Philadelphia Zoo history

In 1868, three years after the end of the American Civil War, a 42-acre (17-hectare) site was selected in Fairmount Park, an architect was sent to study the London Zoo, and the collection was begun.

The Zoological Society was given 30 acres of land in Fairmount Park, along Girard Avenue, at the site of “The Solitude”, the riverside manor house built in 1784 by William Penn’s grandson John, who had moved to England and left the home empty. It wasn’t until the 1870’s that post-war Philadelphia was finally able to begin devoting money to public works again.

The 1876 Centennial Exposition was held in Fairmount Park, a few blocks from the 33-acre (13 ha) zoo.

In 1901, the lab began performing necropsies on every zoo animal that became ill and died.

Researchers here developed a special diet for captive Flamingos, then in 1935 zoo employee Dr Ellen Corson-White developed the first specially-formulated foods for other zoo animals (called “Zoocakes”).

In 1938, the first Children’s Zoo in the US opened in Philadelphia, where young kids could see farm animals like cows and horses, and could feed and pet goats, sheep and ducks.

In 1976, the Philadelphia Zoo began to move away from its previous “postage-stamp collection” philosophy, and began to actively concentrate on education and conservation.

In 1983, the Guam Bird Rescue Project was spearheaded by the Philadelphia Zoo in an attempt to save the Guam kingfisher and the Guam rail, two native species still present in large enough numbers to benefit from intervention.

The first recorded parent-reared Guam kingfisher was bred at the zoo in 1985.

Carnivore Kingdom, with its jaguar, clouded leopards, and other wonderful beasts, also presents a sad note: a memorial here recalls the tragic fire that struck the Primate House in late 1995.

On July 1, 1999, the zoo opened a new primate exhibit featuring 2.5 acres (10,000 m) of indoor and outdoor areas with 10 species of primates, including Sumatran orangutans, western lowland gorillas, lemurs, langurs, and gibbons.

In 2006, the zoo opened a new big cat exhibit showcasing lions, Siberian tigers, Amur leopards, snow leopards, cougars, and jaguars in exhibit spaces reminiscent of their natural habitats.

On May 30, 2009, the zoo opened a new aviary featuring two birds that are extinct in the wild: the Guam rail and the Guam kingfisher.

Philadelphia Zoo opened Treetop Trail in 2011, the first component of its Zoo360 animal exploration trail system.

On April 13, 2013, the zoo opened KidZooU on the site of the old Pachyderm House.

On December 29, 2016, Zenda, the oldest African lion in the United States zoo population, was euthanized following a sudden loss of appetite and failing health.