| Date opened | 1978 [1] |
|---|---|
| Location | Cape May Court House, New Jersey |
| Land area | 85 acres (34 ha) [2] |
| Number of animals | 550 [2] |
| Number of species | 250 [2] |
| Memberships | AZA[3] |
| Website | Official website |
The Cape May County Park & Zoo in Cape May Court House, New Jersey provides free year-round admission to a collection of over 550 animals representing 250 species in 85 acres (34 ha) of exhibits. The zoo is located at 707 Route 9 North, in the center of Cape May County's Central Park, and together the zoo and the park cover about 220 acres (89 ha). The zoo began operation in 1978. Its principal exhibit areas are a 57-acre (23 ha) African Savanna, a free-flight aviary, and a reptile collection.
The zoo is open everyday except for Christmas, weather permitting. It's hours of operation are from 10:00 am until 3:45pm in the winter and 10:00am until 4:45pm in the summer. Time changes occur with Daylight Savings.[4]
Cape May County Zoological Society/ZooFriends, a 501(c)3 non-profit NJ corporation, is the private sector partner of county government in the continuing improvement of the zoo.
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In 2007, the Zoo received thirteen Chilean Flamingos from Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch.[5] These birds summer outside in the Flamingo Yard and winter inside the World of Birds Aviary. The Chilean Flamingos are the smallest flamingos in the yard as well as the most numerous.
In April 2008, the zoo opened up a Bald Eagle exhibit, acquiring two birds from the Wildlife Center for Virginia. The Cape May County Zoological Society, a nonprofit organization, raised about $25,000 for the new exhibit. The new exhibit kicked off the 30th anniversary of the zoo.[4]
In 2010 the enclosure of the bald eagle habitat - Eagle Creek - was totally destroyed by the heavy record snow fall. Funded by a gift in memory of a local Navy veteran of WWII, Cape May County Zoological Society/ZooFriends are building a new home for America's living symbol of freedom and strength to honor veterans of all wars.[6]
On May 10, 2010 the Cape May County Zoo welcomed two snow leopard cubs born to parents Himani and Vijay. They are the first snow leopard cubs born at the zoo and the first cubs for mother ‘Himani’. Only eleven snow leopards were born and survived last year in the United States. All four are currently housed in the snow leopard yard, because the snow leopard exhibit was destroyed during snow storms in February 2010. The Cape May County Zoological Society/ZooFriends plans to raise money to build a new habitat for them.
The zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), and participates in a number of its species survival programs. In particular, a Mountain Bongo Antelope from the zoo's collection was sent to the Mt. Kenya World Heritage Site in 2004 to join a captive breeding population intended to reestablish a wild population in future generations.
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