first zoo in the nation to have a successful birth in 1928. On April 10, 2010, the Zoo's seasonal "Creatures of Habitat" opened, a unique exhibit featuring 9 animal stations throughout the Zoo, each featuring an endangered animal, and each consisting of statue(s) made completely out of Lego bricks. Each statue was created by Sean Kenney, the first of only nine LEGO-certified artists in the world. On July 17, 2010, the Zoo welcomed a new female baby giraffe to first-time parents Stella, 7, and Gus, 4, after a gestation period of over 15 months. This is the first giraffe birth at the Philadelphia Zoo in over a decade. On April 13, 2013, the Zoo opened KidZooU on the site of the old Pachyderm House. Also known as the Hamilton Family Children's Zoo and Faris Family Education Center, it is one of the largest projects undertaken by the Zoo and replaces the old Children's Zoo open for over 50 years prior. It is notable for many ecologically conscious features, such as rain gardens and cisterns, geothermal wells, and green roofs, making it the first LEED-certified exhibit at the Zoo. In 2019, the zoo opened WildWorks, a 34 ft (10 m) high ropes course with bridges, ropes, and obstacles. Participants wear climbing harnesses. Two courses are available, each designed for a different age group and skill level. A smaller system for children under 48 in (120 cm) is also available

Timeline:

• 21st March 1859: Zoological Society of Philadelphia established
• 1st July 1874: Philadelphia Zoo grand opening
• 1901: First-of-its-kind animal health laboratory established at Zoo
• 1916: Bird House opens
• 1928: First successful birth of an orangutan and chimpanzee in a U.S. zoo, Zoo wired for electricity
• 1931: Leo, the MGM lion, retires to the Zoo after a 15-year movie career
• 1935: Zoo develops first scientifically controlled diets, “zoocake”
• 1938: First Children's Zoo in the western hemisphere opens
• 1941: New Elephant House opens
• 1948: Zoo discovered carrot juice diet helped flamingos retain pink color
• 1951: Carnivora House opens
• 1954: Bird Valley opens
• 1956: First cheetahs born in a zoo
• 1957: New Children's Zoo opens
• 1965: Rare Mammal House opens
• 1967: Small Mammal House opens
• 1972: Reptile House opens and Docent Council established
• 1974: Zoo becomes one of the first officially accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)
• 1975: African Plains completed
• 1976: Zoo education department established
• 1980: Bear Country opens
• 1983: First successful birth of an echidna in North America
• 1985: Treehouse opens
• 1992: Naked mole-rat exhibit and Carnivore Kingdom opens
• 1998: Newly renovated Amphibian and Reptile House opens
• 1999: PECO Primate Reserve opens
• 2002: Channel 6 Zooballoon® launched
• 2004: First successful birth of a giant river otter in North America and newly renovated Children’s Zoo opens
• 2006: Big Cat Falls opens
• 2008: Amazon Rainforest Carousel opens
• 2009: McNeil Avian Center opens
• 2011: Treetop Trails unveiled
• 2012: Great Ape Trail opens
• 2013: KidZooU opens to the public