Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden | |
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35°31′16″N 97°28′21″W / 35.5212°N 97.4724°W | |
Date opened | 1902 (Wheeler Park Zoo)[1] 1920 (as Lincoln Park Zoo)[2] |
Location | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States |
Land area | 130 acres (53 ha) |
No. of animals | 1,900[3] |
No. of species | 512[3] |
Annual visitors | 1+ million[4] |
Memberships | AZA,[5] AAM[6] |
Major exhibits | Cat Forest, Children's Zoo, Expedition Africa, Great EscApe, Herpetarium, Lion Overlook, Oklahoma Trails, Sanctuary Asia, Wetlands Walkway |
Website | www |
The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden is a zoo and botanical garden located in Oklahoma City's Adventure District in northeast Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
The zoo covers 130 acres (53 ha) and is home to more than 1,900 animals. It is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Oklahoma City Zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the American Alliance of Museums. Over a million visitors a year visit the zoo.
Other attractions within the zoo include the giraffe feeding platform, the Elephant Express tram, the Endangered Species Carousel, the Sea Lion Presentation, Stingray Bay, Wild Encounters, elephant presentations, and the Jungle Gym Playground.
Surrounding the zoo are the Zoo Amphitheater, Lincoln Park, Northeast Lake and the Lincoln Park Golf Course. The zoo is located Oklahoma City's Adventure District at the crossroads of I-35 and I-44. Other attractions in the Adventure District are the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Science Museum Oklahoma (formerly called the Omniplex), the ASA National Softball Hall of Fame, and Remington Park Racing/Casino.
Judy was a famous elephant of the zoo having been a part of the zoo for almost 50 years.[13]
Malee was an Asian elephant born April 15, 2011, weighing 300 pounds, the child of one of the Oklahoma City Zoo's elephants, Asha, and a male elephant named Sneezy who lives at the Tulsa Zoo. The Zoo held birthday parties for her every year.[14][15] On September 30, 2015, zookeepers noticed discoloration of her trunk. After two failed treatments, she died at 4 AM CST on October 1, 2015. The cause of death was determined to be elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus, which the other elephants at the zoo aside from her sister Achara also had.[16]