Bronx Zoo

CONGO GORILLA FOREST: Adult gorilla holding baby
Date opened November 8, 1899 [1]
Location Bronx Park, Bronx, New York, USA
Accreditations/
Memberships AZA

The Bronx Zoo is a world-famous zoo located in Bronx Park, Bronx, New York. It opened on November 8, 1899 [1], with 22 exhibits and 843 animals and with the goal to “advance the study of zoology, protect wildlife, and educate the public.” Its original permanent buildings, designed by Heins & LaFarge, are a series of Beaux-Arts pavilions grouped around the large circular sea lion pool.Contents

Modern habitats

The Bronx Zoo was one of the first zoos in North America to move animals — often organized by families in Linnaean classification — from cages to more naturalistic environments (e.g. “The African Plains”) which would mix species and attempt to replicate the region the species arrived from. Physical barriers such as moats, not necessarily visible to viewers, separate predators from prey. The zoo is especially known for its “Wild Asia” tramway, where spectators riding a monorail can observe Asian animals, and “Jungleworld,” an indoor exhibit on plants and animals from tropical rain forests. The zoo also boasts the Congo Gorilla Forest [1], which is the largest manmade rainforest in the world at 6.5 acres, and focuses on conservation; entry fees are used to help preserve the species housed in the exhibit.

The Bronx Zoo is owned and operated by the Wildlife Conservation Society, formerly known as the New York Zoological Society. WCS also operates the following parks in New York City:
Central Park Zoo
Queens Zoo
Prospect Park Zoo
New York Aquarium

In The News:

Bronx Zoo was in the news recently when it agreed to enter a rare snow leopard cub, Leo — found in northern Pakistan — into its breeding program. The 13-month-old cub was found stuck in mud following a landslide in Naltar Valley which killed its mother. A Pakistani shepherd in the area found the cub with its female sibling, but the latter died a week later due to malnutrition. He then handed over the cub to Pakistani authorities who took care of him, but since there are no captive breeding programs or rehabilitation center for snow leopards in Pakistan, it was decided to hand over the cub to Bronx Zoo. The leopard will be returned to its place of birth following construction of a rehab facility in the Naltar Valley with US cooperation.