Home>USA Tourists Attractions>Central Park Zoo, New York City
One of the first-class US tourist attractions, Central Park Zoo, New York City is located in Central Park in New York City. The zoo is run by the Wildlife Conservation Society. Central Park Zoo, New York City includes 3 major exhibit areas: tropic, temperate and Arctic.
The Central Park Zoo is home to an indoor rainforest, a leafcutter ant colony, a chilled penguin house and a lovely Polar Bear pool. The Central Park Zoo also houses breeding programs for some endangered species like tamarin monkeys, Thick-billed Parrots, Wyoming Toads, Red Pandas, and Fruit bats.
With regard to the history of Central Park Zoo, New York City, the zoo initially began with a bear and some swans. Later in 1864, the Central Park Menagerie was officially founded and it was the United States’s 2nd publicly owned zoo, after the Philadelphia Zoo, founded in the year 1859.
In the year 1934, neo-Georgian brick and limestone zoo buildings were made. The famous sea lion pool itself was originally designed by Charles Schmieder. The central feature of the original zoo ranges from round the sea lion pool to separate areas for the large animals and different species of birds. The Central Park Zoo was featured in Robert Lawson’s film, Mr. Popper’s Penguins and in the animated films Madagascar, released in 2005 and The Wild of 2006.
The Central Park Zoo’s newest residents are the 2 olive green parrots called keas, named for their signature bird song, “keeeaaaa”. The latest inhabitants of the Central Park Zoo are the tiny leafcutter ants, which can be seen in the Zoo’s Rain Forest.