Central Park Zoo

Clock tower at the north entrance

The Central Park Zoo is a zoo in New York City. It is located in Central Park and is managed by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS ).

History

The zoo was founded in 1864 and is now after the Philadelphia Zoo is the second oldest public zoo in the United States. 1934 he has been expanded with numerous buildings.

In the 1980s, the zoo declined gradually and was temporarily closed in 1983. In 1988 he was re-opened, with the old cages were replaced by enclosure, which corresponded to the natural habits of the animals.

Animals

In Central Park zoo animals are from tropical and polar regions of the earth. There is, among others, a popular sea lion enclosure. Furthermore, the zoo is home to antelope, lions, various species of birds, wolves and monkeys. For children there is a petting zoo.

The enclosures are inspired by the natural surroundings of the animals; so there are about a corresponding air-conditioned rainforest house or a chilled penguin house. The zoo also operates breeding of endangered species such as tamarins or the red panda. Since 2009 he is also home to snow leopards.

In the media

The Central Park Zoo is a scene of Madagascar Animationsfilreihe and in the animated series The Penguins of Madagascar. Even in the movies The Wild! and Mr. Popper's Penguins (film ), it serves as a backdrop.

In the early 1970s, the lady gorilla Pattycake gained great fame and was extremely popular with the citizens of New York. Later she lived in the Bronx Zoo, also in New York.

In the 1990s, the male polar bear Gus was the mascot of the zoo. The media took large part in his life, especially because of his mental problems. He had to be euthanized in 2013 because of an incurable brain tumor.