Montgomery Zoo

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Montgomery Zoo
Date opened 1972
Location Montgomery, Alabama
Land area 40 acres
Number of Animals 700
Number of Species 150
Accreditations/
Memberships		 AZA

Montgomery Zoo is located on the north side of Montgomery, Alabama. It features over 700 animals spanning over 150 species from 5 different continents, all housed in natural, "barrier free" habitats. This is one of only two zoos in Alabama accredited with AZA.

Contents

[edit] Attractions\Future Plans

The zoo features an entry plaza that is always decorated with floral arrangements. The zoo has an "Overlook Cafe" that enables whomever is there to get a panoramic view of the zoo. An old world aviary is located in the cafe. The zoo also has a miniature train ride that goes around the entire zoo and the natural lake that the zoo was built around. The future of this zoo is full of expansion, with plans of a floating butterfly house and the prospect of north american river otters upon them. They are also constructing a new toco toucan flight cage in the South American section of the zoo.

[edit] Early History

The zoo was first located at the city park but due to city grants and overstocking they were able move to a new location near the Montgomery Biscuits baseball field. The space that is now the Australian exhibit was once the "wetlands". Some of the zoo's exhibits were funded by businesses or families. Of these are the Indian Rhinoceros, Bengal Tiger, and Bald Eagle to name a few.

[edit] Exhibits

[edit] Australia

The first exhibit in the zoo is the Australian Realm. There is a bridge in the exhibit that guests can cross. The bridge encloses a small porportion of the exhibit in a corner. This proportion is a seasonal exhibit, meaning that the species in it will change seasonally. In the past it has been home to aardwolfs, warthogs, and pygmy hippos. Even though these animals are not Australian, they are favorites among the guests.

On the other side of the bridge, where the field is much larger, the following species all live in harmony with each other.

[edit] Asia

The zoo is home to an award winning Asian hoofstock exhibit. It is home to numerous hoofstock species.

There are separate enclosures for the Bengal Tiger and Indian Rhinoceros. The first ever baby rhino for the zoo is a male born October 1, 2007.

[edit] Africa

The African Realm is without a doubt the most expansive exhibit in the zoo. The african elephant exhibit is one of the best in the country. For the animals, it features a waterfall, a twenty four thousand square foot night house, and several enrichment items, scattered across the exhibit that change on a regular basis. In the decorative foliage around the elephant habitat, a bacholer group of four African penguins reside together.

Across a small stream separating the elephants from the hoofstock, the African grazers live in harmony. These animals spend the day roaming their exhibit, which includes hills, logs, and several artificial termite mounds. This section of the African habitat has several viewing stations. This exhibit includes:

Another small stream separates the Reticulated Giraffe from the hoofstock. The giraffes have their own yard, complete with a state of the art night house. They can be seen up close from the cafe.

The African Realm is also home to the Chimpanzee, Lion, and Cheetah. All are housed in separate enclosures.

[edit] South America

This is the only section of the zoo that does not have a large field exhibit. It is the original zoo before it expanded. This section is full of smaller, micro-exhibits. Here are some animals that are housed here:

The zoo also has a South American Aviary that is made to resemble the 1904 Aviary. The aviary is designed to immerse one into the steamy swamps of a rain forest. It is full of native foliage and has several ponds.

This part of the zoo also plays host to the reptile house. The reptile house has several specimens of reptiles as well as amphibians.

[edit] North America

The North American exhibit is home to North American animals, obviously. It is full of several species of hoofstock that can be found in Alabama.

There are separate enclosures for the lynx, cougar, black bear, and bald eagle.

[edit] Books

[edit] External links

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Zoos of Alabama
Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo  · Birmingham Zoo  · Montgomery Zoo
v • d • e
Zoos, aquaria and aviaries