San Francisco Zoo
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| San Francisco Zoo | |
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| Location | San Francisco, California, USA |
| # of Species | 250 |
| Accreditations/ Memberships |
AZA |
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The San Francisco Zoo, in the past also known as Fleishhacker Zoo, is a zoo in San Francisco, California. It houses about 250 animal species and is located in the southwestern corner of the city, near the Great Highway and Lake Merced. The main entrance has been moved to the Great Highway side of the zoo. The Doggie Diner was once located across the street from the old main entrance to the zoo; only the restored doggie head remains (and is a San Francisco Historical Monument). The western terminus of the L Taraval Muni Metro line is one block to the north of the zoo.
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[edit] The Beginning of the San Francisco Zoo
The San Francisco Zoo was founded by banker and president of the SF park commission, Herbert Fleishhacker. Fleishhacker began planning for construction on a site in the southwest corner of San Francisco. The site was located next to the Fleishhacker Pool, the largest pool in the United States. The area also had a children’s playground, an original Dentzel carousel, and the Mother’s Building, a haven for women and their children. The Zoo would be a wonderful complement to this recreational area. Most of the exhibits were animals transferred from Golden Gate Park including: two zebras, one cape buffalo, five rhesus monkeys, two spider monkeys, and, of course, three elephants (Virginia, Marjory and Babe).
[edit] The Zoo Grows
The first exhibits built in the 1930s cost $3.5 million. The first exhibits included Monkey Island, Lion House, Elephant House, a sea lion pool, an aviary and bear grottos. These spacious, moated enclosures were among the first bar-less exhibits in the country.
Over the next 40 years, the Zoological Society became a powerful fundraising source for the Zoo, just as Fleishhacker had hoped when he envisioned “…a Zoological Society similar to those established in other large cities. The Zoological Society will aid the Park Commission in the acquisition of rare animals and in the operation of the Zoo.” True to its charter, the Society immediately exerted its influence on the Zoo, obtaining more than 1,300 annual members in its first 10 years (and nearly 25,000 today). It also funded important projects like the renovation of the Children’s Zoo in 1964, development of the African Scene in 1967, purchasing medical equipment for the new Zoo Hospital in 1975, and the establishment of the Avian Conservation Center in 1978.
[edit] The Zoo Today
The zoo today is home to over 250 species and is a part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' species survival program. Some of their recent projects include:
- Otter River (1994)
- Feline Conservation Center (1994)
- Spectacled bear exhibit renovation (1994)
- Lion House outdoor enclosures (1994)
- Eagle Island renovation (1995)
- Australian WalkAbout (1995)
- Flamingo Lake renovation (1995)
- Monkey Island demolition (1995)
- Hippopotamus exhibit renovation (1995)
- Wart hog exhibit (1996)
- Billabong (1996)
- Aviary renovation (1996)
- Ring-tailed lemur exhibit renovation (1996)
- Children’s Zoo entrance (1996)
- Kodiak bear exhibit (1996)
- Avian Conservation Center (1997)
- African lion cub exhibit (1997)
- Aye-aye Forest (1997)
- Asian elephant exhibit renovations (1997 and 1999)
- Rainbow Landing (now Lorikeet Landing) (1998)
- Outdoor aviary demolition (1998)
- Restoration of Little Puffer (miniature railroad) (1998)
- Primate Discovery Center terrace exhibit renovation (1998)
- Children’s Zoo renovation (1999)
- Puente al Sur* (1999)
- Infrastructure replacement (1999)
- Aviary renovation (2000)
- Seal pool/bear exhibits (2000)
- Connie and Bob Lurie Education Center (2001)
- Koret Animal Resource Center (2001)
- Expanded Children’s Zoo and Family Farm (2001)
- Wetlands habitat (2001)
- Cassowary Exhibit (2001)
- Lipman Family Lemur Forest (2002)
- Friend and Taube Entry Village (2002)
- Leaping Lemur Café (2002)
- Zoo Street and parking (2002)
- Dentzel Carousel (2002)
- African Savanna (2004)
- African Savanna Giraffe Feedings (2006)
- Black swan exhibit (2006)
- Binnowee Landing and Feeding (formerly Lorikeet Landing) (2006)
- Kunekune pig exhibit at the Family Farm (formerly the miniature pig exhibit) (2006)
[edit] Stephen Junior
The zoo recently announced that it would be naming a soon-to-hatch American Bald Eagle after comedian Stephen Colbert. The eagle was born on April 17, 2006. [1]
[edit] Elephants no more
As of March 2005, there are no longer any elephants at the Zoo. Lulu was moved to a sanctuary in The Sierras in March 2005. Tinkerbelle was moved there in November 2004. The moves followed the deaths of Calle (age 38) in March 2004 and Maybelle (age 43) who died in April 2004. [2]
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- http://www.sfzoo.org
- American Zoo and Aquarium Association
- Google Map Areial
- Street map from Mapquest
- Aerial view from Microsoft Terraserver
- Doggie Diner
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