The Fort Worth Zoo is a zoo in Fort Worth, Texas, United States, and is home to 7,000 native and exotic animals. It has been named as a top zoo in the nation by Family Life magazine, the Los Angeles Times and USA Today, as well as one of the top zoos in the South by Southern Living Reader's Choice Awards.
When the Fort Worth Zoo opened in 1909, it had one African lion, two bear cubs, an alligator, a coyote, a peacock and a few rabbits. From its opening until 1991, the zoo was owned and operated by the City of Fort Worth. Although the city collected money from the community to purchase new animals, the Zoological society (now the Fort Worth Zoological Association) was formed in 1939 to help raise additional funds.[4]
Monkey Island was built in 1937 with funds from the Works Progress Administration. After being refurbished in 1949, this exhibit became a sea lion pool, and by 1970, it had been converted to house small South American mammals. Storks and cranes were housed in this exhibit in the 1980s, and it was converted once again in the early 1990s to house alligators, it last converted in 2004 to house Parrots. It is currently being used to house Flamingos.[5]
The Herpetarium was completed in the summer of 1960 and was an indoor exhibit measuring 117 by 55 feet (17 m). Boasting the largest exhibit of reptiles and amphibians in the world (with 175 vivaria and about 200 species), the facility also included a zoo hospital and quarantine room. Features such as refrigerated air, operational skylights, temperature controlled water, switch operated emergency alarms, and state-of-the-art service facilities, made the Herpetarium a marvel of technology for its time. Innovative exhibits such as a display of giant snakes with curved non-reflective glass (creating the illusion of an open-fronted exhibit) were especially popular attractions. The main public area included five exhibit halls covering various geographic regions and another area that was devoted exclusively to amphibians. There were also special exhibits teaching the identification of native venomous snakes and treatment for snakebite.[6]
In October 1991, the Fort Worth Zoological Association assumed management of the zoo under a contract with the city. In 1992, the zoo opened the first two of a series of exhibits: World of Primates and Asian Falls. During the rest of the decade, the zoo opened Raptor Canyon, Asian Rhino Ridge, an education center in 1993, a cheetah exhibit in 1994, Flamingo Bay, a Komodo dragon exhibit, Insect City in 1995, Meerkat Mounds in 1997, a new veterinary center in 1998, and Thundering Plains (now closed) in 1999.[4]
The first decade of the new millennium saw the opening of Texas Wild! in 2001 to showcase native Texas animals, Parrot Paradise in 2004, Great Barrier Reef in 2005 as part of a renovated Australian Outback exhibit, and the penguin exhibit in 2008. This decade also saw the closing of the original Herpetarium in 2009 to be replaced by the Museum of Living Art in 2010.[4]
Future
In the autumn of 2016, the zoo announced its $100-million capital campaign: A Wilder Vision, which will include new exhibit space, renovated habitats, special events space, multiple dining areas, restrooms and most importantly, new ways to observe, interact with and learn about animals. The first step in this plan, a renovated African Savanna, opened in April 2018. The second step in this plan, an expanded elephant exhibit, opened in April 2021. The other upcoming projects are renovated exhibits for the various African and Asian carnivores, and a new Forests & Jungles section. Species will include the clouded leopard, African wild dog, Malayan tiger, African Lion, Cheetah, Striped hyena, Nubian ibex, Plains zebra, and an African leopard for the African and Asian Predators section, with plans to open this area in the spring of 2023. The okapi is the very first announced new species for the Forests & Jungles section, with a relocation of the Sumatran orangutans, Jaguars, and the Bongo to this area and introduce the okapis. The planned opening date for the Forests & Jungles section is spring of 2025. The fifth and final stage of the A Wilder Vision is Australian Trek exhibit. This includes the new native Aussie species and a renovated aquarium and discovery center and the Aussie aviary, and the relocation of the Saltwater crocodiles. The old exhibit will now be the exhibit of Caimans. The Red Kangaroo yard will be doubled. The planned opening date for the Australian Trek exhibit is spring of 2027.[7]
Current zoo exhibits include Penguins, World of Primates, the brand new Predators of Asia and Africa, Raptor Canyon, Flamingo Bay, Elephant Springs, Australian Outback, African Savanna, Texas Wild! and the Museum of Living Art (MOLA).
Opened in 1992, World of Primates is a 2.5-acre (1.0 ha) exhibit that includes both indoor and outdoor habitats. The atrium is a tropical rainforest that has since been turned into an aviary, in which visitors can observe several different bird species from around the world and mantled guerezas. Once through the atrium, visitors take a winding boardwalk past other primates including the zoo's western lowland gorilla troop, Sumatran orangutans, mandrills, bonobos, and Northern white-cheeked gibbons.[5]
Elephant Springs
The all-new Elephant Springs was opened on April 15, 2021 (Originally opened in 1992 as half of the former Asian Falls) and includes a huge remodeled Asian elephant yard complex. Before getting to the elephants, visitors can go past the entrance and either go to the River Village or check out a viewing area that gives a better view of the Indian peafowl, Anoas, and the Indian rhinoceros. The exhibit also features a Demonstration Area for an elephant encounter show.[8]
Flamingo Bay is home to the 70 or so flamingos at the zoo. The exhibit includes three species of flamingo, including American flamingoes, Chilean flamingoes, and lesser flamingoes, with the all three, as well the zoo's greater flamingos, being successfully bred.[9]
Australian Outback/Great Barrier Reef
This exhibit has been renovated and now includes the Great Barrier Reef exhibit in addition to being home to the zoo's galah, red kangaroos & Australian brushturkey The Great Barrier Reef exhibit is a collection of Australian aquatic animals in three tanks containing more than 10,000 US gallons (38,000 L; 8,300 imp gal) of water. The exhibit includes 500 animals representing 86 species, including clownfish, angelfish, brain corals, stingrays and sea apples.[5]
The Fort Worth Zoo administers the Arthur A. Seeligson Jr. Conservation Fund (SCF), which supports conservation of native wildlife within Texas through grants towards scientists, educators, organizations, and landowners who work to conserve the biodiversity of Texas. Money from this fund has gone towards multiple projects such as training search dogs to locate Houston toads, genetic assessments for ornate box turtle populations, and development for conservation strategies for alligator snapping turtles.[12]
The zoo features an unusual Texas sized sculpture. A furious 40-foot iguana sculpture named Iggy, was lowered by helicopter onto the roof of the animal hospital in June 2010. Created by Austin artist Bob "Daddy-O" Wade, the sculpture is owned by Fort Worth oilman Lee M. Bass.[15]
