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. Events 630 - Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem. Year 1859 ( MDCCCLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 1874 ( MDCCCLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The acre is a unit of Area in a number of different systems including the imperial and U 17 km²)
Coordinates	39°58′28.22″N, 75°11′44.44″W
Number 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. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The Association of Zoos and Aquariums ( AZA; previously American Zoo and Aquarium Association, and originally American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums Fairmount Park is the municipal park system of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Schuylkill River, most often ˈskuːkəl ("SKOO-kull" is a river in the U Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə A zoological garden, shortened to zoo, is an institution in which living animals are exhibited in captivity The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Chartered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on March 21, 1859, its opening was delayed by the American Civil War until July 1, 1874. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern Events 630 - Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem. Year 1859 ( MDCCCLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 1874 ( MDCCCLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common

The Philadelphia Zoo is one of the premier zoos in the world for breeding animals that have been found difficult to breed in captivity. Animals that live under human care are in captivity. Captivity can be used as a generalizing term to describe the keeping of either Domesticated Animals ( Livestock The zoo also works with many groups around the world to protect the natural habitats of the animals in their care.

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). Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Events 563 - The Byzantine church Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is dedicated for the second time after being destroyed by Earthquakes ^[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. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. 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. The term big cat is used to distinguish the larger cat species from smaller ones Banc of America Securities Bank of America () is the largest bank by asset and second largest commercial Bank by deposits and Market capitalization in United 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. The snow leopard ( Uncia uncia) sometimes known as the ounce, is a large cat native to the mountain ranges of Central Asia from Afghanistan Northern The cougar ( Puma concolor) also puma, mountain lion, or panther, depending on region is a Mammal of the Felidae family The jaguar (Panthera onca,, or—especially in British English — is a New World Mammal of the Felidae family and one of

• On May 25, 2007, 3 Amur Tiger cubs were born at the Philadelphia Zoo to mother, Kira, and father, Dmitri (also spelled "Dimitri"). Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Siberian tiger ( Panthera tigris altaica) also known as the Amur tiger, Manchurian tiger, or Ussuri tiger, is a rare Subspecies ^[5] The 3 female cubs, named Changbai, Koosaka and Terney, were introduced to the public August 16,2007. ^[6]

• On June 9, 2008, Petal, the oldest African Elephant in a United States zoo, died at the age of 52 ^[7]

Features of the zoo

The Channel 6 Zooballoon 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. Events 53 - Roman Emperor Nero marries Claudia Octavia 62 - Claudia Octavia commits 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common African elephants are the species of Elephants in the Genus Loxodonta, one of the two existing genera in Elephantidae. The Rodrigues Flying Fox or Rodrigues Fruit Bat ( Pteropus rodricensis) is a species of Bat in the family Pteropodidae, the flying foxes The naked mole rat ( Heterocephalus glaber) also known as the sand puppy, or desert mole rat is a burrowing Rodent native to parts Lemurs make up the infraorder Lemuriformes and are members of a group of Primates known as Prosimians The term "lemur" is derived from the Tree-kangaroos are Macropods adapted for life in trees They are found in the Rainforests of New Guinea, far northeastern Queensland, and

• The Reptile and Amphibian House: Features over 125 species of amphibians and reptiles, including giant tortoises and the venomous king cobra. Prehistoric amphibian Amphibians (class Amphibia such as Frogs Toads Salamanders Newts Gymnophiona, Sirens and Reptiles, or members of the class Reptilia are air-breathing Cold-blooded Vertebrates that have skin covered in scales as opposed to hair or feathers Giant tortoises are characteristic reptiles of certain tropical islands The King Cobra ( Ophiophagus hannah) is the world's longest venomous Snake, with a length that can be as large as 5

• "Bank of America: Big Cat Falls" Features numerous species of wild cats including African Lions, Black Jaguars, Amur Tigers and Pumas. The lion ( Panthera leo) is a member of the family Felidae and one of four Big cats in the Genus Panthera. The jaguar (Panthera onca,, or—especially in British English — is a New World Mammal of the Felidae family and one of The Siberian tiger ( Panthera tigris altaica) also known as the Amur tiger, Manchurian tiger, or Ussuri tiger, is a rare Subspecies The cougar ( Puma concolor) also puma, mountain lion, or panther, depending on region is a Mammal of the Felidae family

• Carnivore Kingdom: Features a family of six rare, playful giant otters, snow leopards, red pandas, and clouded leopards in unique naturalistic environments. The Giant Otter ( Pteronura brasiliensis) is an amphibious mammalian Carnivore native to South America. The snow leopard ( Uncia uncia) sometimes known as the ounce, is a large cat native to the mountain ranges of Central Asia from Afghanistan Northern The Red Panda, Firefox, Fire Cat, or Lesser Panda, "or Ailurus fulgens ("shining cat" is a mostly herbivorous Mammal 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 15 and 23 kg (33 to 50 lb

• African Plains: warthogs, sable antelope, Mhorr Gazelle, reticulated giraffes, hippos, and zebras. The warthog or common warthog ( Phacochoerus africanus, "African Lens-Pig" is a wild member of the pig family that lives in Africa The Sable Antelope ( Hippotragus niger) is an Antelope which inhabits wooded savannah in East Africa south of Kenya, and in The Dama Gazelle ( Nanger dama; formerly Gazella dama) also known as the Addra Gazelle, is a species of Gazelle. The Somali Giraffe or Reticulated Giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata, is a subspecies of Giraffe native to Somalia, but is The hippopotamus ( Hippopotamus amphibius) from the Greek ἱπποπόταμος ( hippopotamos, ιππος hippos meaning "horse" Zebras are African Equids best known for their distinctive white and black stripes

• Exotic South American animals: such as giant anteaters and capybaras. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a The Giant Anteater, Myrmecophaga tridactyla, is the largest Species of Anteater. Capybara ( Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) also known as capibara, chigüire in Venezuela chigüiro, carpincho

• 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. WPVI-TV, channel 6 is an owned-and-operated station of the Walt Disney Company -owned American Broadcasting Company, located in Philadelphia Pennsylvania

Gallery

Sign outside the zoo explaining its history.	The zoo’s welcome sign.	A flock of Flamingos. Flamingos or flamingoes ( are gregarious Wading birds in the Genus Phoenicopterus and family	A Cheetah pacing his enclosure. The cheetah ( Acinonyx jubatus) is an atypical member of the cat family ( Felidae) that is unique in its speed while lacking climbing abilities
A Pygmy Marmoset at the Small Mammals exhibit. The Pygmy Marmoset ( Callithrix (Cebuella pygmaea) is a Monkey native to the Rainforest canopies of western Brazil, southeastern	Polar Bear inside her enclosure. The polar bear ( Ursus maritimus) is a Bear native to the Arctic Ocean and its surrounding seas	The WPVI Zoo Balloon, from ground level.	Red-shanked Douc

See also

• Fairmount Park

Notes

• Dewan, Vikram. The Red-shanked Douc ( Pygathrix nemaeus) is a species of Old World monkey and is probably among the most colourful of the Primates This colourful and Fairmount Park is the municipal park system of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Best for the animals, best for the zoo Philadelphia Daily News, December 4, 2006, retrieved December 4, 2006.

References

External links

• Official website of "America's First Zoo"
• Philadelphia Zoo is at coordinates 39°58′18″N 75°11′44″W / 39.971782, -75.195659 (Philadelphia Zoo)Coordinates: 39°58′18″N 75°11′44″W / 39.971782, -75.195659 (Philadelphia Zoo)