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San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance history
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance company history timeline
10/02/1916 One of San Diego Zoo’s first animals arrives: “Caesar” (photo), Kodiak bear.
San Diego Zoo, one of the largest collections of exotic and endangered mammals, birds, and reptiles in the world, located in San Diego, California, United States The municipal zoo, founded in 1916, is administered by the Zoological Society of San Diego.
5/11/1917 First lion cubs born; “Faith”, “Hope”, and “Charity”. 9/17/1917 Zoo membership is available at $5 per membership.
In 1921 he was promised $5,000 a year for the upkeep of the Zoological Gardens.39 Tired of requesting funds yearly or for specific projects, he aimed to receive a set percentage of this revenue stream from the city, maintaining his argument that the Zoo benefitted the region.
First Malayan sun bear on exhibit, “Sunny”. 12/02/1923
6/24/1923 First elephant seal arrives.
7/20/1923 Scripps’ flight cage for shore and wading birds (then the tallest in the world: 82′ high, 150′ long, 74’3″ wide at one end and 62′ at the other). Built at a cost of $15,000.
5/20/1923 Frank Buck, “Bring ’em back alive”, signs a three-year contract as Zoo director.
The grand opening of the Zoo finally occurred in 1923.
3/24/1924 First concession stand run by Maude R. Scott on July 4th.
7/20/1924 (Related article). First Leopard Grotto completed.
1/20/1924 Camels “Turk” and “Scar” give birth to “Sheik.” First column of Zoonooz appears in the San Diego Sun, written by W.B. France.
“King Tut”, a salmon-crested (Moluccan) cockatoo, arrives in San Diego 5/25/1925 via Frank Buck.
Jan/Feb/1926 “Sheik” the camel stars in a Hollywood movie “Beau Geste”. Also appeared in “Ben Hur”. (photo). First 2 buses (Model T made by Powell Motor Co.) donated by Miss Anne Zimmerman (retired school teacher) to transport underprivileged children to the Zoo.
July/1927. (photo). The sailing ship “Star of India” is donated by James W. Coffroth to the Zoological Society for a maritime museum and first unit of a proposed aquarium. (Related article). Second Australian expedition successfully completed.
By 1927, Benchley became the director of the Zoo by stepping in to “assume added responsibility” in a “poorly organized” institution.
In 1928 Wegeforth found himself short on funds again.
6/9/1929 First Electus parrot, “Sassy Susie”, at the Society and in the United States (Related article). Birth of Bengal tiger triplets.
First curator of reptiles is Laurence M. Klauber (President of SDG&E and consultant to the Society); serves until 1931.
First captive birth is in 1934.
6/25/1934 First Baird’s tapir, “Mickey” – a female, arrives from Ecuador.
June/1936 Construction begun on new Reptile House (still in use) and Elephant Barn.
1/20/1936 First Gray mangabey for the Zoo and first for the United States First Babirusa and first Sambar deer.
The original bird of prey aviary (built in 1937) becomes the new Owens’ Rainforest Aviary (80′ x 150′ x 75′), housing more than 200 birds from Southeast Asia.
First Lesser pandas arrive, reproduce in 1941.
Catch Basin created in 1948 is converted to Waterfowl Lagoon.
8/10/1949 First snow fall in San Diego in 99 years; coincides with arrival of first snow leopards (one dies shortly after arrival due to a parasitic infection). Believed to be only snow leopard in captivity.
First black rhinoceros “Sally” (born in Kenya 1950), arrives from East Africa.
9/22/1951 First Hawaiian monk seal to enter and be exhibited in the Continental United States (died same year).
First Kiwi arrives from New Zealand (only one in the Western Hemisphere). 12/08/1954 First two-headed snake exhibited in San Diego County, a banded C. King snake, “Dudley Duplex”. City Council allocates 2 additional acres of Balboa Park land for proposed Children’s Zoo.
1/08/1956 Zoo takes its first safari through Central and East Africa.
First captive hatching of Cassowaries at the Zoo (also first in United States) 4/1957
7/1958 Scripps flight cage is transformed into a walk-through exhibit for shore and wading birds.
4/11/1961 First Hawaiian geese arrive.
Zoo receives 2 rare square-lipped White rhinos from the Natal Parks Game and Fish Preservation Board (only 600 individuals remain). 9/08/1962 First Siberian tigers arrive.
10/2/1964 More than 50 construction projects completed: Tapir enclosure, incubator room in Bird Yard, Okapi enclosure extension, Orang and Chimp Grotto, Kiwi exhibit, renovated cat cages, fences replaced by moats on Horn and Hoof Mesa and Flamingo exhibit.
Some 1,800 acres in San Pasqual were first earmarked for the Wild Animal Park in 1964.
First Gold Elephant Seal Conservation medals are awarded at AAZPA conference in San Diego (to Jean Delacour, Edward Hallstrom and Fairfield Osborn). 2/1966 First 2 female Przewalski’s horses arrive from Catskill Game Farm in New York.
First Pygmy chimpanzee birth in the United States “Linette”. 8/08/1966
4/23/1968 First United States breeding of Superb bird of paradise.
6/18/1969 First year with 3 million attendance.
11/30/1970 Doctor Schroeder lays out route of Wgasa Bush Line.
Joan Embery, Children’s Zoo attendant, is announced as the second Miss “Zoofari”. 2/17/1970
5/1972 Doctor Donald J. Kinter assumes directorship.
In 1972 the Zoological Society opened the San Diego Wild Animal Park.
3/29/1973 Two AAZPA Bean Awards: one to the Zoo for ruffed lemur birth and one to the Wild Animal Park for Abyssinian ground hornbill hatching.
Doctor Donald J. Kinter resigns as director 2/12/1973.
6/27/1974 First Arabian oryx born at Wild Animal PArk.
Doctor Benirschke assumes directorship on 1/01/1975.
One of the first projects is to design the “Tree of Life” insignia (all symbols described in Zoonooz 6/1976).
8/1978 First Tahitian lorie received.
5/1980 Photo caravan tours begin at the Wild Animal Park.
First elephant born at Wild Animal Park (“Thor”, an African elephant). 8/22/1981
1/30/1982 First Mhorr gazelles are born at the Zoo and in the Western Hemisphere.
The Heart of the Zoo opened in 1982, giving visitors a small taste of what some of these changes would involve.72 African Rock Kopje opened next, again displaying for the public a smaller version of the big changes that were in store for future exhibits.
9/10/1983 Charles Bieler begins term as AAZPA president.
4/29/1985 First year Horticulture Department is involved in Papua New Guinea expeditions.
12/31/1985 Society raises membership cost to $45.00 per membership.
7/1988 Conservation Medal awarded to Russel Mittermeier.
4/22/1989 Keeper Training program begins.
12/30/1990. (related article). Royal Lipizzaner stallions at Wild Animal Park.
First used of canned sound (thunder, birds, frogs). 3/23/1991 Two-headed corn snake, “Thelma” and “Louise” arrives.
Third publication of “It Began with a Roar”. 10/1991
First used of canned sound (thunder, birds, frogs). 3/23/1991
4/28/1992 Naked mole-rat exhibit opens at the Zoo.
4/03/1993 Zoo begins negotiations with China for a breeding loan of 2 pandas.
Panda exhibit built to Chinese specifications (2,688 sq ft / $800,000). Begun 3/01/1993 but import permit is challenged by WWF and Bruce Babbitt (Secretary of the Interior) rejects request 6/1993.
3/19/1993 – 3/21/1993 Pygmy chimps at Bonobo Road (a 6,000 sq ft naturalistic exhibit for chimpanzees) and Wings of Australasia (20 new aviaries) open at the Zoo.
First chick hatches 11/09/1994 (incubated in APC). Second chick hatches 11/18/1994 but dies of unknown causes under parental care.
11/03/1995 AZA Conservation Endowment Fund Award for Tree Kangaroo SSP Avian TB Research Project (shared with Woodland Park Zoo). Society increases membership cost to $68 per membership.
First flamingo chick hatched in 14 years on 6/13/1996.
New Okapi exhibit opens as part of Hippo Beach area. (Only 25 zoos in the world exhibit Okapis.) 4/07/1996
12 year research loan begins ($1,000,000 / year for panda conservation in China). 9/10/1996
11/1999 First zoo-based molecular diagnostic lab is launched by CRES Pathology Department.
“Bai Yun” gives birth after being artificially inseminated with “Shi Shi’s” sperm — Giant panda cub “Hua Mei” is born on 8/21/1999 at 11:40 AM.
3/22/2001 1st egg laid by a re-introduced California Condor in the wild on 3/25/2001.
Society adopts new strategic plan: Journey into 2002.
11/17/2002 New Gharial exhibit opens on Reptile Mesa.
2/27 – 3/2/2002 Conservation Medals awarded to Doctor Richard H. Goodwin (botanist, professor and founder of the Nature Conservancy), Doctor Jeremy J.C. Mallinson (British Zoo Director and author) and Ulysses S. Seal (founder of ISIS, Chairman of Captive Breeding Specialist Group) in Minneapolis.
4/2003 Orang-utan and Siamang exhibits redesigned to form new integrated multi-species exhibit, “Absolutely Apes”. Opens 5/2003.
Frozen Zoo skin cells are used to clone “Jahava”, a healthy male Banteng (Advanced Cellular Technology partners with the Zoo). 4/01/2003
2/23/2004 California condors get new school facility.
First Bornean sun bear born in North America, “Danum” (son of “Marcella” and “Dibu”). 2/17/2004
10/15/2005 CRES joins National Zoological Park, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, White Oak Conservation Center, and The Wilds to form CCSS (Conservation Centers for Species Survival) “Kasten”, the Zoo’s popular performer and South African caracal, miraculously recovers from a severe snake bite.
First State of Endangered Species Symposium is held at Beckman Center (Topic: Bushmeat crisis). 3/30/2006 CRES begins rescue of California mountain yellow-legged frog in August.
First State of Endangered Species Symposium is held at Beckman Center (Topic: Bushmeat crisis). 3/30/2006
7/04/2007 New Zoo bus depot opens in August.
2/01/2008 Multi-year partnership begun with Al Ain Zoo and Aquarium Public Institution to assist in creation of a 2,000 acre Wildlife Park in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. The new reserve will be called “Dowh Al Ain”. Formal interpretive volunteer program begins.
4/30/2009 A new guide map and wayfinding system is introduced at the Zoo.
CRES changes name to “San Diego Zoo’s Institute for Conservation Research”. 8/05/2009
San Diego Zoo hosts a conference of world experts to discuss “The Future of Zoos”. 2/23-24/2010 Conrad Prebys Polar Bear Plunge re-opens at the Zoo after a $1 million renovation.
8/11/2011 Panda Trek exhibit opens to the public, featuring giant pandas, red pandas, Sichuan takins, and 8 species of bamboo in a 0.75 acre space.
12/22/2011 San Diego Zoo and Safari Park combined attendance for 2011 is nearly 5 million; total number of card-carrying members is 530,740.
6/2012 The San Diego Zoo’s Reptile Walk exhibit opens to the public, featuring reptiles and amphibians, including native California species.
3/6/2012 California condor chick “Saticoy” hatches for a live, worldwide audience on San Diego Zoo Global’s Condor Cam.
9/26/2012 Troop matriarch and 3rd oldest known living gorilla Vila celebrates her 55th birth at the Safari Park.
5/2/2013 Conrad Preby’s Australian Outback exhibit opens to the public at the San Diego Zoo.
First documented case of a California condor chick fledged in the wild in Mexico in nearly 80 years, the result of reintroduction efforts by San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy and conservation group COSTASALVAjE. 2/2013
San Diego Zoo, “Plants at the Zoo and Safari Park,” http://www.sandiegozoo.org/CF/plants/ html (accessed May 10, 2016).
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San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance competitors
| Company Name | Founded Date | Revenue | Employee Size | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildlife Conservation Society | 1895 | $256.0M | 2,899 | 26 |
| Denver Zoo | 1896 | $45.3M | 200 | 7 |
| Oakland Zoo | 1922 | $33.2M | 173 | 6 |
| American Museum of Natural History | 1869 | $310.3M | 1,382 | 14 |
| Woodland Park Zoo | 1899 | $42.4M | 413 | - |
| The Nature Conservancy | 1951 | $1.3B | 3,000 | 20 |
| Cincinnati Zoo | 1875 | $49.4M | 484 | 26 |
| San Diego Natural History Museum | 1874 | $11.1M | 350 | - |
| San Francisco Zoo | 1954 | $25.4M | 179 | - |
| Conservation International | 1987 | $163.0M | 750 | 7 |
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance history FAQs
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San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance may also be known as or be related to San Diego Zoo Global, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Zoological Society Of San Diego and Zoological Society of San Diego.