Sedgwick County Zoo

Sedgwick County Zoo

Date opened	1971[1]
Location	Wichita, Kansas, USA
Coordinates	37°42′57″N 97°24′37″W / 37.7158°N 97.4104°W / 37.7158; -97.4104Coordinates: 37°42′57″N 97°24′37″W / 37.7158°N 97.4104°W / 37.7158; -97.4104
Number of animals	2,500[2]
Number of species	500[2]
Annual visitors	654,494 (2009)[1]
Memberships	AZA[3]
Website	www.scz.org

The Sedgwick County Zoo is an AZA-accredited wildlife park and major attraction in Wichita, Kansas. Founded in 1971 with the help of the Sedgwick County Zoological Society, the zoo has quickly become recognized both nationally and internationally for its support of conservation programs and successful breeding of rare and endangered species. Having over 2,500 animals of nearly 500 different species, the zoo has slowly increased its visitors and now ranks as the number one outdoor tourist attraction in the state.

Exhibits

Downing Gorilla Forest

Downing Gorilla Forest starts out in a recreation of a small Congo village with exhibits for De Brazza's monkey, colobus monkey, pink-backed pelican, and white pelican. Across bridge is an exhibit for saddle-billed stork, as well as one for black crowned crane and okapi. The main attraction is a large gorilla exhibit. They can be viewed in their indoor home, outside through large viewing windows or across a moat.

Pride of the Plains

A path winds around exhibits of lions, red river hogs, and two exhibits of meerkats. Each exhibit has several different views from all side. The whole area has a kopje theme, with giant boulders. At the end is an exhibit for African wild dogs.

Penguin Cove

Opened in 2007, Penguin Cove is the zoos first marine exhibit, and home to a colony of Humboldt penguins. The $1.5 million exhibit features a 42,000-US-gallon (159,000 l) pool with rocky areas and coves on each side.^[2]

Tiger Trek

This $3 million Asian themed naturalistic exhibit was opened in 2009, and houses Amur tigers, Malayan tigers, red pandas, bar-headed geese, brow-antlered deer, and more.^{[citation needed]}

Facilities

Tram tours are free and go throughout the zoo. Boat tours through the Africa and America sections are available for a fee.

The future

The zoo is currently planning a new zoo entrance and a new elephant management complex for the future, as well as some new additions to the Amphibians and Reptiles building.^[1]

Incidents

• On May 6, 2011, a first-grade student on a class field trip climbed over a four-foot fence then crossed the eight-foot gap of the Amur leopard exhibit. The boy was attacked. He suffered lacerations and puncture wounds to his head and neck before a bystander kicked the leopard in the head. The injuries were not considered life threatening and the zoo does not plan to euthanize the endangered animal.^[4]

Notes

External links

• Official website