Louisville Zoo

Infobox zoo
zoo_name=Louisville Zoo

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image_caption=Entrance to Louisville Zoo
date_opened=1969
location=Louisville, Kentucky, USA
area=135 acres (0.55 km²)
num_animals=1,300
exhibits=Gorilla Forest, Islands
members=AZA, AAM
website=http://www.louisvillezoo.com/The Louisville Zoo, or the Louisville Zoological Garden, is a 135 acre (0.55 km²) zoo in Louisville, Kentucky, situated in the city's Poplar Level neighborhood. The "State Zoo of Kentucky" currently exhibits over 1,300 animals in naturalistic and mixed animal settings representing both geographical areas and biomes or habitats.

The Louisville Zoo is accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) and the American Association of Museums (AAM). During the 2006-07 season, the zoo set an all-time yearly attendance record with 810,546 visitors. [cite news |title=Zoo sets attendance record |url=http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070709/NEWS01/707090486 |publisher="The Courier-Journal" |date=2007-07-09 |accessdate=2007-07-09]

History

The Louisville Zoo was founded in 1969, on land acquired by the City of Louisville in the 1960s from the estate of Ben Collins. Much of the initial funding was donated by local philanthropist James Graham Brown.

In 1994 an elephant used for rides picked up a visitor with its trunk, injuring the man after the elephant threw the man down. [ [http://www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/kosair_shrine_circus_comes_to.html Kosair Shrine Circus Comes to Louisville with Cruel and Dangerous Elephant Rides | The Humane Society of the United States ] ]

Exhibits

Gorilla Forest

The zoo was awarded the 2003 Association of Zoos and Aquariums Exhibit Award for its "Gorilla Forest". [cite web|url=http://www.aza.org/HonorsAwards/Exh_LouisvilleZoo/|title=The Louisville Zoo Wins Coveted AZA Exhibit Award|accessdate=2006-09-09] The exhibit currently houses 12 Western Lowland Gorillas and 3 Patas Monkeys.

Herpaquarium

Also notable is the zoo's exhibit of a rare albino alligator named King Louie located in the Herpaquarium. Some other animals in this building include the endangered Panamanian golden frog and vampire bats.

Islands

The zoo has a distinctive zoological exhibit called "Islands," which is the first exhibit in the world that uses a system of rotating a variety of animals into one exhibit. This way, the animals can explore different habitats throughout the day, as they would in the wild. Moreover, the exhibit is the first to have natural predator and prey in the same space. The animals that can be seen in this exhibit include the Sumatran Tiger, Orangutan, Siamang, Babirusa and the Malayan Tapir.

Glacier Run

The zoo is currently constructing a new exhibit known as Glacier Run, which began with the opening of a small splash park for the kids to cool off on hot summer days.. The exhibit itself will replace the current Polar Bear and Seal and Sea lion exhibit. Also included in the new Glacier run will be the Steller's Sea Eagle and Magpie

Wallaroo Walkabout

The new Wallaroo Walkabout lets you walk down a path directly through the exhibit which is home to the Wallaroo and Wallaby.. As well as some Australian birds including the Kookaburra, Blue-faced Honeyeater

Lorikeet Landing

Lorikeet landing is an Australian exhibit that is a walkthrough aviary filled with several colorful birds known as the Lorikeet. Visitors can feed nector to the birds right out of their hands..

Activities

During October, the zoo hosts the "World's Largest Halloween Party", one of the largest Halloween parties in the United States.

The zoo also includes a "Zoo Key System". At the front of the park, a key, usually in the shape of an animal, may be purchased. Around the park, visitors can insert these keys into Zoo Key boxes for a song and/or information about the animal.

Often when an animal is born in the zoo, the zoo holds a contest where participants send in ideas for names.

Notable residents

*Mojo, a patas monkey previously owned by NASCAR driver Tony Stewart. [ [http://www.louisvillezoo.org/news/press/MR/MR%2008-05-22%20mojo.htm Louisville Zoo - Media Advisory - Tony Stewart’s former pet monkey, Mojo, now resides at the Louisville Zoo ] ]
*Scotty, an African elephant, is the first elephant ever born in the Louisville Zoo's history and the first born in Kentucky.fact|date=September 2008
*The Louisville Zoo is currently hand-raising three baby siamangs—Sungai, Zoli and Zain—and is thought to be the only Zoo to ever hand raise three baby siamangs this young.fact|date=September 2008

Gallery

References

ee also

*List of attractions and events in Louisville, Kentucky

External links

* [http://www.louisvillezoo.com/ Louisville Zoo -- Official site]