San Antonio Zoo

The San Antonio Zoo is an Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited zoo in Midtown San Antonio, Texas, United States. It is located in the city's Brackenridge Park. San Antonio Zoo is a 50+ acre zoo home to over 750 species, some of which are endangered or extinct in the wild, and an annual attendance of more than 1 million.[4] It also runs non-animal attractions, such as the 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge San Antonio Zoo Eagle train ride, which first opened in 1956.[5]

San Antonio Zoo
29.4648°N 98.4719°W / 29.4648; -98.4719
Date openedMay 13, 1914
Location3903 N. St. Mary's Street
San Antonio, Texas, United States
Land area57 acres (23 ha)[1]
No. of animals3,500+
No. of species750
Annual visitors1.1 million+[1]
MembershipsAZA,[2] ZAA[3]
Public transit access
Viva Trolley #11
Websitewww.sazoo.org
The San Antonio Zoo Eagle train (4-2-4T locomotive pictured, since retired) carries visitors throughout Brackenridge Park.
Several refreshment outlets, including Crossroads Café, are available at the San Antonio Zoo.
A carousel nearing completion was scheduled to open in 2014 in the San Antonio Zoo.
Desert plant and terrain exhibit at the San Antonio Zoo

The Richard Friedrich Aquarium was opened in 1948.[6] It was the only aquarium in the city until SeaWorld San Antonio was opened in 1988.

History

What is now known as the San Antonio Zoo began in 1914 when Colonel George Washington Brackenridge, one of the city's leading citizens, placed bison, deer, monkeys, African lions, and bears on land he had deeded to the city. The land became Brackenridge Park and Golf Course.

The San Antonio Zoo opened two of the first cageless exhibits in the United States in November 1929 that offered visitors views of the animals not available in caged exhibits. The Richard Friedrich Aquarium was dedicated in 1948, and the Hixon Bird House, funded through the efforts of Colonel Frederick C. Hixon, opened in 1966.

The San Antonio Zoo housed the first herd of addra gazelle in captivity in 1969 and continues to be active in the breeding program for this critically endangered species. Due to the former hoofstock quarantine point in San Antonio, the San Antonio Zoo has historically had a wide variety of hoofstock species.

The zoo is involved in breeding a number of endangered species including black rhino, leopard, golden lion tamarin, dama gazelle, Attwater's prairie chicken (housed and bred off-exhibit), black mangabey, African lion, black-footed ferret, Komodo dragon, Andean condor, and Caribbean flamingos.

The zoo opened Phase II of Africa Live in 2010. Phase I, which opened in 2007, brought a new exhibit for hippos with underwater viewing area and one for new Nile crocodiles as well as many other smaller animals. Phase II contains Angolan colobus monkeys, okapi, African hunting dogs, rock hyrax, and various species of birds contained in the second largest aviary in the world. On June 18, 2013, a two-headed turtle, along with three one-headed turtles hatched. The two-headed turtle was later named Thelma and Louise after the 1991 film. Thelma and Louise later died on July 29, 2014, from unknown causes.

Josh the African lion was permanently transferred to the Birmingham Zoo in April 2022 as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan.[7]

Exhibits

Africa Live!
A hippopotamus comes up for air at his abode in the San Antonio Zoo.

Africa Live! is the San Antonio Zoo's newest exhibit. Consisting of three phases, Africa Live! gives guests a chance to experience Lake Tanganyika and Lake Malawi. Guests can observe the hippopotamus, Nile crocodile, and African cichlids through underwater viewing windows. Also found in Africa Live! are the Angola colobus, okapi, African wild dog, rock hyrax, Wolf's mona monkey, and various species of birds.

Phase III of Africa Live will consist of new or remodeled exhibits for African elephants, zebras, giraffes, and white rhinoceroses. In November 2015, the zoo opened a remodeled Giraffe exhibit with a feeding station and other animals like zebras and ostriches will move in with them. In February 2019, the zoo opened a remodeled white rhino exhibit with two new females.

African Savanna

African Savanna takes visitors through a rocky, arid expanse, backed by natural limestone walls. African Plains hosts a number of animals including the zebra, ostrich, marabou stork, sitatunga and waterbuck. Visitors may now also feed the giraffes.

African Plains

Right across from the Savanna, visitors can observe the white rhinoceros and guineafowl. Continuing the walk uphill, the zoo displays cheetahs, as well as smaller animals such as the dik-dik, duiker, and bateleur eagle.

Big Cat Valley

Visitors head straight from the Plains to the Valley. As you head back down the hill, you'll come across addaxes, dama gazelles, warthogs, giant anteaters, bush dogs, lions and Sumatran tigers.

Neotropica

Neotropica houses the zoo's South American plants and animals. The zoo's main waterway makes up a large portion of Amazonia.

The jaguar habitat is located within Amazonia. The exhibit is also home to New World monkeys including golden lion tamarins, golden-headed lion tamarins, Panamanian white-faced capuchins, and white-faced sakis. Other animals include yellow anaconda, Cuvier's dwarf caiman, Seba's short-tailed bat, and the king vulture.

Cat Grottos

A cave-like area for visitors to walk through. It houses the zoo's smaller cats, such as a fishing cat, black-footed cats, clouded leopards, and a caracal. Also located here are a few mammals that look similar to cats: ringtail cat, fossa, and a northern treeshrew.

The Grottos

Close to the entrance, this area has several grottos that house the zoo's two bear species: spectacled bear and American black bear as well as the spotted hyena.

Asian Forest

Spanning the quarry wall is the zoo's northern white-cheeked gibbon exhibit. With plenty of ropes to swing on, they stay high above, while below a family of Asian small-clawed otters play in the river. Nearby there are also exhibits for the Komodo dragon and a troop of François' langurs.

Hixon Bird House

A fully enclosed circular building, with glass-fronted enclosures displaying a wide variety of bird species from all over the world. In the middle of the rotunda is a small island planted with trees and shrubs, and containing a small pond. The free-flight birds stay here, and sometimes venture out into the open to explore.

Nature Spot

Designed for the kids, where they can explore and discover and also features exhibits for yellow mud turtles, lesser anteaters, nine-banded armadillos, and squirrel monkeys.

Richard Friedrich Aquarium

Opened in 1948, this charming building is home to an array of both freshwater and saltwater animals.

Amphibia

Formerly called Toadally, this building housing the zoo's amphibian collection, including frogs, toads, salamanders, and caecilians.

Species

Mammals
Lemur at the San Antonio Zoo

Birds

Reptiles
Crocodile at the San Antonio Zoo

Amphibians

See also

References
  1. "Zoo Facts: San Antonio Zoo". sazoo-aq.org. San Antonio Zoo. Archived from the original on 24 May 2011. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
  2. "Currently Accredited Zoos and Aquariums". aza.org. AZA. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
  3. "Accredited Facilities". Zoological Association of America. Retrieved 17 Jun 2017.
  4. "About Us".
  5. San Antonio Zoo - Zoo Train
  6. "Exhibits at the San Antonio Zoo Archived 2009-01-30 at the Wayback Machine." San Antonio Zoo and Aquarium. Retrieved on January 15, 2009.
  7. "Birmingham Zoo welcomes Josh, new African lion, after large cat Kwanza dies of cancer". 13 June 2022.
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