Zoo Spotlight: Saint Louis Zoo

Saint Louis Zoo: St. Louis MO

Located on 90 acres in beautiful Forest Park, this zoo is home to 655 species of animals, many of them rare and endangered. The Saint Louis Zoo is one of the few free zoos in the nation. Through the Zoo’s WildCare Institute, the Zoo focuses on wildlife management and recovery, conservation science, and support of the human populations that coexist with wildlife in eleven conservation hotspots around the globe, including three in Missouri.

Credit to: Ben Tubby

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Zoo Spotlight: Philadelphia Zoo

Philadelphia Zoo: Philadelphia PA

The Philadelphia Zoo’s 42 acre campus is filled with a variety of animal exhibits. Each exhibit is designed to provide you and your family with an up close and personal experience. At the Philly zoo you can get within inches of a lion, face to face with a gorilla, and nose to nose with giant river otters! The zoo is also home to Asiatic black bear, aye-aye, cottonmouth, pig-nose turtle, and many more animals.

Coming up, October 19th, 20th, 26th, and 27th, the Philadelphia zoo is hosting Boo at the Zoo. Put on your favorite costume and join them for a creepy, crawly celebration. Enjoy treats and sweets while playing your favorite Halloween games, listening to live music and much more!

Credit to: Wildfeuer

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Zoo Spotlight: Honolulu Zoo

Honolulu Zoo: Honolulu, Hawaii

The Honolulu Zoo is the only zoo within a radius of 2,392 miles. The modern day zoo originated in 1984, when a second Master Plan was developed for a Tropical Zoological Garden. It organized all exhibits into three tropical ecological zones: the African Savanna, Asian and American Tropical Forests, and Pacific Islands.

The Honolulu Zoo features Kirk’s Dik Dik, Klipspringer, Llama, Malayan Sun Bear, Helmeted Turtle, Inland Bearded Dragon, Komodo Dragon, Leopard Gecko, and more.

Credit to: benjamint444

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Zoo Spotlight: Shark Reef Aquarium

Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay: Las Vegas, NV

Shark Reef is dedicated to establishing and maintaining the highest standards of animal care, to providing its visitors with an entertaining and educational experience, and to the practice of meaningful research and conservation initiatives. They are the home to a variety of reptiles, fish, sharks and invertebrates including octopus, komodo dragons, sea turtle, stingray, lionfish and many more animals.

Shark Reef Aquarium is comprised of nearly 1.6 million gallons of water in 14 exhibits. Guests also experience two walk through tunnel exhibits giving a “diver’s view” of the underwater world.

Zebra Shark. Credit to: Line1

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Zoo Spotlight: Alaska SeaLife Center

Alaska SeaLife Center: Seward, AK

Alaska’s only public aquarium and ocean wildlife rescue center is celebrating ten years on the shores of Resurrection Bay. Visitors to this “window on the sea” have close encounters with puffins, octopus, sea lions and other sealife while peeking over the shoulders of ocean scientists studying Alaska’s rich seas and diverse sealife.

The Alaska SeaLife Center provides care for sick and injured marine animals, yielding important information about wildlife populations.

Credit to: Aconcagua

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Zoo Spotlight: Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo: Colorado Springs CO

The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is one of only two mountain zoos in the United States and is located at an elevation of 6,800 feet above sea level. The zoo features a Mountaineer Sky Ride in which visitors take a chairlift-style, open-air ride that provides spectacular views of the zoo, Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado Springs and the plains to the east. Guests can also hand-feed the largest giraffe herd at any zoo, in the African Rift Valley.

This zoo hosts a variety of animals including pallas cats, red river hog, emperor newt, legless lizard, emu, and many more.

Pallas Cat. Credit to: Scott M. Liddell

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Zoo Spotlight: Buffalo Zoo

Buffalo Zoo: Buffalo NY

The third oldest zoo in the country, the Buffalo Zoo has a variety of animals including pancake tortoises, pigmy zebu, rock hyrax, black neck swan, and many more. The Buffalo Zoo is dedicated to conservation education and offers a variety of educational tours from the Rainforest Adventure to What’s For Dinner? to Aquatic Antics.

Currently two new polar bear cubs, Kali and Luna reside at the zoo. Visitors are flocking to the zoo to get a glimpse of the cubs together.

Credit to: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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Zoo Spotlight: Bronx Zoo

Bronx Zoo: Bronx NY

Located in New York City, this zoo is one of the world’s largest metropolitan zoos with 4,000 animals representing 650 species. The zoo features a bug carousel ride, butterfly garden, and a 4-D theater. Popular animals hosted at the zoo include fossa, aardvark, white-faced scops owl, anaconda, as many others.

More than 236 million guests have visited the zoo since its opening. The zoo employes 750 full time staff per year and is run by the Wildlife Conservation Society, which protects more than 200 million acres of wild land in 65 countries.

Credit to: Grahame Bentley

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Zoo Spotlight: Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom: Orlando FL

Disney Animal Kingdom is the largest animal theme park in the world and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Home to 1,700 animals, Animal Kingdom is a leader in animal care, research, and conservation education. Visitors of this zoo can enjoy stage shows such as Finding Nemo- The Musical and Flights of Wonder.

Animal Kingdom is divided into seven themed areas: Oasis, Discovery Island, Camp Minnie-Mickey, Africa, Rafiki’s Planet Watch, Asia, DinoLand USA, and Avatar: World of Pandora (expected opening in 2016).

Credit to: Raul654

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Zoo Spotlight: Oregon Zoo

Oregon Zoo: Portland OR

One of the oldest zoos in the country, this zoo will turn 125 years old in November. 1,955 individual animals reside at the zoo representing 232 species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates.The Oregon Zoo hosts 22  endangered species, 37 threatened species, and is active in 21 Species Survival Plans. Attendance in 2012 was close to 1.6 million.

Researchers and veterinary staff at the Oregon Zoo undertake both short-term and multi-year research projects, often in collaboration with other zoos, universities or government agencies charged with conservation and research. Recent research projects include: mate choice in the giant panda, orangutan cognition, pygmy rabbit behavior and reproduction, as well as many more.

Credit to: Adrian Pingstone

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