Potter Park Zoological Gardens

Infobox zoo
zoo_name=Potter Park Zoological Gardens
location=Lansing, Michigan
USA
coordinates= coord|42|43|03.87|N|84|31|42.24|W|type:landmark_scale:2500
date_opened=1915
num_species=100+
members=AZA
website=http://www.potterparkzoo.org/

The Potter Park Zoological Gardens is a 85 acre zoo located in Lansing, Michigan within Lansing's Potter Park. The zoo is currently home to over 100 species of animals.

History

The zoo's history began in 1915 with the donation of 58 acres of land to the city of Lansing by J. W. and Sarah Potter, a prominent Lansing couple, for Potter Park. The park added 27 more acres of land in 1917, with the first animals being added to the park in 1920.

The zoo grew for the decades afterward until the late 1960s when the zoo began a decline from municipal neglect. However, in 1969, Jim Hough, a then-columnist of the Lansing State Journal, used his column to bring together concerned citizens and local-area residents to raise money to help revitalize the zoo. Their fund raising paid off when they raised enough money to purchase the zoo's first elephant, Bingo, in 1972 for $4,453.

In 1986, the Friends of the Zoo became the Potter Park Zoological Society, and incorporated as an organization.

In April 2006, Mayor Virg Bernero of the City of Lansing, submitted a request to the Ingham County Board of Commissioners to put on the ballot in November of that year a proposal to hand over operation and maintenance of Potter Park and Potter Park Zoo to Ingham County. The county board formed a city/council zoo task force, and the result of that was an agreement between the two entities that the City of Lansing would lease the zoo and park to Ingham County under the condition that an attached millage of $3.2 million was passed by county residents. [cite web|url=http://www.ingham.org/Potter%20Park%20Zoo%20summary.pdf|title=Potter Park Zoo Summary|accessdate=2007-06-01] The millage passed on November 2, 2006.

Some notable animals PPZ has are 3 Amur Tigers, 2 Snow Leopards, and Several Bongos. With the county taking over PPZ hopes to get new animals such as Bears. Unfortunately both of the black rhinos died

References

External links

* http://www.potterparkzoo.org/