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{{Short description|Metropolitan zoo in the Bronx, New York}}{{Other uses|The Bronx Zoo (disambiguation)}}{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2022}}

factoids

Southern Boulevard (Bronx)>Southern Boulevard, Bronx Park, The Bronx, New York (state)>New York 10460, U.S.40017342region:US_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}265ha}}HTTPS://BRONXZOO.COM/VISITOR-INFO/FAQS >TITLE=FAQS ACCESS-DATE=JANUARY 17, 2018 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20171209044225/HTTPS://BRONXZOO.COM/VISITOR-INFO/FAQS, live, | num_species = 650 (2010)| num_animals = 4,000 (2010)|annual_visitors = 2+ millionAssociation of Zoos and Aquariums>AZAHTTP://WWW.AZA.ORG/CURRENT-ACCREDITATION-LIST/ >TITLE=LIST OF ACCREDITED ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS PUBLISHER=ASSOCIATION OF ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS ARCHIVE-DATE=NOVEMBER 1, 2019 URL-STATUS=LIVE,

• Congo Gorilla Forest
• JungleWorld
• Wild Asia Monorail
• Madagascar!
• Tiger Mountain
• African Plains
• World of Birds
• World of Reptiles
• Zoo Center

{edih}| management = Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)New York City Subway>Subway:

• {{NYCS White Plains local|time = bullets}} at West Farms Square–East Tremont Avenue
• {{NYCS White Plains 180th|time = bullets}} at East 180th Street
• {{NYCS White Plains north local|time = bullets}} at Pelham Parkway

Bus:

• New York City Bus: {{NYC bus link|Bx9|Bx12|Bx12 SBS|Bx19|Bx21|Bx22|Bx36|Bx39|Bx40|Bx42|Q44 SBS}}
• Bee-Line Bus: BL60, BL61, and BL62

Metro-North Railroad: Fordhamweblink}}}}The Bronx Zoo (also historically the Bronx Zoological Park and the Bronx Zoological Gardens) is a zoo within Bronx Park in the Bronx, New York. It is one of the largest zoos in the United States by area and is the largest metropolitan zoo in the United States by area, comprising {{cvt|265|acre|ha}} of park lands and naturalistic habitats separated by the Bronx River. On average, the zoo has 2.15 million visitors each year {{as of|2009|lc=y}}. The zoo's original permanent buildings, known as Astor Court, were designed as a series of Beaux-Arts pavilions grouped around the large circular sea lion pool. The Rainey Memorial Gates were designed by sculptor Paul Manship in 1934 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.The zoo opened on November 8, 1899, featuring 843 animals in 22 exhibits. Its first director was William Temple Hornaday, who served as director for 30 years. From its inception the zoo has played a vital role in animal conservation. In 1905, the American Bison Society was created in an attempt to save the American bison, which had been depleted from tens-of-millions of animals to only a few hundred, from extinction. Two years later they were successfully reintroduced into the wild. In 2007, the zoo successfully reintroduced three Chinese alligators into the wild. The breeding was a milestone in the zoo's 10-year effort to reintroduce the species to the Yangtze River in China.Today, the Bronx Zoo is world-renowned for its large and diverse animal collection, and its award-winning exhibitions. The zoo is part of an integrated system of four zoos and one aquarium managed by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and it is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).WEB, Brooklyn Botanic Garden History,weblink April 28, 2013, NYC Parks, November 3, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121103055821weblink">weblink live, {{TOC limit|3}}

History

Early years

(File:Bronx Zoological Park - DPLA - 0810d730971bf313f10ec4cd0d521a5e.jpg|thumb|left|Bronx Zoological Park, 1913)In 1895, a group made up largely of members of the Boone and Crockett Club founded the New York Zoological Society (later renamed the Wildlife Conservation Society) for the purposes of founding a zoo, promoting the study of zoology, and preserving wildlife.BOOK, Annual Report of the New York Zoological Society, 1896, 1, New York Zoological Society, New York,weblink August 29, 2016, October 19, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20161019191617weblink">weblink live, Credit for this belonged chiefly to Club members Madison Grant and C. Grant LaFarge.BOOK, Grinnell, George, Brief History of the Boone and Crockett Club, 1910, Forest and Stream Publishing Company, New York, New York, 7, The zoo (sometimes called the Bronx Zoological ParkNEWS,weblink New Antelope house, The New York Times, November 27, 1903, February 28, 2011, April 23, 2020,weblink live, The antelope house at the Bronx Zoological Park was opened to the public yesterday., and the Bronx Zoological GardensNEWS,weblink Taft Enjoys Trip To The Bronx Zoo, The New York Times, May 24, 1911, February 28, 2011, April 23, 2020,weblink live, President Taft paid a two-hour visit to the Bronx Zoological Gardens yesterday afternoon, as the guest of the New York Zoological Society., ) opened its doors to the public on November 8, 1899, featuring 843 animals in 22 exhibits. Its first director was William Temple Hornaday, who had 30 years of service at the zoo.NEWS,weblink Dr. W. T. Hornaday Dies In Stamford, The New York Times, March 7, 1937, May 31, 2010, June 15, 2018,weblink live, Heins & LaFarge designed the original permanent buildings, known as Astor Court, as a series of Beaux-Arts pavilions grouped around the large circular sea lion pool. In 1934, the Rainey Memorial Gates, designed by sculptor Paul Manship, were dedicated as a memorial to noted big game hunter Paul James Rainey.WEB,weblink National Register of Historic Places Registration: Rainey Memorial Gates, May 1971, January 12, 2011, Stephen S. Lash, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110929120642weblink">weblink September 29, 2011, The gates were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.{{NRISref|version=2009a}}The Rockefeller Fountain, which today adorns the gardens just inside the Fordham Road Gate, was once a landmark in Como, Italy. Originally built by Biagio Catella in 1872, it stood in the main square (Piazza Cavour) by the lakeside.WEB,weblink Secrets of the Bronx Zoo, Mike Dunphy, April 6, 2015, Everything New York, March 1, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160408221814weblink">weblink April 8, 2016, dead, Bought by William Rockefeller in 1902 for lire 3,500 (the estimated equivalent then of $637, and today of around $17,600), it was installed at the zoo in 1903. In 1968, the fountain was designated an official New York City landmark, and is one of the few local monuments to be honored in this way.WEB, Bronx Monuments,weblink November 9, 2013, November 9, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20131109001555weblink">weblink live, The New York Zoological Society's seal was designed by famed wildlife-artist Charles R. Knight. It depicted a ram's head and an eagle to reflect the society's interest in preserving North American wildlife.WEB,weblink 12,000 Vintage Photographs from Bronx Zoo and New York Aquarium to Be Preserved, Untapped Cities, February 9, 2016, March 3, 2016, March 3, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160303135031weblink">weblink live, While no longer in use, the seal can still be found on the lawn in the center of Astor Court.{{or|date=April 2024}}File:William Hornaday.jpg|thumb|Zoo Director William T. Hornaday feeding a greater kudugreater kuduOn December 17, 1902, the zoo became one of the seven zoos outside of Australia, and one of only two in the United States, to ever hold the now-extinct thylacine. The first was a male obtained from German animal dealer Carl Hagenbeck. It died on August 15, 1908. The zoo received a second male on January 26, 1912, from the Beaumaris Zoo in Tasmania, who later died on November 20 of that year. The zoo received its final two animals from Sydney animal dealer Ellis S. Joseph. The first was an unsexed individual who arrived on November 7, 1916, in poor condition and died seven days later. The second and final animal was a female purchased from the Beaumaris Zoo by Joseph for £25{{Clarify|date=August 2022 |reason=Is this in Australian pounds or British pounds? The source does not say.}} (~$35) and then was resold to the zoo, arriving on July 14, 1917.WEB,weblink The Thylacine Museum – The Thylacine in Captivity: Zoos, Circuses and Menageries (page 18), March 1, 2016, August 26, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140826194118weblink">weblink dead, On a visit, the director of the Melbourne Zoo, Mr. Le Souef, said upon seeing the animal:{{Blockquote|I advise you to take excellent care of that specimen; for when it is gone, you never will get another. The species soon will be extinct.}}The thylacine died on September 13, 1919.In early 1903, the zoo was gifted a pair of Barbary lions, a subspecies which is extinct in the wild. The female was named Bedouin Maid and male Sultan, who went on to become one of the zoo's most popular animals. Displayed in the Lion House, Sultan was four years old at the time and described as being both "a perfect specimen" and "unusually good tempered". In May 1903, the pair produced three cubs, the first to be born at the zoo. On October 7, 1905, Charles R. Knight painted a portrait of Sultan and the animal went on to be the focus of many of the zoo's postcards. Sultan was also the model for the lion which sits atop the Rainey Memorial Gates.WEB,weblink Sultan: A King Among Lions, WBUR's The Wild Life, March 3, 2016, March 5, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160305002627weblink">weblink live, In 1916, the zoo built the world's first animal hospital located at a zoo.In 1926, the Bronx Zoo and the Smithsonian Institution's National Zoological Park simultaneously became the first in the country to exhibit shoebills.BOOK, Mann, William M., Wild Animals In and Out of the Zoo, 1930, Forgotten Books, The same year, W. Douglas Burden, F. J. Defosse, and Emmett Reid Dunn collected two live adult Komodo dragons—the first in America—for the zoo.BOOK, Burden, W. Douglas, Look to the Wilderness, 1956, Little, Brown and Company, Boston, 169–193, In 1937, the zoo became the first in North America to exhibit okapi.WEB,weblink Bronx Zoo Debuts Its Baby Okapi, October 19, 2018, October 20, 2018,weblink live,

Recent years

(File:Entrance to Bronx Zoo 2008.jpg|thumb|Historical Fordham Road Entrance to the Bronx Zoo featuring Rainey Memorial Gates)In 1960, the zoo became the first in the world to keep a James's flamingo, a species which had been thought to be extinct until 1957. They were imported along with the similar Andean flamingo.JOURNAL, 10.1111/j.1748-1090.1980.tb00937.x, Andean and James' flamingos Phoenicoparrus andinus and P.jamesi in captivity, International Zoo Yearbook, 20, 17–23, 1980, Kear, Janet, Palmes, Prunella, The zoo was one of the few in the world to exhibit proboscis monkeys outside of Southeast Asia and, in the 1976 International Zoo Yearbook, the zoo reported having eight monkeys, seven of which were born at the zoo. As of March 1999, it only had two monkeys left, these two being the last members of their species kept in the United States.WEB,weblink ProboscisMonkey.org, March 2, 2016, March 5, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160305031310weblink">weblink live, JOURNAL,weblink Proboscis Monkeys Caught - Many Die, International Primate Protection League, IPPL News, 26, 1, April 1999,weblink October 5, 2016, In 2003, the pair were sent to the Singapore Zoo.On June 6, 1990, the zoo received a female Sumatran rhinoceros named Rapunzel. At the time, the zoo was one of only three in North America to hold the critically endangered species, with the Cincinnati and San Diego Zoos being the others, holding one female each. The three institutions were a part of the Sumatran Rhino Trust's plan to start a captive breeding program for the species.NEWS,weblink At Bronx Zoo, a Damsel In Distress Is Rescued, June 7, 1990, The New York Times, February 6, 2017, October 5, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20161005114150weblink">weblink live, Rapunzel was born in the wild in Sumatra and rescued from an area of rainforest that was slated to be cleared for a palm oil plantation in 1989. Though it's believed she bred in the wild, she never produced any calves in captivity. It was eventually determined that she was past reproductive age, at which point she was returned to the zoo in 2000, having been brought out for breeding purposes. She lived in the Zoo Center until her death in December 2005 in her 30s.WEB, Newman, Andy, Rapunzel the Rhino Is Mourned in Bronx, The New York Times, December 24, 2005,weblink April 13, 2016, November 8, 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20151108210333weblink">weblink live, In November 2006, the zoo opened up brand-new eco-friendly restrooms outside the Bronx River Gate. According to Clivus Multrum, which built the composting toilets chosen by the zoo, these facilities can serve 500,000 people and save {{cvt|1000000|U.S.gal|L}} of water a year.WEB,weblink Bronx Zoo, clivusmultrum.com, Clivus Multrum, May 31, 2010, April 21, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100421195114weblink">weblink live, WEB,weblink Composting Toilets, The Bronx Zoo, and Design that's Disgusting, Poop the Book, The Poop Culture Blog, May 31, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20171208070706weblink">weblink December 8, 2017, dead, In March 2007, the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Fordham University Graduate School of Education announced they would offer a joint program leading to a Master of Science degree in education and New York State initial teacher certification in adolescent science education (biology, grades 7–12). The program began the next year, and is the first joint degree program of its kind.WEB,weblink New GSE Master's Program Approved and Ready To Roar, fordham.edu, Fordham University, May 31, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110622075839weblink">weblink June 22, 2011, dead, File:Congressman Miller with Bronx Zoo Education Instructor Kate Ma (5620057984).jpg|thumb|Congressman George Miller with Bronx Zoo Education Instructor Kate Ma, 2011]]In 2009, New York City{{Who|date=September 2020}} cut funding for the state's 76 zoos, aquariums, and botanical gardens. The Wildlife Conservation Society as a whole suffered a $15-million deficit, and the zoo was forced to downsize its staff and animal collection. The budget cuts forced the buyouts of over 100 employees and layoffs of dozens more as well as the closure of four sections of the zoo: World of Darkness, Rare Animal Range, the Skyfari, and a small section of the overall still-open African Plains exhibit which featured endangered antelope.NEWS,weblink Reorganization at City's Zoos Includes Buyouts and Layoffs, April 7, 2009, The New York Times, February 6, 2017, December 8, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20171208122541weblink">weblink live, WEB,weblink Animals and money: Bronx Zoo lays off hundreds of 'unpopular' animals, jason cochran, April 26, 2009, DailyFinance.com, November 28, 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160308220535weblink">weblink March 8, 2016, dead, In the end, 186 staff positions (15%) were cut within the WCS. In 2012, Mayor Michael Bloomberg passed another budget cut that took $4.7-million from the funding of the zoo and the New York Aquarium, also run by the WCS. This cut represented more than half of what the collections were receiving. However, Bloomberg also passed an energy subsidy that brought the cuts down to $3.7-million.WEB,weblink Bronx Zoo animals could be affected by budget cuts – May. 19, 2011, CNNMoney, August 3, 2020, May 24, 2021,weblink live, In the summer of 2014, New York Representative Carolyn B. Maloney visited the Chengdu Panda Base in Sichuan, China and announced her plan to bring giant pandas to New York City. Initially, she aimed to exhibit them at the Central Park Zoo, though switched her attention to the Bronx after deciding the 6.5-acre zoo didn't have the resources to care for the animals. Maloney and her supporters, which included Maurice R. Greenberg, Newt Gingrich, and John A. Catsimatidis, were met with many obstacles throughout their campaign. Initially, the largest issues were the lack of support from Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Hall, and Chinese officials insisting that no more pandas be brought to the United States. However, in October 2015, Chinese Ambassador Cui Tiankai announced that his country was willing to enter preliminary talks with the city over the matter, and soon after de Blasio and City Hall signed a letter appealing to Chinese officials, drafted by Maloney in 2014. Despite her efforts, Maloney's campaign still has yet to overcome two critical steps in acquiring pandas: funding and the zoo's consent. Both de Blasio and the Wildlife Conservation Society refuse to fund the project, not wanting taxpayer or vital zoo money to go towards the highly expensive project. David Towne, chairman of the American-based Giant Panda Conservation Foundation, estimated that the cost of bringing pandas to the city would be around $50 million.The foundation has also said that the cost of keeping just one such animal is about $1 million a year, including food, trainers, and habitat upkeep. Additionally, China loans out their pandas for a hefty fee. A study published by The Washington Post in 2005 found that the four U.S. zoos holding pandas—the Memphis Zoo, the San Diego Zoo, the National Zoological Park (located in Washington, D.C., and Front Royal, Virginia) and Zoo Atlanta—had spent $33 million more on their animals than revenue made off of them between 2000 and 2003. Despite the figures, Maloney believes pandas in her city will do better since the city has a higher population than those four cities combined, and received a record-breaking 56.4-million visitors in 2014. Still, the WCS continues to steer away from bringing in these pandas. In 2014, a senior official from the WCS said Maloney's campaign had reached "a new level of absurdity" when it was announced she intended to bring a Chinese delegation to the Central Park Zoo. In November 2015, Jim Breheny, WCS Executive Vice President and Bronx Zoo Director, released a statement saying:NEWS,weblink Congresswoman's Long Quest: Bringing Pandas to New York, February 7, 2016, The New York Times, February 6, 2017, December 20, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20161220023402weblink">weblink live, WEB,weblink Pandas May Be Headed To Bronx Zoo, If All The Stars Align, Gothamist, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160224100333weblink">weblink February 24, 2016, {{Blockquote|The concept of bringing Giant Pandas to New York which the Congresswoman is proposing is complex and would require that a number of complicated issues be considered and resolved before any such plan could be implemented.Any decision to bring giant pandas to New York would need to be based on positively contributing to the conservation of giant pandas in the wild and a determination that all the requirements necessary to keep the animals well in New York could be met.Very importantly, there is no funding for this initiative. Building and maintenance of such a exhibit would be an ongoing effort that would require tens of millions of dollars up front and annual support monies for pandas for however long they would be in the city. Any agreement to exhibit pandas would have to come with a guarantee of provision for the necessary funds.}}

Exhibits and attractions

The zoo has two types of displays: free exhibits accessible with a General Admission ticket, and premium exhibits which require additional fees.WEB,weblink Tickets – Bronx Zoo, March 2, 2016, March 4, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160304191941weblink">weblink live, WEB,weblink FAQs – Bronx Zoo, March 2, 2016, March 5, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160305230841weblink">weblink live,

Free exhibits and attractions

{hide}columns-list|colwidth=20em|

• African Plains
• American Bison
• Aquatic Bird House and Sea Bird Aviary
• Big Bears
• Birds of Prey
• Bison Range
• Bug Carousel
• Carter Giraffe Building
• Congo Gorilla Forest (during winter)
• Gelada Reserve
• Himalayan Highlands
• JungleWorld
• Madagascar!
• Mitsubishi Riverwalk
• Mouse House
• Nature Trek
• Northern Ponds
• Pheasant Aviary
• Sea Lion Pool
• Tiger Mountain
• World of Birds
• World of Reptiles
• Zoo Center

{edih}{{as of|2010}}, the Bronx Zoo is home to more than 4,000 animals of 650 species, many of which are endangered or threatened. Some of its exhibits, such as World of Birds and World of Reptiles, are arranged by taxonomy, while others, such as African Plains and the Wild Asian Monorail, are arranged geographically.WEB,weblink Exhibits & Attractions, Bronx Zoo, May 31, 2010, May 26, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100526082905weblink">weblink live,

Astor Court

File:Zalophus californianus at Bronx Zoo 5.JPG|thumb|California sea lionCalifornia sea lionAstor Court is an old section of the zoo that is home to many of the zoo's original buildings, designed by Heins & LaFarge. While most of the buildings are closed to the public, the former Lion House was reopened as the "Madagascar!" exhibit in 2008,WEB,weblink ZooLex Exhibit, January 20, 2019,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160305132942weblink">weblink March 5, 2016, dead, and the Zoo Center still exhibits various species. Astor Court includes the historic sea lion pool featuring California sea lions. Small aviaries featuring small bird species can be found nearby and white-headed capuchins can be seen behind the old Monkey House.{{cn|date=April 2024}}The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated Astor Court's buildings as a city landmark in 2000,NYCLAND, 317, after a failed attempt to do so in 1966.NEWS, Gray, Christopher, July 19, 1992, Streetscapes: The Bronx Zoo; Animal House Landmarks?, The New York Times,weblink January 2, 2021, 0362-4331, January 15, 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180115224747weblink">weblink live,

African Plains

(File:Giraffa camelopardalis at the Bronx Zoo 001.jpg|thumb|left|Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) at the zoo)African Plains allows visitors to walk past lions, African wild dogs, and Grévy's zebras, and see herds of nyalas, and slender-horned gazelles sharing their home with grey crowned cranes and hybrid giraffes (Baringo × reticulated giraffe). The exhibit originally opened in 1941 and was the first in the country to allow visitors to view predators and their prey in a naturalistic setting as well as allowing large predators such as lions to be exhibited cage-free. This success was achieved through the creation of a series of deep moats, a set-up which can still be found at the zoo today. The wild dogs, however, can be viewed close-up from a glass-fronted viewing pavilion.WEB,weblink African Plains, Bronx Zoo, May 31, 2010, January 9, 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150109035048weblink">weblink live, The zoo has bred their lions on multiple occasions, including one male and two females born in January 2010 and three males and one female born in August 2013. The zoo, in partnership with the New York Daily News, held a contest to name the 2010 cubs, which made their public debut in April 2010. The winning names were Shani, Nala, and Adamma.David Rooney: "Bronx Zoo's New Lion Cubs Are Impossibly Cute". The New York Times, 2010. The 2013 cubs were named Thulani, Ime, Bahata, and AmaraWEB,weblink African Lion Cubs Come Out To Enjoy Sun At Bronx Zoo, May 2014, February 29, 2016, March 6, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160306182104weblink">weblink live, and the three males can still be found on-exhibit at the zoo.The Carter Giraffe Building, a section of African Plains, features indoor/outdoor viewing of the zoo's giraffes and South African ostriches, and is also home to spotted hyenas, common dwarf mongooses and southern white-faced owls. In June 2009, two aardvarks imported from Tanzania joined the exhibit.WEB,weblink Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo Opens New Aardvark Habitat, March 3, 2016, March 7, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160307012615weblink">weblink live, In September 2010, the pair gave birth to a male named Hoover, the first to ever be born at the zoo.WEB,weblink Bronx Zoo Debuts Hoover the Baby Aardvark!, ZooBorns, March 3, 2016, March 7, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160307152528weblink">weblink live, Until 2009, the southwestern corner of African Plains was home to the endangered Arabian oryx and blesbok. Due to budget cuts and the unpopularity of the species with visitors, they were phased-out of the collection. This section of the exhibit remains empty. In 2017 they received two baby cheetahs from the San Diego Zoo. Cheetahs are now part of their animal encounter programs."Unique Experiences" {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180219090601weblink |date=February 19, 2018}}. Bronx Zoo. Wildlife Conservation Society. Retrieved February 19, 2018. They were replaced by the hyenas.WEB,weblink Denver Zoo Gives Pair of Hyenas to Bronx Zoo, The New York Times, Jennifer, Lee, August 6, 2009, March 5, 2016, October 27, 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20151027015630weblink">weblink live,

Big Bears

Big Bears features four bears, a male grizzly bear and three ABC Islands bears rescued as orphans from Baranof Island of Alaska.WEB,weblink Bronx Zoo Welcomes Bear Cubs, NBC New York, February 29, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160302225628weblink">weblink March 2, 2016, dead, Until 2015, two female grizzly bears named Betty and Veronica also lived in this exhibit, but moved to the Central Park Zoo where they died in 2020 and 2021.WEB,weblink Central Park's New Bears Will Be Bronx Zoo Grizzly Bears, Gothamist, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160326073949weblink">weblink March 26, 2016, The zoo also formerly housed polar bears until the last individual, a 26-year-old male named Tundra died in December 2017.WEB, Bronx Zoo's last polar bear euthanized due to health issues, December 28, 2017,weblink Three dholes from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park were added to the habitat in 2019.WEB, Bronx Zoo Debuts Pack of Endangered Dhole,weblink

Gelada Reserve

File:Spinus-gelada-2014-11-n020631-w.jpg|thumb|GeladaGeladaGelada Reserve, originally called Baboon Reserve, opened in 1990. It is a two-acre recreation of the Ethiopian highlands which, at the time of its opening, was the largest primate exhibit in the United States.WEB,weblink Baboon Reserve, Bronx Zoo, May 31, 2010, January 16, 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150116041944weblink">weblink live, The exhibit's main features revolve around the zoo's troop of geladas such as artificial rocks and earthbanks, and displays about life in the highlands and the side-by-side evolution of humans and geladas. Visitors can watch the geladas from multiple viewpoints along with Nubian ibex and rock hyrax, all of which are mixed together in the hilly enclosure. An African village-styled café overlooks the exhibit. Baboon Reserve won the AZA Exhibit Award in 1991.WEB,weblink ZooLex Exhibit, January 20, 2019,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160305123056weblink">weblink March 5, 2016, dead, In the fall of 2014, a male gelada was born at the zoo, the first in over 13 years, and was the only zoo in the US to display them until the San Diego Zoo in 2017 received their gelada troop for their Africa Rocks exhibit. WEB,weblink WCS's Bronx Zoo Debuts First Gelada Baboon Born in NYC in 13 years, March 2, 2016, March 6, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160306215605weblink">weblink live, WEB,weblink Gelada Baboon – San Diego Zoo Animals, March 2, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160401035909weblink">weblink April 1, 2016, dead,

Himalayan Highlands

Himalayan Highlands, which opened on June 27, 1986,NEWS,weblink Bronx Zoo's Airborne Heralds of Spring, April 11, 1986, The New York Times, February 6, 2017, October 5, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20161005111821weblink">weblink live, recreates the Himalayas region of Asia. The exhibit is known for its highly naturalistic look and use of the hilly and rocky terrain found in that portion of the zoo. The stars of the exhibit are the zoo's multiple snow leopards. The exhibit also is home to red pandas and white-naped cranes. In 2006, the zoo brought in a male snow leopard named Leo from Pakistan after he was orphaned at around two months old.WEB,weblink Pakistan's First Lady welcomes snow leopard to Bronx Zoo – Big Cat Rescue, Big Cat Rescue, September 29, 2006, February 29, 2016, March 5, 2016,weblink live, Leo sired a male cub on April 9, 2013. The cub is one of more than 70 snow leopards born at the zoo, which was the first U.S. zoo to exhibit the species in 1903. Leo later became a grandfather when his son sired a female cub in 2017.WEB,weblink Snow leopard cub with storybook beginnings makes debut at Bronx Zoo, Danika Fears, TODAY.com, August 27, 2013, February 29, 2016, March 5, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160305080926weblink">weblink live,

Madagascar!

(File:Bronx zoo, New York, USA (48713798146).jpg|thumb|Lemur at the zoo)Madagascar!, which opened on June 20, 2008, recreates various habitats found on the island of Madagascar and contains a variety of wildlife from the island, including lemurs, lesser hedgehog tenrecs, fossas, Nile crocodiles, radiated tortoises, greater vasa parrots and highly endangered cichlids.WEB,weblink Madagascar, Bronx Zoo, May 31, 2010, May 21, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100521053906weblink">weblink live, Ring-tailed lemurs, collared lemurs, red ruffed lemurs, crowned lemurs, and Coquerel's sifakas are the lemur species held in the exhibit. Madagascar! holds the first two ring-tailed mongoose in the United States and is home to over 100,000 Madagascar hissing cockroaches that can be named for $10 around Valentine's Day.WEB,weblink Name a Roach – Bronx Zoo, March 3, 2016, January 26, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160126011229weblink">weblink live, The exhibit has multiple educational displays focusing on the many threats to the survival of these species as well as the WCS's conservation work in Madagascar. The building was converted from the former Lion House, which had opened in 1903 and closed by the late 1980s. The exhibit also has tomato frogs.

Mouse House

The Mouse House is a small building home to various species of small mammals, particularly rodents. The building features both diurnal and nocturnal areas and a row of outdoor cages which, during the summer months, are home to a variety of small primates, many of which are former monkey house inhabitants. Species include short-eared elephant shrews, eastern spiny mice, western spotted skunks, fennec foxes, Senegal bushbabies, Damaraland mole-rats and long-tailed chinchillas.

Aquatic Bird House

File:寻觅食物.jpg|thumb|left|American flamingoAmerican flamingoThe current Aquatic Bird House opened on September 24, 1964, on the foundation of the original house, which was opened on November 8, 1899, with the rest of the zoo. The building features a multitude of mostly open-fronted enclosures mainly focusing on coastal and wetland habitats and the species that rely on them.WEB,weblink Happy 50th to the (New) Aquatic Birds House!, September 23, 2014, February 29, 2016, March 5, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160305051604weblink">weblink live, Scarlet ibises, roseate spoonbills, anhingas, boat-billed herons and Madagascar crested ibises are among the residents here. The exhibit also features an outdoor pond home to a flock of American flamingos and a large aviary home to greater and lesser adjutants.The zoo is one of only three zoos in North America working with the endangered storks and has bred them several times, including the hatching of two chicks on June 27 and August 15, 2015.WEB,weblink Lesser Adjutant Storks At WCS's Bronx Zoo Foster Abandoned Egg and Raise Chick As Their Own, February 29, 2016, March 6, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160306074251weblink">weblink live, The Aquatic Bird House is also home to another endangered stork species: the Storm's stork. The zoo is one of only two in the United States working with this species; the other being the San Diego Zoo. In May 2014, the zoo opened a new nocturnal enclosure for a North Island brown kiwi in the building,WEB,weblink Northern Brown Kiwi at the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo, February 29, 2016, August 22, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160822070832weblink">weblink live, and in May 2015, a colony of Australian little penguins from the Taronga Zoo were added.WEB,weblink Little Penguins Make a Big Splash – Bronx Zoo, February 29, 2016, March 7, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160307065701weblink">weblink live,

Russell B. Aitken Sea Bird Aviary

File:Guanay Cormorant at Bronx Zoo.jpg|thumb|A (guanay cormorant]] in the Sea Bird Aviary: The zoo is the last to hold the species outside of South America.)The Russell B. Aitken Sea Bird Aviary, which opened on May 17, 1997, is a huge walk-through aviary designed to resemble the Patagonian coast. The aviary stands at 60-feet high, occupies 615,000 cubic feet, is supported by five steel arches, and netted with a stainless steel mesh. The aviary was built to replace the original De Jur Aviary that opened with the zoo in 1899 and collapsed in a snowstorm in February 1995.NEWS,weblink Penguins and Friends Get New Home in Bronx, May 18, 1997, The New York Times, February 6, 2017, September 1, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160901031425weblink">weblink live, The exhibit's height and open space allows the residents to soar around above visitor's heads and the fake sea cliff walls allows for more natural nesting and roosting behavior. The aviary is home to about 100 birds, most being Inca terns, but also a small colony of Magellanic penguins, grey gulls, and brown pelicans. The aviary was also home to the last guanay cormorant in captivity outside of South America. In April 2014, four Peruvian pelicans were added to the exhibit,WEB,weblink Peruvian Pelicans Join the Flock in the Russell B. Aitken Sea Bird Colony At the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo, February 29, 2016, March 4, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160304155321weblink">weblink live, and in January 2015, a pair of ruddy-headed geese were added.WEB,weblink A Rare Pair – Wild View, March 3, 2016, March 11, 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150311204247weblink">weblink live,

Tiger Mountain

(File:Tiger Bronx Zoo 2.JPG|thumb|A male Siberian tiger at the zoo)Tiger Mountain, which opened on May 15, 2003, is a three-acre exhibit which features Amur tigers and occasionally Malayan tigers, who are usually kept off-exhibit. The exhibit has two enclosures with glass viewing, the second of which has a 10,000 gallon pool with underwater viewing. Outside of the tigers, the exhibit has multiple interactive displays designed to educate visitors on behavioral enrichment and on the zoo's/WCS' ex-situ and in-situ conservation.The exhibit won the AZA Exhibit Award in 2004.WEB,weblink ZooLex Exhibit, January 20, 2019,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160305122657weblink">weblink March 5, 2016, dead, The zoo has had good breeding successful with both subspecies of tiger, having bred both in 2010.WEB,weblink Twice the Tiger Triplets at the Bronx Zoo!, ZooBorns, February 29, 2016, March 7, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160307065627weblink">weblink live, Another set of Siberian tiger cubs were born in 2012,WEB,weblink Tiger Triplets debut at Bronx Zoo, ZooBorns, February 29, 2016, March 7, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160307071211weblink">weblink live, and a pair of Malayan tiger cubs were born in 2016.WEB,weblink So cute! Meet the new tiger cubs at the Bronx Zoo, April 30, 2016, May 6, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160506210818weblink">weblink live, One of the tiger cubs named Nadia tested positive for COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, but have since recovered from the disease.WEB, Peltz, Jennifer, Tiger at NYC's Bronx Zoo tests positive for coronavirus,weblink ABC News, April 5, 2020, April 5, 2020, June 4, 2020,weblink live, Across from the entrance to Tiger Mountain, a large herd of Père David's deer and a pair of whooper swans can be found.

World of Birds

File:Maleo at Bronx Zoo.jpg|thumb|MaleoMaleoWorld of Birds, which originally opened in 1972, is an indoor bird house spanning two floors and featuring several walk-through aviaries. The building closed for repairs and upgrades in the summer of 2010,WEB,weblink World of Birds, Bronx Zoo, May 31, 2010, May 31, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100531062618weblink">weblink live, and reopened the following year. The exhibit has multiple educational displays focusing on deforestation and the illegal wildlife trade and their affects on wild bird populations. The most prominent residents of the exhibit include the maleos,WEB,weblink These Chicks Are Not of the Easter Basket Variety, The New York Times, Emily S., Rueb, March 19, 2013, March 2, 2016, October 27, 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20151027071220weblink">weblink live, a pair of knobbed hornbills, Andean cock-of-the-rocks, Nicobar pigeons, southern bald ibises, ocellated turkeys, Cuban amazons, and white-throated bee-eaters. Emus can be found in an outdoor yard. In mid-2009, the zoo's hand-reared pair of great blue turacos successfully raised chicks, the first known instance of a hand-reared pair doing so.WEB,weblink Blue Turacos Make History at WCS's Bronx Zoo, March 2, 2016, March 6, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160306225820weblink">weblink live, In March 2013, three maleo chicks hatched at the zoo, bringing their total number of birds to 12. The zoo, along with the WCS, works toward preserving this species in the wild as well.

World of Reptiles

World of Reptiles has been an attraction at the zoo since it first opened. The building's first curator was Raymond Lee Ditmars, who had kept 45 snakes in his attic before being hired at the zoo.WEB,weblink How an amateur snake hunter helped create the Bronx Zoo — in his attic, June 21, 2015, New York Post, January 28, 2018, December 8, 2017,weblink live, The exhibit is a long hall with various terrariums situated on both sides. The exhibit also features a nursery area, which exhibits newborn herptiles born at the zoo, as well as a window into the off-show breeding and caring facilities. In the building, the zoo breeds and exhibits a wide range of species, including American alligators, blue iguanas, Cuban crocodiles, dyeing poison dart frogs, eyelash vipers, Fly River turtles, giant musk turtles, green anacondas, hellbenders, Milos viper, king cobras and Philippine sailfin lizards. The building also is home to the zoo's breeding population of Kihansi spray toads, which the zoo saved from extinction.IUCN, IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group, 2015, Nectophrynoides asperginis, 2015, e.T54837A16935685, 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T54837A16935685.en, November 11, 2021, {{Dead link|date=September 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}} On March 25, 2011, an Egyptian cobra escaped from its off-show enclosure, during which time the exhibit was closed to the public. Six days later, the animal was found elsewhere in the building. The zoo named the cobra MIA (Missing In Action) and placed it on exhibit.WEB,weblink Missing Bronx Zoo Egyptian Cobra Finally Captured, Marla, Diamond, March 31, 2011, April 1, 2011, April 3, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110403034742weblink">weblink live,

Pheasant Aviary

File:Palawan Peacock Pheasant - male.jpg|thumb|Male Palawan peacock-pheasantPalawan peacock-pheasantThe Pheasant Aviary is a long row of cages home to a large variety of bird species, particularly pheasants. Exhibited species include Elliot's pheasant, Lady Amherst's pheasant, Cabot's tragopan, blue eared-pheasant, mountain peacock-pheasant, Mérida helmeted curassow, Swinhoe's pheasant, Java peafowl, eastern loggerhead shrike (Lanius ludovicianus migrans), white-throated ground-dove, Lord Derby's parakeet, Montezuma oropendola and yellow-crested cockatoo.

Birds of Prey

Birds of Prey is a row of cages for multiple raptor species. The exhibit is home to bald eagles, burrowing owls, snowy owls, an Andean condor, cinereous vultures and king vultures. In February 2011, the zoo received two bald eagles rescued in Wyoming.WEB,weblink Bald eagles find home at Bronx Zoo, New York Daily News, Daily News, February 11, 2011, March 1, 2016, March 12, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160312134410weblink">weblink live, Nearby is a small pond for black-necked swans, American white pelicans and brown pelicans.

Zoo Center

(File:Bronx Zoo Center vc.jpg|thumb|The Zoo Center)The Zoo Center, built in 1908, is a one-story Beaux-Arts building located in Astor Court. The exhibit houses blue tree monitors, Mertens' water monitors and spiny-tailed monitors indoors and has both indoor and outdoor enclosures for Komodo dragons, Aldabra giant tortoises and southern white rhinoceros.WEB,weblink Dragons Return to the Bronx Zoo, May 24, 2014, The New York Times, February 6, 2017, August 27, 2017,weblink live, The building's animal frieze was carved by A. P. Proctor. In 2000, the building was landmarked.WEB,weblink History of the Bronx Zoo: NYC Parks, April 13, 2016, April 7, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160407100632weblink">weblink live, The building is east of the Children's Zoo and south of Madagascar!.WEB,weblink Zoo Center - Bronx Zoo, May 1, 2016, April 12, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160412174648weblink">weblink live, The building was originally designed as the zoo's Elephant House and has held all three elephant species over its history.WEB,weblink The Bronx Zoo's Loneliest Elephant, June 28, 2015, The New York Times, February 6, 2017, November 6, 2017,weblink live, The building has also been home to various rhinoceros species, hippopotamus, Bactrian camel, Malayan tapir and North Sulawesi babirusa. The building also held Rapunzel, one of the few Sumatran rhinos held in U.S. zoos, until her death in 2005.NEWS,weblink Rapunzel the Rhino is Mourned in Bronx, The New York Times, December 24, 2005, Newman, Andy, February 6, 2017, December 8, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20171208122539weblink">weblink live,

Bison Range

The Bison Range is in the northeast corner of the zoo,WEB,weblink American Bison, Bronx Zoo, May 1, 2016, April 18, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160418003517weblink">weblink live, and has been a feature of the zoo since its opening, having been only renovated since 1971. The range initially served to breed Plains bison, who were in danger of becoming extinct in the United States. The exhibit is one of the few large herds of bison in U.S. zoos. In 1913, at the behest of the American Bison Society, fourteen bison were transported from the range to Montana's National Bison Range, as well as to Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota.WEB,weblink Marking the 100-year Anniversary of Historic Transfer of Bison from the Bronx Zoo to Wind Cave National Park, Wildlife Conservation Society, National Geographic (blogs), April 13, 2016, April 5, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160405090708weblink">weblink dead,

Northern Ponds

(File:Swan (51203129280).jpg|thumb|Swan wading through one of the many ponds)Northern Ponds is a series of naturalistic ponds home to a variety of waterfowl and other aquatic birds both wild and captive. Captive residents include black-necked cranes, red-breasted geese, lesser white-fronted geese, ruddy ducks, barnacle geese, mute swans and trumpeter swans. A wide variety of wild bird species can also be found in the ponds, including several native ducks such as mallards and mergansers, as well as other birds such as black-capped night-herons.

Mitsubishi Riverwalk

The Mitsubishi Riverwalk is a path that curves around the Bronx River, on the opposite bank from the zoo. It opened in 2004 upon the completion of a cleanup project on the river. The walkway was funded by Mitsubishi International Corporation FoundationWEB,weblink Zoo Gets Riverwalk Unveils Free New Nature Pathway, Bob Kappstatter, April 16, 2004, Daily News, April 12, 2016, April 23, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160423215931weblink">weblink live, and protects {{cvt|15|acre|ha}} of Bronx River watershed.WEB,weblink 2012 Bronx River Riparian Invasive Plant Management Plan, New York City Department of Parks & Recreation Natural Resources Group, January 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160421214020weblink">weblink April 21, 2016,

Paid exhibits and attractions

One admission to a premium exhibit costs between $12 and 14 per person per exhibit if paid separately. The fee for unlimited admission grants the ticket holder free access to all attractions for that day. Family memberships include full access.WEB,weblink Tickets, Bronx Zoo, September 18, 2020, May 31, 2022,weblink live, There are nine premium exhibit attractions:

• Bug Carousel
• Butterfly Garden
• Children's Zoo
• Congo Gorilla Forest
• JungleWorld
• Wild Asia Monorail
• Zoo Shuttle
• Nature Trek

The Treetop Adventure Climb and Zipline requires a different fee and is not part of the admission fee online. Thus, it is not included in the park ticket or in any membership.Budgie Landing is an exhibit featuring of 1,000 budgerigars which opened on May 27, 2023.WEB, Weaver, Shaye, 2023-05-24, You can now be immersed in a thousand colorful birds at the Bronx Zoo,weblink 2024-01-21, Time Out New York, Unlike premium attractions and exhibits, Budgie Landing requires all visitors pay a small entrance fee ($5 for regular guests and $3 for members). A complementary feeding stick is handed out with admission.WEB, Budgie Landing,weblink 2024-01-21, Bronx Zoo,

Bug Carousel

The Bug Carousel has seats shaped like insects. Installed in 2005, it has an annual ridership of 540,000 as of 2014.WEB,weblink The Carousel Works – Bronx Zoo, October 7, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141026073531weblink">weblink October 26, 2014, dead,

Butterfly Garden

(File:Bronx Zoo - NY - USA - panoramio (30).jpg|thumb|Butterfly Garden)This permanent structure is an indoor butterfly conservatory which lets visitors walk through gardens and meadows and watch the butterflies up close.WEB,weblink Butterfly Garden, Bronx Zoo, May 31, 2010, January 16, 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150116032346weblink">weblink live, Built and inaugurated in mid-1996, the attraction is a 170-foot-long maze, where "visitors can walk through the stages of a monarch's metamorphosis" with a greenhouse in the middle hosting 44 species and over 1,000 butterflies; the greenhouse is really "a plastic tent on an aluminum frame".The structure, costing $500,000, is the precursor for a future permanent House of Invertebrates in the Monkey House near the Fordham Road entrance. Many species come from the New York metropolitan area, and all species of butterflies and moths are from around the continent.If not successful, the Oklahoma City Zoo would have purchased it in September 1997.Exhibits Aflutter At the Bronx Zoo;Butterfly Tent Will Allow Visitors To Mingle With Winged Residents {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160901031215weblink |date=September 1, 2016}}, The New York Times. By Douglas Martin. Published: May 23, 1996

Children's Zoo

The original Children's Zoo in the Bronx Zoo opened in 1941 with a nursery-rhyme theme; in 1981, a new Children's Zoo opened, and was instantly successful, seeing almost 250,000 visitors in two months. It closed for renovations in 2013;WEB,weblink Support the Children's Zoo, October 7, 2014, October 12, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141012073501weblink">weblink live, it reopened on May 30, 2015, with new exhibits featuring giant anteaters, pudús, Linne's two-toed sloth, squirrel monkeys, Asian small-clawed otters, prairie dogs, fennec foxes, Nubian goats, zebus, alpacas, sheep, donkeys, chickens, ducks, pigs, geese and domestic turkeys.WEB,weblink Bronx Zoo poised to reopen Children's Zoo with new animals: Giant anteater, pudu and more, Sheila Anne Feeney, May 27, 2015, am New York, July 4, 2015, July 6, 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150706010852weblink">weblink live,

Congo Gorilla Forest

(File:Bronx Zoo 044.JPG|thumb|Congo gorillas)(File:Gorilla bronx zoo anagoria.JPG|thumb|An adult male silverback)In the southwestern part of the zoo, Congo Gorilla Forest is a {{cvt|6.5|acre|ha|adj=on}} rainforest that is home to the 20 or so western lowland gorillas in the zoo. Angolan colobus, Wolf's guenons, pygmy marmosets and mandrills also call this area home. Visitors walk through the area and can also view it from treetop lookouts.WEB,weblink Congo Gorilla Forest, Bronx Zoo, May 31, 2010, January 11, 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150111091037weblink">weblink live, The Congo Gorilla Forest was opened in 1999 and was visited 7,000,000 times {{as of|2009|lc=yes}}.WEB,weblink Bronx Zoo's gorilla exhibit celebrates 10th anniversary, Daily News, July 5, 2009, October 7, 2014, October 12, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141012082526weblink">weblink live, In one of the largest breeding groups of western lowland gorillas in North America, the exhibit has two troops of gorillas, for a total of 19 gorillas. Since 1999, 14 gorillas, 23 red river hogs, 11 Wolf's guenons, and four okapis have been born in the exhibit. There is also an 8-minute film in the middle of the exhibit, as well as viewing points throughout. In total, there are about 400 animals from 55 species. Over $10.6 million for conservation of Central African habitats has been collected in donations since the exhibit's opening,WEB,weblink Africa - WCS.org, October 7, 2014, July 16, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140716065534weblink">weblink live, and the exhibit has netted $12.5 million in exhibit fees {{as of|2014|lc=yes}}.WEB,weblink Pair of baby gorillas born at Bronx Zoo, first in 8 years, Daily News, April 24, 2014, October 7, 2014, October 12, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141012082523weblink">weblink live, WEB,weblink Bronx Zoo: Congo Gorilla Forest Exhibit, Martha Stewart, October 7, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141012023538weblink">weblink October 12, 2014, dead,

JungleWorld

This exhibit is an indoor tropical jungle and home to nearly 800 speciesWEB,weblink JungleWorld, May 19, 2014, October 7, 2014, January 15, 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150115001637weblink">weblink live, including Asian small-clawed otters, Javan lutungs, silvery lutungs, northern white-cheeked gibbons, Matschie's tree-kangaroos, gharials, Amur leopards, pygmy slow loris, greater mouse deer and Malayan tapirs, living in mangroves and on the beaches. Visitors can watch the gibbons swinging or singing and watch the otters play. The exhibit includes species that are usually on the jungle floor including stag beetles, scorpions and fire-bellied toads, but behind glass. A pond with a waterfall lets visitors sit and observe gourami and Fly River turtles.WEB,weblink JungleWorld, Bronx Zoo, May 31, 2010, January 15, 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150115001637weblink">weblink live, File:Trachypithecus cristatus at the Bronx Zoo 001.jpg|thumb|left|Silvery lutungSilvery lutungPlanning for JungleWorld, in the southeastern Wild Asia portion of the zoo, was started in 1977 and completed at a cost of $9.5 million in June 1985. $4.1 million in funds were donated by Enid A. Haupt, a member of the New York Zoological Society's board of trustees. The building is the largest at the zoo with an area of {{cvt|1|acre|m2}} and a height of {{cvt|55|ft|m}}. There is a wooden path that meanders for {{cvt|0.13|mi|m}}.The building's design integrates its environment with the path, as no bars are present in the building; the walkway has no full-height barriers and short railings; and only by means of ravines, streams, or cliffs are most of the animals separated from people and each other. There is a volcanic scrub forest, a mangrove swamp, a lowland evergreen rain forest with giant trees which merges into a mountain rain forest and five museum-like galleries connecting and explaining the habitats.NEWS, Gold, Gerald, May 26, 1985,weblink A Jungle in the Bronx, The New York Times Magazine,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170519051439weblink">weblink May 19, 2017, The building was built to emphasize the fact that {{cvt|150|acre|ha}} of rainforest is lost every minute.Bazell, R. (Reporter), & Garrels, A. (Anchor). (July 22, 1985). Indoor Rainforest Opens at The Bronx Zoo. [Television series episode]. NBC Today Show. Retrieved fromweblink {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141011075631weblink |date=October 11, 2014}}

Wild Asia Monorail

(File:Bronx Zoo Monorail 2011 vc.jpg|thumb|The Monorail)The monorail was inaugurated in 1977 with the rest of the formerly underdeveloped Wild Asia section of the zoo. There are six 9-car monorails on this {{cvt|1.6|mi|km}} ride, originally built by Rohr; the ride was refurbished in 2007.WEB,weblink Archived copy, October 7, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141027063418weblink">weblink October 27, 2014, dead, Some animals in the zoo can only be seen on this ride such as tigers, Przewalski's horses, Indian rhinoceros, Indian elephants, red pandas, and a plethora of even-toed ungulates such as axis deer, barasingha, blackbuck, gaurs, brow-antlered deer, babirusas, sambar deer, nilgai, red muntjacs, hog deer, Formosan sika deer, tufted deer, Himalayan tahrs and markhors.WEB,weblink Bronx Zoo, nycgovparks.org, New York City, May 31, 2010, September 19, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110919014937weblink">weblink live, This ride takes visitors through a {{cvt|40|acre|ha|adj=on}} area that recreates the mud wallows and pastures, forests and riverbanks of Asia. Visitors will see tigers, Indian elephants, rhinos and wild horses in their natural habitats. As the monorail travels along the Bronx River, visitors can see native animals including egrets, turtles, and ducks. The monorail is accessible for wheelchairs up to 26 inches (66 cm) wide. Smaller chairs are available at the monorail platform for visitors with wider wheelchairs or motorized scooters.WEB,weblink Wild Asia Monorail, Bronx Zoo, May 31, 2010, January 11, 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150111173136weblink">weblink live,

Nature Trek

Nature Trek opened on July 1, 2017, in the southeast portion of the park near Wild Asia. It consists of twelve covered rope bridgesNEWS,weblink The Bronx Zoo's wild zipline and ropes course will make a monkey out of you, June 2, 2017, Metro US, July 16, 2017, August 3, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170803130227weblink">weblink live, connecting small porches on the sides of towers.WEB,weblink NYC's Bronx Zoo Adds Zip-Line, Ropes Course, and Nature Trek to the Wildlife Experience, July 7, 2017, Untapped Cities, July 16, 2017, July 7, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170707192740weblink">weblink live, NEWS,weblink Zip-line 50 feet over a river at the new Bronx Zoo Treetop Adventure, Pulos, Will, May 31, 2017, Time Out New York, July 16, 2017, August 3, 2017,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Bronx Zoo launches new aerial attractions, Cusano, Arthur, July 15, 2017, Bronx Times, July 16, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170716041003weblink">weblink July 16, 2017, live, There are also elevated tunnels and a large overlook, as well as several small challenges resembling American Ninja Warrior obstacles. On the ground is a play area with a sandbox, water sprinklers and structures, and branches.WEB,weblink Nature Trek, Bronx Zoo,weblink August 3, 2017, dead, July 16, 2017, Nature Trek is partially wheelchair-accessible and contains ramps of varying difficulties. This attraction discourages visitors who are wearing footwear such as flip-flops; high heels are prohibited. As part of a push for environmental sustainability, some parts of the attraction are made of black locust, and the structures use existing trees within the forest.

Bronx Zoo Treetop Adventure

The Treetop Adventure section opened on July 7, 2017, in the northeast portion of the park near Bronx River Parking. It consists of seven different levels of rope courses: two each of beginner, intermediate, and advanced, and one expert course. There is also a {{cvt|400|ft|m|adj=on}} zip-line course traversing {{cvt|50|ft|m}} the Bronx River in both directions. The attraction also contains rope and swinging bridges, ladders and rolling and swinging objects. Separate from the rest of the zoo, it charges its own entry fee;WEB,weblink FAQs, Treetop Adventure,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170713084255weblink">weblink July 13, 2017, dead, July 16, 2017, the fee is only applied to those who are climbing on the objects or using the zip-line. Open year-round, the attraction prohibits riders who are less than 7 years old and less than {{cvt|50|lb|kg}}, or more than {{cvt|275|lb|kg}}.

Dinosaur Safari

Dinosaur Safari takes visitors on a safari ride through a normally off-exhibit 2-acre wooded area and features animatronic dinosaurs from throughout time, starting at 300-million-years ago in the Permian Period and ending 235-million-years later in the Cretaceous Period. The ride lasts approximately 20 minutes. The "robo-saurs" are manufactured by Billings Productions, who lease them out to sites all over the world. The exhibit features more popular species such as the Triceratops and Brachiosaurus, as well as less well-known species such as the Pachycephalosaurus. The ride's Dilophosaurus spit water at visitors as a nod to the species' acid-spitting abilities in Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park film and Michael Crichton's novel, even though there is no reason to believe the living animal did so.WEB,weblink See It: Dinosaur Safari debuts at Bronx Zoo this weekend, Barry Paddock, May 23, 2013, Daily News, March 2, 2016, March 5, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160305171013weblink">weblink live, WEB,weblink Dinosaurs rumble into Bronx Zoo, Tim O'Connor, March 25, 2014, Daily News, March 2, 2016, March 5, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160305155745weblink">weblink live, The exhibit originally ran through the summers of 2013 and 2014 and returned for the 2019 season.WEB,weblink They're back! Bronx Zoo offers a 'Dinosaur Safari', am New York, April 12, 2019, June 29, 2019, June 29, 2019,weblink live,

Former exhibits

World of Darkness

World of Darkness opened in 1969 and was the world's first major exhibit designed specifically to introduce the public to nocturnal animals such as the Chinese leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis chinensis), bay duiker, Pallas's long-tongued bat, spiny mouse, lesser mouse lemur, small spotted genet, lesser spear-nosed bats, spotted skunk, fat-tailed lemurs Jamaican fruit bat, Mohol bushbaby, cloud rat, Hoffman's two-toed sloth, rock cavy, pygmy slow loris, short-tailed bats, striped skunk, grey-legged night monkey, sand cat, Rodriguez flying fox, brush-tailed porcupine, broad-snouted caiman, sand boa and marine toad.ENCYCLOPEDIA,weblink Bronx Zoo, Encyclopædia Britannica, March 2, 2016, March 12, 2016,weblink live, Built by Morris Ketchum Jr. & Associates, the house was built where the zoo's Rocking Stone Restaurant stood until 1942. The exhibit used red-lights to dimly illuminate the enclosures within the windowless building. Like all nocturnal exhibits, the house ran on a reversed lighting schedule, which simulated night and day at opposite times to allow visitors to view nocturnal animals in a more naturalistic setting.WEB, Soter, Tim, April 30, 2009,weblink World of Darkness, Tim Soter... Blog., March 2, 2016, August 20, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160820010136weblink">weblink dead, Due to budget cuts and the high cost of running the exhibit, it was closed in 2009.

Rare Animal Range

Rare Animal Range was a trail which focused on highly endangered species. Featured species included guanaco, Formosan sika deer, pied ruffed lemurs and blue-eyed black lemurs.WEB,weblink Wild-Fired by the Zoo, April 24, 2009, New York Post, January 28, 2018, March 6, 2018,weblink live, WEB,weblink Bad Economy Causes Bronx Zoo to Evict Animals, Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted), March 2, 2016, March 6, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160306091236weblink">weblink live, The exhibit also had duplicate enclosures for the zoo's Arabian oryx, blesbok, Père David's deer and broad-snouted caiman as well as a large pond with a pair of small islands in the center which were home to a pair of golden-cheeked gibbons. Due to budget cuts and the unpopularity of many of the species, the zoo was forced to close the exhibit in 2009.While most of the species left the zoo when the exhibit closed, the Formosan sika deer were moved to the Wild Asia Monorail and the Père David's deer remained in their primary enclosure across from Tiger Mountain while the blue-eyed black lemurs were moved to Madagascar! where they are rotated with the Coquerel's sifakas. While no longer at the zoo, pied ruffed lemurs can still be seen at the zoo's partner institute, the Central Park Zoo.WEB,weblink Tropic Zone: The Rainforest – Central Park Zoo, March 2, 2016, March 3, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160303042906weblink">weblink live, The zoo's popular Dinosaur Safari ran through a part of this area and the zoo's yearly Run for the Wild event runs through its entirety.

Skyfari

(File:Bronx Zoo 005.jpg|thumb|Skyfari gondolas)The Skyfari was a popular gondola lift which transported visitors from the Zoo Center to the Asian Plaza, running over African Plains and several other popular exhibits at the zoo. The seasonal exhibit ran from April to October and rose {{cvt|60|to|100|ft}} feet in the air. With around 490,000 riders annually, the lift was the zoo's third most popular attraction after Congo Gorilla Forest and the Wild Asia Monorail. Despite its popularity, ticket sales for it were barely breaking-even and maintenance costs led to a loss of profit. On July 8, 2008, high winds and heat led to one of the cars derailing, which trapped thirty-six passengers for up to five hours.NEWS,weblink Dozens Stuck in Midair at the Bronx Zoo, Lee, Trymaine, July 10, 2008, The New York Times, June 29, 2019, Baker, Al, 0362-4331, October 7, 2019,weblink live, Due to this, along with heavy budget cuts, the ride was permanently closed in January 2009, after 35 years of operation.WEB,weblink Bronx Zoo to take down Skyfari, January 24, 2009, Daily News, June 28, 2019, August 17, 2019,weblink live,

Monkey House

The Monkey House, which first opened in 1901 and was originally named the Primate House, closed in late February 2012 after 111 years of operation.WEB,weblink Closing the Monkey House: The End of a Shared Experience, Krystal D'Costa, Scientific American Blog Network, February 29, 2016, December 8, 2017,weblink live, WEB,weblink Monkey House, Bronx Zoo, May 31, 2010, January 30, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120130201357weblink">weblink live, At the time of closing, it was home to cotton-top tamarins, white-faced sakis, Wied's marmosets, moustached tamarins, black-chinned emperor tamarins, Goeldi's monkeys and grey-handed night-monkeys, as well as Brazilian porcupines and Pallas's long-tongued bats. This was the building where Ota Benga spent most of his time during his stay at the zoo.Some of the primates that were in the now-closed exhibit have been moved to other parts of the zoo, such as the cotton-top tamarins now being found in World of Birds; others were sent to other New York City zoos, such as the sakis being moved to the Central Park Zoo. White-headed capuchins can still be seen in an outdoor cage behind the building.

Amazing Amphibians

Amazing Amphibians was a short-lived exhibition which opened in the zoo's Zoo Center in June 2008 and only remained for a few years. The exhibit featured several educational displays on amphibian conservation as well as a few terrariums containing several amphibian species. Highlight species included Chacoan horned frog, Puerto Rican crested toad, smooth-sided toad and common mudpuppyweblink{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}While none of these species are currently on-exhibit at the zoo, the Puerto Rican crested toads can be seen at the Central Park Zoo, which breeds this species for reintroduction back into Puerto Rico.WEB,weblink Overview: WAZA: World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, WAZA, March 2, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160306131639weblink">weblink March 6, 2016, dead,

4-D Theater

The 4-D Theater showed 4-D films with the help of 3-D film and built-in sensory effects, including moving seats, wind, mist, and scents.WEB,weblink 4-D Theater – Bronx Zoo, March 1, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160304210011weblink">weblink March 4, 2016, dead, Produced by SimEx-Iwerks, the theater showed condensed versions of popular children's movies. The 4-D Theater previously showed (Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs) , one episode of Dora the Explorer, Rio and Storks. It closed in 2019 and was replaced with a giraffe encounter where guests can feed the giraffes for a fee.

The Most Dangerous Animal in the World

File:Bronx Zoo exhibit.png|thumb|upright|The Most Dangerous Animal in the WorldThe Most Dangerous Animal in the WorldThe Most Dangerous Animal in the World exhibit debuted at the Bronx Zoo on April 26, 1963.NEWS, Zoo has 'Startling Exhibit',weblink April 20, 2022, Corpus Christi Times, April 27, 1963, April 21, 2022,weblink live, The exhibit was installed at the Great Apes House and it featured a statement about the danger humans pose.BOOK, Stange, Mary Zeiss, Woman the Hunter, 1997, Beacon Press, Boston, 978-0807046388, 212,weblink April 20, 2022, April 21, 2022,weblink live, The words: "The Most Dangerous Animal in the World" were printed in red on top of a cage.WEB, In 1963, the Bronx Zoo Had an Exhibit Called 'The Most Dangerous Animal in the World',weblink Rare (website), Rare, July 20, 2020, Rare Media LLC, April 20, 2022, April 21, 2022,weblink live, Behind the bars of the cage there was a mirror. The exhibit was reportedly still at the zoo in 1981.NEWS, Abisch, Barry, Brave New Zoo,weblink April 20, 2022, Suburbia Today, The Journal News, August 9, 1981, April 21, 2022,weblink live,

WCS's Run for the Wild

In April 2008, the zoo hosted the first Run for the Wild event. The event is a 5k run ({{cvt|5|km|mi}} long) organized by the Wildlife Conservation Society with the goal of raising money and awareness for their conservation programs of endangered species. Each year, there is a set entry fee for participants with varying prices depending on age; child (3–15), adult, and senior (65+). WCS Members get a discounted fee. Along with the entry fee, there is a $35 minimum donation per adult/senior participant. The event offers free prizes for donors, based on donation size, ranging from a Run for the Wild T-shirt to a special animal experience at the zoo. All donations are tax-deductible. All participants are also offered free all-day entry to the zoo and its paid exhibits/attractions. The yearly event takes place at the end of April and originally began at 8 am for those wishing to actually run, and 8:45 for those who wish to simply walk or jog; the start times were changed to 7 am and 7:45 am in later years.The event takes participants through the zoo before opening hours, starting at the Bronx River Parkway Entrance, through the Asian Plaza and African Plains, and ending by the Rockefeller Fountain near Astor Court. The trail also takes runners through the now-closed section of the zoo where the Rare Animal Range once stood. Each year, the event focuses on a specific endangered species or animal group to help raise funds for: 2009's run was for gorillas, 2010 focused on tigers, 2011 helped raise funds to protect the Punta Tombo peninsula of Argentina for Magellanic penguins, 2012 focused on lions, both 2013 and 2014 focused on elephants, 2015 once again was for gorillas, and 2016's run will allow participants to run on behalf of their favorite animal.See:

• WEB,weblink Presented by Con Edison: The WCS Run for the Wild 2012: Run to Save Lions, March 2, 2016, March 6, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160306220827weblink">weblink live,
• WEB,weblink Run for the Wild 2011!, ABC7 New York, March 2, 2016, March 3, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160303014333weblink">weblink live,
• WEB,weblink WCS Announces the 5th Annual WCS Run for the Wild at the Bronx Zoo, March 2, 2016, March 6, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160306215807weblink">weblink live,
• WEB,weblink Wildlife Conservation Society/Bronx Zoo Run For The Wild 2009 (2009) - AllSportCentral.com - Registration. Results. Relax., March 2, 2016, March 31, 2022,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20220331124537weblink">weblink live,
• WEB,weblink WCS's 'Run for the Wild' Takes Runners Around the World in Only Five Kilometers, March 2, 2016, March 6, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160306214457weblink">weblink live,
• WEB,weblink Run for the Wild Bronx Zoo, ABC7 New York, April 28, 2015, March 2, 2016, March 3, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160303014054weblink">weblink live, WEB,weblink Run for the Wild – Bronx Zoo, March 2, 2016, March 5, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160305100603weblink">weblink live,

In 2011, another WCS institute, the New York Aquarium, held its own Run for the Wild event for sea turtles in early October. The 5k run began at the aquarium and led down the Riegelmann Boardwalk on Coney Island.WEB,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160307133642weblink">weblink dead, March 7, 2016, WCS Run for the Wild at the New York Aquarium, WalkJogRun.net, The aquarium held a second run the following year for walruses.WEB,weblink Second Annual WCS Run for the Wild in Brooklyn is Dedicated to Saving Walruses and Other Wildlife, March 2, 2016, March 6, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160306214659weblink">weblink live, The event has not returned to the aquarium since.

Conservation

In 1905, the zoo's first director, William T. Hornaday, along with President Theodore Roosevelt and other conservationists, created the American Bison Society (ABS) in an attempt to save the American bison from extinction. The bison had been depleted from tens-of-millions of animals to only a few hundred by the end of the 19th century due to westward expansion. The society worked to breed the species in captivity as well as raise public awareness, raise money to create protected reserves, and reintroduce bison back into the wild. On October 11, 1907, the first reintroduction of bison began when the zoo sent six males and nine females, by rail, to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. Seven days later, the animals were successfully reintroduced to the park.WEB,weblink History of the Bison Herd – Wichita Mountains – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, March 1, 2016, February 20, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160220054417weblink">weblink live, By 1935, the society, who had successfully carried out several more reintroductions from bison kept in zoos and ranches, considered their work done and disbanded that year.In 2005, the Wildlife Conservation Society resurrected and re-purposed the ABS to, "help build the social and scientific foundations for the ecological restoration of bison", and, "restore bison ecologically, not just animals in pens but actual functioning animals in the larger landscape", (Keith Aune, WCS bison coordinator).WEB,weblink American Bison Society News and Updates, March 1, 2016, February 27, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160227194324weblink">weblink live, WEB,weblink Bison - WCS.org, March 1, 2016, March 10, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160310210015weblink">weblink live, According to a study published in 2012, virtually all wild and captive bison in the United States are hybrids with cattle genes, with the exception of the two distinct breeding populations within Yellowstone National Park and their descendants. The cattle genes entered the bison population due to private ranchers hybridizing their bison to make them more docile, with some of these animals being accidentally reintroduced by the ABS.WEB,weblink New research indicates hybrid bison may not be as fit as those without cattle genes, The Wildlife News, August 16, 2012, March 1, 2016, March 12, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160312131903weblink">weblink live, In response, in the fall of 2011, the WCS arranged for a herd of female bison originating from the American Prairie Reserve to be sent to the Colorado State University's Animal Reproduction & Biotechnology Laboratory to be used as surrogates in an attempt to transfer the fertilized embryos of genetically pure bison. After an ultrasound showed one female to be pregnant, the herd was moved to the zoo where, on June 20, 2012, the calf was born. The herd is kept in an off-exhibit section of the zoo and the goal is to eventually create a breeding herd of genetically pure bison through embryo transfers with the surrogate hybrid bison.WEB,weblink Bronx Zoo Announces Birth of the First Genetically Pure Bison Calf Ever Produced by Embryo Transfer, March 1, 2016, March 12, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160312131959weblink">weblink live, In 1981, the zoo successfully implanted a gaur embryo into a Holstein cow in an attempt to clone the endangered species.WEB,weblink In honor of its birthday, 110 things to know about the Bronx Zoo, Jacob E. Osterhout, November 13, 2009, Daily News, March 1, 2016, March 4, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160304112105weblink">weblink live, WEB,weblink Field & Stream, Unknown, March 1982, October 30, 2020, May 31, 2022,weblink live, In 1990, the zoo experienced a pest problem with the Canada goose. The park had become so over-crowded with the geese, that the zoo had to take action to decrease their numbers. Apart from their presence, the geese were very aggressive towards other birds and occasionally carried diseases into the park. To cope with the problem, the zoo hired a sharpshooter, who killed 19 geese. Zoo workers also destroyed 144 eggs found on the property. In 1991, the zoo employed a gentler method of sterilizing the birds.WEB,weblink Bronx Zoo Workers Killing Pesky Geese, Los Angeles Times, October 2, 1991, April 16, 2020, October 5, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20161005104640weblink">weblink live, In 2005, the zoo sent the frozen sperm of a male Indian rhinoceros to the Cincinnati Zoo where, four years later in 2009, it was thawed out and used in the first successful artificial insemination of the species when a calf was born in late 2010.WEB,weblink Cincinnati Zoo Prepares for World's First AI Indian Rhino Birth, The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, November 28, 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160313091648weblink">weblink March 13, 2016, dead, The calf did not survive long-term.In August 2006, the zoo adopted an orphaned snow leopard cub, named Leo. The 13-month-old cub was found stuck in mud following a landslide in Naltar Valley in Pakistan. The landslide had killed the cub's mother. A Pakistani shepherd in the area found the cub with its female sibling, but the female had died a week later due to malnutrition. He then handed over the male cub to Pakistani authorities to care for him. Since there are no captive breeding programs or rehabilitation centers for snow leopards in Pakistan, the authorities decided to send the cub to the Bronx Zoo. The cat will be returned to its place of birth following construction of a rehab facility in the Naltar Valley with cooperation from the United States.Bridges, William. Gathering of Animals: An Unconventional History of the New York Zoological Society. New York: Harper & Row, 1974.NEWS,weblink Pakistan snow leopard cub heads to Bronx, NBC News, Associated Press, August 8, 2006, May 31, 2010, October 17, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141017173847weblink">weblink live, WEB,weblink Endangered Leo bound for Bronx, dawn.com, Dawn, May 31, 2010, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090408081124weblink">weblink April 8, 2009, WEB,weblink Bronx Zoo Provides New Home for Pakistani Snow Leopard, america.gov, U.S. Department of State, May 31, 2010, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100829180212weblink">weblink August 29, 2010, On April 9, 2013, Leo sired a cub. He was the first cub of Leo.NEWS, Baby Snow Leopard Born at Bronx Zoo Is Now on Display,weblink The New York Times, August 26, 2013, Lisa W., Foderaro, August 26, 2013, August 28, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130828204827weblink">weblink live, In 2007, the zoo successfully reintroduced three Chinese alligators into the wild. In July 2009, the zoo announced that the reintroduced alligators had begun breeding naturally in the wild, producing 15 hatchlings. The breeding was a milestone in the zoo's 10-year effort to reintroduce the species to the Yangtze River in China.WEB,weblink Wildlife Extra News – Critically endangered Chinese alligators breeding in the wild after reintroduction, Powell Ettinger, February 29, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160306124627weblink">weblink March 6, 2016, dead, In January 2010, the zoo adopted four abandoned brown bear cubs. Three of the bears, two males and one female, were siblings born in 2009 and rescued from the ABC Islands in Alaska. The cubs were named Kootz, Denali, and Sitka. The fourth cub, a grizzly bear born in 2008, was rescued from Glacier National Park in Montana and named Glacier after the park. In 2015, two other rescued grizzly bears, who had been at the zoo since 1995, were sent to one of the zoo's partner institutions, the Central Park Zoo.The next month, an "assurance colony" of Kihansi spray toads was placed in the zoo. The species disappeared in their native Tanzania home.{{URLweblink|}}In February 2011, the zoo took in two bald eagles that were rescued in Wyoming. The 5-year-old male was found in 2008 and was believed to have been hit by a car. The 3-year-old female was believed to have been injured during a storm. The birds were taken in by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and sent to the Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey for evaluation and care, where it was decided they were unable to survive in the wild.In December 2012, five Chinese yellow-headed box turtles, a critically endangered species, were born.MAGAZINE,weblink The Neighborhood News, New York (magazine), New York, January 7, 2013, April 16, 2020, July 27, 2020,weblink live, In December 2015, the zoo rescued a juvenile Indian cobra which had stowed away on a cargo ship destined for New Jersey. The snake was found in poor condition being dehydrated, cold, and exposed to oil residue. The animal was brought to the zoo for recovery. It's unclear how the snake got onto the ship since it set out from Singapore, which is outside of the species' natural range.WEB,weblink Indian Cobra Found As Stowaway On Cargo Ship In NJ Taken To Bronx Zoo, CBS2 New York, December 18, 2015, February 29, 2016, March 6, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160306184158weblink">weblink live,

Incidents

Human fatality

On July 29, 1985, two female Siberian tigers killed 24-year-old animal keeper Robin Silverman after she entered their enclosure with a volunteer aide.NEWS, Flashback to death by Bronx Zoo tiger, Oren Yaniv,weblink Daily News, December 27, 2007, March 29, 2011, December 30, 2007,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20071230115608weblink">weblink dead, It was unclear why Silverman entered the enclosure; the zoo's general curator suspected a lapse in Silverman's concentration, while her family suspected a failure on the part of the zoo. It was the first and only human fatality in the zoo's history.NEWS, Death at the Bronx Zoo,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20071209182159weblink">weblink dead, December 9, 2007, Time (magazine), Time, April 18, 2005, March 29, 2011,

Non-human deaths

In the early 2000s, the zoo added a troop of Javan langurs to JungleWorld and mixed them with oriental small-clawed otters. The otters had previously mixed with other primate species in the enclosure without any problems. However, the new langurs made a habit of constantly bothering and attacking the otters. In June 2007 a group of otters grabbed a langur that was sitting at the water's edge and proceeded to overpower, then drown it in full view of visitors. A keeper on the viewing deck attempted to break up the fight by whistling and yelling at the otters, to no avail. After killing the langur, the otters left the body floating in the pool. It was later removed by keepers. Part of the incident was recorded and uploaded to YouTube.WEB,weblinkweblink November 18, 2021, live, Monkey Death at Bronx Zoo, June 14, 2007, YouTube, {{cbignore}}Soon after the incident, the otters were removed from the enclosure and given their own in the Children's Zoo and elsewhere in JungleWorld.{{citation needed|date=August 2019}}

Animal escapes

In 1902, a seven-month-old male jaguar broke out of his cage and escaped.In July 1957, a platypus named Penelope who had recently made headlines for faking a pregnancy disappeared, abandoning her mate Cecil. Zookeepers searched the premises but found no evidence of her.NEWS, 1957-09-18, ZOO MOURNS PENELOPE; Platypus Who Fled Ardent Mate 'Probably Dead', The New York Times,weblink 2023-05-13, 0362-4331, In February 1995, the zoo's De Jur Aviary collapsed during a snowstorm with about 100 seabirds, including Inca terns and gulls, inside. During the collapse, some of the residents flew off and escaped. In total, about 30 birds were lost.On March 26, 2011, the Bronx Zoo announced that World of Reptiles was closed after a venomous adolescent cobra was discovered missing from its off-exhibit enclosure on March 25. Zoo officials were confident the missing cobra would be found in the building and not outside, since the species is known to be uncomfortable in open areas.NEWS, Bronx Zoo Reptile House Closed After Poisonous Snake Goes Missing, Kevin Dolak,weblink ABC News, March 27, 2011, March 29, 2011, January 19, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120119023915weblink">weblink live, The missing snake quickly sparked a popular Twitter parody account, @BronxZoosCobra,WEB,weblink Bronx Zoo's Cobra, Twitter, March 30, 2011, March 29, 2011,weblink live, which narrated the daily hijinks of the cobra.WEB, Missing Bronx zoo cobra sparks Twitter following, Allen, Jonathan,weblink Reuters, March 30, 2011, March 30, 2011, March 31, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110331162036weblink">weblink live, On March 31, zoo authorities found the snake in a non-public area of the reptile house.NEWS, Missing Bronx Zoo Egyptian Cobra Finally Captured,weblink WCBS-TV, March 31, 2011, April 1, 2011, April 3, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110403034742weblink">weblink live, On May 9, 2011, a female green peafowl escaped from the zoo before being caught on May 11.NEWS, O'Connor, Anahad, Another Bronx Getaway, This Time Without the Scales,weblink The New York Times, August 12, 2011, May 10, 2011, May 18, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110518084321weblink">weblink live, On September 11, 2011, a lesser kudu escaped from its enclosure for about half an hour and then returned to its enclosure once a zoo worker opened the gate.NEWS, Paddock, Berry, Exotic Antelope Gets Big Break When Photographer Finds Her Loose at Bronx Zoo,weblink New York, Daily News, August 21, 2013, December 8, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20131208002800weblink">weblink live, On April 26, 2023, an Indian peafowl given the nickname Raul escaped from the zoo and reportedly bit a man, although those reports were never confirmed. Raul flew back into the zoo at 11:17am the next day.NEWS, Marcius, Chelsia Rose, Cruz, Liset, 2023-04-27, Escaped Peacock Returns to Bronx Zoo After a Night on the Loose,weblink 2024-01-21, The New York Times, 0362-4331,

Happy the Elephant

(File:Bronx Zoo NYC.jpg|thumb|Elephants at the zoo)In the early 1970s, seven Indian elephants, named after the Seven Dwarfs from Snow White, were captured as calves in Thailand and dispersed among multiple U.S. zoos and circuses. Two of those calves, named Grumpy and Happy, were brought to the zoo in 1977. Over the next 25 years, the pair lived together, separated from the zoo's other elephants. In July 2002, the zoo attempted to mix the pair with two females, Patty and Maxine. However, the introduction failed when Patty and Maxine attacked the pair and injured Grumpy. Over the next several months, the elephant's injuries worsened and, in October of that year, the zoo was forced to euthanize her. With her lifelong companion gone, Happy was paired with the zoo's younger female, Sammy, whose companion Tus had also died in 2002. The two got along very well until Sammy developed severe liver disease and was also euthanized in early 2006. This left Patty, Maxine, and Happy as the zoo's only remaining elephants.NEWS,weblink The Bronx Zoo's Loneliest Elephant, June 28, 2015, The New York Times, February 6, 2017, November 6, 2017,weblink live, Despite the fact that elephants are highly social animals, the zoo decided that making a second attempt at introducing Happy to the others was too risky, with there being too high a chance that she would be attacked. She has since lived without the company of other elephants. Due to this, the zoo has been criticized by multiple animal rights organizations for supposedly mistreating Happy. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) filed a formal complaint against the zoo with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), calling for them to strip the zoo of its accreditation. In Defense of Animals (IDA) has named the zoo the "Hall of Shame Winner" on their 2015, 2016, and 2017 'Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants'.WEB,weblink In Defense of Animals 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants 2015, April 29, 2016, May 9, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160509003103weblink">weblink live, IDA listed the zoo fourth on their 2012 list,WEB,weblink 2012 Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants - In Defense of Animals, April 29, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160512110934weblink">weblink May 12, 2016, dead, fifth on their 2013 and 2014 lists,Mosbergen, Dominique, "Bronx Zoo, Disney's Animal Kingdom Make List Of The '10 Worst Zoos For Elephants{{'"}} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905215411weblink |date=September 5, 2017}} Huffington Post, January 13, 2015WEB,weblink 2013 Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants - - In Defense of Animals, April 29, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160501232134weblink">weblink May 1, 2016, dead, and eighth on their 2009 list.WEB,weblink In Defense of Animals Releases 2009 "Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants" List, April 29, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160530183607weblink">weblink May 30, 2016, dead, The organizations, as well as many online petitions (some of which gain up to 200,000 supporters), have called on the zoo to send Happy to an elephant sanctuary. However, the zoo said that moving her at this stage in her life might be potentially traumatizing for her, and that she has very strong bonds with her keepers and is well-adjusted to the zoo, where she has spent well over thirty years of her life.WEB,weblink Jim Breheny: Hey, elephant lovers: Happy is happy, Jim Breheny, August 28, 2015, Daily News, March 3, 2016, December 26, 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20151226181315weblink">weblink live, In 2012, a reporter for the New York Post wrote that she is kept inside all year and in solitary confinement. The zoo claims that she and the other two elephants have equal access to outdoor yards, and that the three elephants have limited interactions with each other and extensive interactions with zoo keepers. All three animals share the same barn, but Happy lives in separate stalls and yards. In late 2018, one of the zoo's other elephants, Maxine, was euthanized due to complications with her liver and kidneys.WEB,weblink Maxine, 48-Year-Old Elephant, Euthanized At Bronx Zoo After Illness, November 20, 2018, CBS New York, July 18, 2020, July 19, 2020,weblink live, A lawsuit against the Bronx Zoo, stating that Happy was legally "a person with a right to be free", was dismissed in February 2020 by a judge of the Bronx County Supreme Court.WEB, Katersky, Aaron, Siding with Bronx Zoo, judge rules Happy the elephant is not a person,weblink ABC News, February 20, 2020, April 5, 2020, March 28, 2020,weblink live, However, in May 2021, the New York Court of Appeals agreed to hear the appeal, filed on behalf of Happy by the Nonhuman Rights Project.WEB, Gavin, Robert, NY's top court to consider 'personhood' of Happy the elephant, Times Union (Albany), Times Union, May 4, 2021,weblink May 5, 2021, May 5, 2021,weblink live, In June 2022, the Court of Appeals also ruled in favor of the zoo, saying in a 5–2 decision that the writ of habeas corpus did not apply to nonhuman animals.NEWS, Cohen, Luc, June 15, 2022, Happy the elephant is denied personhood, to stay at Bronx Zoo, Reuters,weblink June 16, 2022, WEB, June 14, 2022, Happy the elephant is not a person, New York's highest court rules,weblinkweblink dead, June 14, 2022, June 16, 2022, Animals,

Ota Benga

(File:Ota Benga at Bronx Zoo.jpg|thumb|upright|Ota Benga at the Bronx Zoo in 1906. Only five promotional photos exist of Benga's time here, none of them in the Monkey House; cameras were not allowed.BOOK, Bradford, Phillips Verner, Blume, Harvey, 1992, Ota Benga: The Pygmy in the Zoo, St. Martins Press, New York, 978-0-312-08276-5, {{rp|p=Photo insert}})In 1906, Ota Benga, a man from the Mbuti pygmy ethnic group, was brought to the zoo by the American businessman and explorer Samuel Phillips Verner, and displayed there as an exhibit; though he was allowed to roam the grounds freely. He became fond of an orangutan named Dohong, "the presiding genius of the Monkey House", who had been taught to perform tricks and imitate human behavior.{{rp|172–174}} The events leading to his "exhibition" alongside Dohong were gradual. Benga spent some of his time in the Monkey House exhibit, where the zoo encouraged him to hang his hammock and to shoot his bow and arrow at a target. On the first day of the exhibit, September 8, 1906, visitors found Benga in the Monkey House.NEWS,weblink The Scandal at the Zoo, August 6, 2006, The new resident of the Monkey House was, indeed, a man, a Congolese pygmy named Ota Benga. The next day, a sign was posted that gave Ota Benga's height as 4 feet 11 inches, his weight as 103 pounds and his age as 23. The sign concluded, 'Exhibited each afternoon during September.', The New York Times, Keller, Mitch, February 6, 2017, January 31, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170131174812weblink">weblink live, Soon, a sign on the exhibit read:{{Blockquote|The African Pigmy, "Ota Benga."Age, 23 years. Height, 4 feet 11 inches.Weight, 103 pounds. Brought from theKasai River, Congo Free State, SouthCentral Africa, by Dr. Samuel P. Verner.Exhibited each afternoon during September."Man and Monkey Show Disapproved by Clergy", The New York Times, September 10, 1906, pg. 1.}}Hornaday considered the exhibit a valuable spectacle for visitors; he was supported by Madison Grant, secretary of the New York Zoological Society, who lobbied to put Benga on-display alongside apes at the zoo. A decade later, Grant became prominent nationally as a racial anthropologist and eugenicist.{{rp|173–175}}African-American clergymen immediately protested to zoo officials about the exhibit. James H. Gordon said, "Our race, we think, is depressed enough, without exhibiting one of us with the apes ... We think we are worthy of being considered human beings, with souls." Gordon also thought the exhibit was hostile to Christianity and a promotion of Darwinism: "The Darwinian theory is absolutely opposed to Christianity, and a public demonstration in its favor should not be permitted." A number of clergymen backed Gordon.BOOK, Spiro, Jonathan Peter, Defending the Master Race: Conservation, Eugenics, and the Legacy of Madison Grant, University of Vermont Press, Burlington, VT, 2008, 43–51, 978-1-58465-715-6, {{Rp|47}} In defense of the depiction of Benga as a lesser human, an editorial in The New York Times suggested:{{Blockquote|We do not quite understand all the emotion which others are expressing in the matter ... It is absurd to make moan over the imagined humiliation and degradation Benga is suffering. The pygmies ... are very low in the human scale, and the suggestion that Benga should be in a school instead of a cage ignores the high probability that school would be a place ... from which he could draw no advantage whatever. The idea that men are all much alike except as they have had or lacked opportunities for getting an education out of books is now far out of date.{{Rp|48}}}}Benga was allowed to roam the grounds of the zoo. In response to the situation, as well as verbal and physical prods from the crowds, he became more mischievous and somewhat violent.BOOK, Smith, Ken, 1998, Raw Deal: Horrible and Ironic Stories of Forgotten Americans, Blast Books, Inc., New York, 978-0-922233-20-5, {{Rp|1=Chapter on Ota Benga}} Around this time, Rev. Dr. R. MacArthur of Calvary Baptist Church, was quoted in The New York Times saying: "It is too bad that there is not some society like the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. We send our missionaries to Africa to Christianize the people, and then we bring one here to brutalize him." Soon, the zoo removed Benga from the grounds.Quoted by NPR at From the Belgian Congo to the Bronx Zoo {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180218023934weblink |date=February 18, 2018}}, September 8, 2006, Retrieved May 29, 2015 Benga died by suicide in 1916 at the age of 32.BOOK, Evanzz, Karl, The Messenger: The Rise and Fall of Elijah Muhammad, 1999, Pantheon Books, New York, 9780679442608, In 2020, WCS apologized for the zoo's treatment of Benga and promotion of eugenics.NEWS, Jacobs, Julia, July 29, 2020, Racist Incident From Bronx Zoo's Past Draws Apology, The New York Times,weblink July 30, 2020, 0362-4331, July 30, 2020,weblink live,

Entrances (gates)

• Asia Gate (walk in) Boston Road
• Bronx River Parkway Gate (parking)
• Fordham Road Gate (parking)
• Southern Boulevard Gate (parking)

In popular culture

During the 1980s, some well known celebrities including British naturalist David Attenborough, Superman actor Christopher Reeve, and Muppets creator Jim Henson visited the Bronx Zoo for special programs, mostly dedicated to helping teenagers and children alike learn about animals.{{cn|date=May 2024}}In 2013, So What? Press published an issue of its comic series Tales of the Night Watchman, entitled "The Night Collector", about a coven of vampires that takes over the bat exhibit at the Bronx Zoo. A zookeeper who specializes in bats is put at odds with his co-worker when it is discovered that the woman of their mutual affection has been turned into a vampire. It was written by Dave Kelly and illustrated by Molly Ostertag.WEB,weblink Fanboy Comics – A Review of 'Tales of the Night Watchman: Volume 1 #2' and 'Tales of the Night Watchman Presents: The Night Collector' (New Hires and Nude Vampires), Bryant Dillon, Fanboy Comics President, September 18, 2013, February 29, 2016, March 6, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160306030623weblink">weblink live, In March 2016, Animal Planet announced plans to produce a docu-series about the zoo, titled The Zoo. The series premiered on February 18, 2017WEB,weblink Animal Planet Orders Bronx Zoo Docuseries, March 31, 2016, The Wrap, April 16, 2020, February 25, 2020,weblink live, and gained a second season in March 2018.NEWS,weblink Meet the stars of Animal Planet's 'The Zoo' season two, March 6, 2018, USA Today, March 13, 2018, March 13, 2018,weblink live,

Notable people

• E. R. Sanborn (1869–1947), first official photographer

References

{{Reflist|30em}}

External links

{{Commons category|Bronx Zoo}}{{Commons category|Historical images of the Bronx Zoo}}

• {{Official website}}
• Wildlife Conservation Society

{{Zoos of WCS}}{{Zoos of New York}}{{Protected areas of New York City}}{{Authority control}}