Buttonwood Park Zoo

Infobox zoo
zoo_name=Buttonwood Park Zoo


image_caption=The entrance to the Buttonwood Park Zoo
date_opened=1894
location=New Bedford, Massachusetts, USA
members=AZ
num_species=200
website=http://www.bpzoo.org/

The Buttonwood Park Zoo, located in New Bedford, Massachusetts, USA is a small accredited zoo located within the center of Buttonwood Park. It is owned and operated by the City of New Bedford, with the support of the Buttonwood Park Zoological Society. In addition, the zoo is involved with and supports various conservation programs, such as the Cape Cod Stranding Network.

History

Established in 1894, the zoo is the 12th oldest zoo in the U.S. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which in 2003 described Buttonwood Park Zoo as "one of the finest small zoos in the United States."

Exhibits

The zoo contains nearly 200 species of animals from all around the world. Exhibits feature animals from the barnyard to pony rides to animals from the wild.

The exhibits are categorized into 5 main areas:

;North America East (NAE): This section contains black bears, river otters, beavers, turkey buzzards, bald eagles, and coyotes.;North America West (NAW): This section contains the bison pasture, cougars, Canadian lynx, bobcat and crows.;Aquatics: This section contains harbor seal, shorebirds, a salt marsh, a kettlepond, a mountain stream, amphibians, snakes, and turtles.;Elephants: This section contains the zoo's elephants.;Domestics: This section contains a horse pasture, cow pasture, sheep and goat yard, a pig yard, and an area for pony rides.

Education

Buttonwood Park Zoo features an educational building in the center of the zoo called the Wildlife Education Center. It contains two classrooms that varies in range of its multiple uses. It's used from the zoo's educational programs to being doubled as function rooms for business and private meetings.

Other features

The zoo has a gift shop, the North Woods Gift Store, and a restaurant, the Bear's Den Cafe.

External links

* http://www.bpzoo.org/