Brookfield Zoo
Encyclopedia
The Brookfield Zoo is zoo
located in the Chicago
suburb
of Brookfield, Illinois
. The zoo covers an area of 216 acres (87.4 ha) and houses around 450 species of animals.
Brookfield Zoo, also known as Chicago Zoological Park, opened on July 1, 1934, and quickly gained international recognition for using moat
s and ditches, instead of cages, to separate animals from visitors and from other animals. The zoo was also the first in America to exhibit giant pandas, one of which (Su Lin) has been taxidermied
and put on display in Chicago's Field Museum of Natural History
. In 1960, Brookfield Zoo built the nation's first fully indoor dolphin
exhibit, and in the 1980s the zoo introduced Tropic World, the first fully indoor rain forest simulation and the then-largest indoor zoo exhibit in the world.
The Brookfield Zoo is owned by the Cook County Forest Preserve District
and managed by the Chicago Zoological Society. The Society sponsors numerous research and conservation efforts globally.
In 1919, Edith Rockefeller McCormick
donated land she had received from her father as a wedding gift to the Cook County Forest Preserve District for development as a zoological garden. The district added 98 acres (396,592.3 m²) to that plot and in 1921, the Chicago Zoological Society was established. Serious construction did not begin until 1926, after a zoo tax was approved. Construction slowed during the Great Depression, but regained momentum by late 1931. Construction went on at an increased pace and the zoo opened on July 1, 1934. By the end of September 1934, over one million people had visited the new zoo; the four millionth visitor was just two years later.
The 1950s saw the addition of a veterinary hospital, a children's zoo, and the famous central fountain. The zoo went through a decline in the 1960s until a large bond issue from the Forest Preserve District, close attention to zoo governance and visitor services saw the zoo recreate itself as one of the nation's best. Tropic World, the then-largest indoor zoo exhibit in the world, was designed by French architect Pierre Venoa and opened in three phases (Africa, Asia, and South America) between 1982 and 1984.
In the past decade, the zoo has undergone significant capital upgrades, constructing the Regenstein Wolf Woods, the Hamill Family Play Zoo, butterfly tent, sheltered group catering pavilions, and the largest non-restored, hand-carved, wooden carousel
in the United States. Great Bear Wilderness, a new, sprawling habitat, opened in 2010. The interiors of several existing buildings were reconfigured into immersion exhibits, based upon ecosystems rather than by clade
s; these include The Swamp, the Fragile Rain Forest, Fragile Desert (the Sahara
desert of North Africa
) the Living Coast (the shores of Chile
and Peru
), the African Savanna
, and Australia
House.The Brookfield Zoo is also known for its majestic fountain named after the 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt. On some days the fountain's spouting water can reach up to 60 feet high.
, a 6.5 ton
bull elephant
that was kept in an indoor enclosure for nearly thirty years after it attacked its trainer in 1941. Ziggy was originally bought by theater empresario Florenz Ziegfeld
as a birthday present for his daughter Patricia, but was given to the zoo after he soon outgrew his pen on the grounds of the Ziegfelds' manor in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York
. During the 1960s and 1970s, Ziggy attained a cult following
in the Chicago area, and the elephant was finally released in 1970 amid much fanfare. Unfortunately, the elephant fell into his exhibit's moat in March 1975 and died seven months later.
Another well-known Brookfield zoo animal was Olga the Atlantic walrus. She was a favorite of thousands of visitors between 1962 and 1988, entertaining them with her antics. She is remembered by a large bronze statue in the current sea mammal exhibit.
One of the zoo's most well-known current residents is Binti Jua
, a female Western lowland gorilla
. On August 16, 1996, a young boy fell into the gorilla exhibit of Tropic World, and Binti Jua carefully cradled the boy and brought him to her trainers. The incident received international attention, inspiring a lively debate as to whether Binti Jua's actions were the result of the training she received from her keepers (who had taught her to bring her own baby, Koola, to zoo curators for inspection) or some instinctive sense of animal altruism
.
Another current resident of the zoo is Cookie
, a Major Mitchell's Cockatoo
who has been part of the zoo's collection since the opening in 1934. He was given to Brookfield Zoo when he was one year old. He is now permanently off-exhibit. A much younger current resident is Esmerelda, the only black spider monkey in North America.
Brookfield Zoo lost six of its well-known residents in 2009: Alpha, a female Western lowland gorilla who was 47 years of age, Kaylee, a female Bottlenose Dolphin
who was 15 years of age, Affie, a female African Bush Elephant
who was 40 years of age, Carver, the oldest southern hairy nosed wombat on record, Carver's daughter, 3-year-old Goldie, and Christy, a 29 year old African Forest Elephant
. http://www.rblandmark.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=5717
Australia House
Children's Zoo
Feathers and Scales
Perching Bird House
Fragile Desert
Fragile Hunters
Fragile Rain Forest
Great Bear Wilderness
Habitat Africa! The Forest
Habitat Africa! The Savannah
Hamill Family Play Zoo
Hoofed Animals
The Living Coast
Pachyderm House
Pinniped Point
Regenstein Wolf Woods
Salt Creek Wilderness
Seven Seas
The Swamp
Tropic World
briefly worked as a reptile curator at the zoo in 1935.
George B. Rabb
was director.
Brookfield has had exceptional success in breeding the sitatunga, a type of antelope; it also bred the world’s first captive-born black rhinoceros (1941) and gray-headed kingfisher (1980), the first okapi born in the United States (1959), and the first wombat born outside Australia (1975).
Brookfield Zoo is right next to the Riverside Brookfield High School
and had a program for freshman with the zoo called SEE (School of Environmental Education) team. The SEE Team and many other clubs, activities, and faculty members at RBHS were cut following a failed 2011 referendum.
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
located in the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Brookfield, Illinois
Brookfield, Illinois
Brookfield is a suburb of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, west of downtown. The population was 19,085 at the 2000 census...
. The zoo covers an area of 216 acres (87.4 ha) and houses around 450 species of animals.
Brookfield Zoo, also known as Chicago Zoological Park, opened on July 1, 1934, and quickly gained international recognition for using moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
s and ditches, instead of cages, to separate animals from visitors and from other animals. The zoo was also the first in America to exhibit giant pandas, one of which (Su Lin) has been taxidermied
Taxidermy
Taxidermy is the act of mounting or reproducing dead animals for display or for other sources of study. Taxidermy can be done on all vertebrate species of animals, including mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians...
and put on display in Chicago's Field Museum of Natural History
Field Museum of Natural History
The Field Museum of Natural History is located in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It sits on Lake Shore Drive next to Lake Michigan, part of a scenic complex known as the Museum Campus Chicago...
. In 1960, Brookfield Zoo built the nation's first fully indoor dolphin
Dolphin
Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in 17 genera. They vary in size from and , up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating...
exhibit, and in the 1980s the zoo introduced Tropic World, the first fully indoor rain forest simulation and the then-largest indoor zoo exhibit in the world.
The Brookfield Zoo is owned by the Cook County Forest Preserve District
Cook County Forest Preserves
The Cook County Forest Preserves are a network of open spaces, containing forest, prairie, wetland, streams, and lakes, that are set aside as natural areas. Cook County contains Chicago, Illinois, and is the center of a densely-populated urban metropolitan area in northeastern Illinois...
and managed by the Chicago Zoological Society. The Society sponsors numerous research and conservation efforts globally.
History
Edith Rockefeller McCormick
Edith Rockefeller McCormick was an American socialite and opera patron.-Biography:McCormick was the fourth daughter of Standard Oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller and his wife Laura Spelman Rockefeller . Her famous younger brother was John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
donated land she had received from her father as a wedding gift to the Cook County Forest Preserve District for development as a zoological garden. The district added 98 acres (396,592.3 m²) to that plot and in 1921, the Chicago Zoological Society was established. Serious construction did not begin until 1926, after a zoo tax was approved. Construction slowed during the Great Depression, but regained momentum by late 1931. Construction went on at an increased pace and the zoo opened on July 1, 1934. By the end of September 1934, over one million people had visited the new zoo; the four millionth visitor was just two years later.
The 1950s saw the addition of a veterinary hospital, a children's zoo, and the famous central fountain. The zoo went through a decline in the 1960s until a large bond issue from the Forest Preserve District, close attention to zoo governance and visitor services saw the zoo recreate itself as one of the nation's best. Tropic World, the then-largest indoor zoo exhibit in the world, was designed by French architect Pierre Venoa and opened in three phases (Africa, Asia, and South America) between 1982 and 1984.
Carousel
A carousel , or merry-go-round, is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders...
in the United States. Great Bear Wilderness, a new, sprawling habitat, opened in 2010. The interiors of several existing buildings were reconfigured into immersion exhibits, based upon ecosystems rather than by clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
s; these include The Swamp, the Fragile Rain Forest, Fragile Desert (the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
desert of North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
) the Living Coast (the shores of Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
), the African Savanna
Savanna
A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...
, and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
House.The Brookfield Zoo is also known for its majestic fountain named after the 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt. On some days the fountain's spouting water can reach up to 60 feet high.
Animals
Perhaps the most famous resident of Brookfield Zoo was ZiggyZiggy (elephant)
Ziggy was a male Indian elephant who lived at Brookfield Zoo outside Chicago from 1936 to 1975. He weighed about six tons and was over ten feet tall. After attacking and nearly killing his keeper in 1941, Ziggy was chained to the wall of an indoor enclosure, and remained there for nearly three...
, a 6.5 ton
Ton
The ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from...
bull elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
that was kept in an indoor enclosure for nearly thirty years after it attacked its trainer in 1941. Ziggy was originally bought by theater empresario Florenz Ziegfeld
Florenz Ziegfeld
Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. , , was an American Broadway impresario, notable for his series of theatrical revues, the Ziegfeld Follies , inspired by the Folies Bergère of Paris. He also produced the musical Show Boat...
as a birthday present for his daughter Patricia, but was given to the zoo after he soon outgrew his pen on the grounds of the Ziegfelds' manor in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York
Hastings-on-Hudson, New York
Hastings-on-Hudson is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in the southwest part of the town of Greenburgh. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 7,849. It lies on U.S. Route 9, "Broadway" in Hastings...
. During the 1960s and 1970s, Ziggy attained a cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
in the Chicago area, and the elephant was finally released in 1970 amid much fanfare. Unfortunately, the elephant fell into his exhibit's moat in March 1975 and died seven months later.
Another well-known Brookfield zoo animal was Olga the Atlantic walrus. She was a favorite of thousands of visitors between 1962 and 1988, entertaining them with her antics. She is remembered by a large bronze statue in the current sea mammal exhibit.
One of the zoo's most well-known current residents is Binti Jua
Binti Jua
Binti Jua is a Western Lowland Gorilla female in the Brookfield Zoo, in Brookfield, Illinois, outside of Chicago.Binti Jua is the niece of Koko, the world famous gorilla that knows and communicates using American Sign Language...
, a female Western lowland gorilla
Western Lowland Gorilla
The western lowland gorilla is a subspecies of the western gorilla that lives in montane, primary, and secondary forests and lowland swamps in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. It is the gorilla usually found in zoos...
. On August 16, 1996, a young boy fell into the gorilla exhibit of Tropic World, and Binti Jua carefully cradled the boy and brought him to her trainers. The incident received international attention, inspiring a lively debate as to whether Binti Jua's actions were the result of the training she received from her keepers (who had taught her to bring her own baby, Koola, to zoo curators for inspection) or some instinctive sense of animal altruism
Altruism in animals
Altruism is a well-documented animal behaviour, which appears most obviously in kin relationships but may also be evident amongst wider social groups, in which an animal sacrifices its own well-being for the benefit of another animal.- Overview :...
.
Another current resident of the zoo is Cookie
Cookie (cockatoo)
Cookie is a male Major Mitchell's Cockatoo residing at Brookfield Zoo, near Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is believed to be the oldest member of his species alive in captivity, at the age of 78 in June 2011, having significantly exceeded the average lifespan for his kind and is one of the...
, a Major Mitchell's Cockatoo
Major Mitchell's Cockatoo
The Major Mitchell's Cockatoo also known as Leadbeater's Cockatoo or Pink Cockatoo, is a medium-sized cockatoo restricted to arid and semi-arid inland areas of Australia...
who has been part of the zoo's collection since the opening in 1934. He was given to Brookfield Zoo when he was one year old. He is now permanently off-exhibit. A much younger current resident is Esmerelda, the only black spider monkey in North America.
Brookfield Zoo lost six of its well-known residents in 2009: Alpha, a female Western lowland gorilla who was 47 years of age, Kaylee, a female Bottlenose Dolphin
Bottlenose Dolphin
Bottlenose dolphins, the genus Tursiops, are the most common and well-known members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Recent molecular studies show the genus contains two species, the common bottlenose dolphin and the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin , instead of one...
who was 15 years of age, Affie, a female African Bush Elephant
African Bush Elephant
The African Bush Elephant or African Savanna Elephant is the larger of the two species of African elephant. Both it and the African Forest Elephant have usually been classified as a single species, known simply as the African Elephant...
who was 40 years of age, Carver, the oldest southern hairy nosed wombat on record, Carver's daughter, 3-year-old Goldie, and Christy, a 29 year old African Forest Elephant
African Forest Elephant
The African Forest Elephant is a forest dwelling elephant of the Congo Basin. Formerly considered either a synonym or a subspecies of the African Savanna Elephant , a 2010 study established that the two are distinct species...
. http://www.rblandmark.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=5717
Australia House
- Crested PigeonCrested PigeonThe Crested Pigeon is a bird found widely throughout mainland Australia except for far tropical north areas. It is the only member of the genus Ocyphaps.There are only two Australian pigeon species that possess an erect crest, being the Crested Pigeon and the Spinifex Pigeon...
- Emerald Tree Boa
- Double-wattled CassowaryCassowaryThe cassowaries are ratites, very large flightless birds in the genus Casuarius native to the tropical forests of New Guinea, nearby islands and northeastern Australia. There are three extant species recognized today...
- EmuEmuThe Emu Dromaius novaehollandiae) is the largest bird native to Australia and the only extant member of the genus Dromaius. It is the second-largest extant bird in the world by height, after its ratite relative, the ostrich. There are three subspecies of Emus in Australia...
- Princess ParrotPrincess ParrotThe colourful Princess Parrot, Polytelis alexandrae, is an Australian bird of the parrot family. Its name was given in honour of Princess Alexandra of Denmark, who later married the Prince of Wales Edward VII and eventually became the Queen of England...
- Rodrigues Flying FoxRodrigues Flying FoxThe Rodrigues Flying Fox or Rodrigues Fruit Bat is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae, the flying foxes or fruit bats. It is endemic to Rodrigues, an island in the Indian Ocean belonging to Mauritius. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests. It is a sociable species...
- Short-beaked EchidnaShort-beaked EchidnaThe short-beaked echidna , also known as the spiny anteater because of its diet of ants and termites, is one of four living species of echidna and the only member of the genus Tachyglossus...
- Southern Hairy-nosed WombatSouthern Hairy-nosed WombatThe Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat is one of three species of wombats. It is found in scattered areas of semi-arid scrub and mallee from the eastern Nullarbor Plain to the New South Wales border area. It is the smallest of all three wombat species. The young often do not survive dry seasons...
- Western Grey KangarooWestern Grey KangarooThe Western Grey Kangaroo is a large and very common kangaroo or macropod, found across almost the entire southern part of Australia, from just south of Shark Bay to coastal South Australia, western Victoria, and the entire Murray-Darling Basin in New South Wales and Queensland...
- Parma WallabyParma WallabyThe Parma Wallaby was first described by British naturalist John Gould in about 1840. A shy, cryptic creature of the wet sclerophyll forests of southern New South Wales, it was never common and, even before the end of the 19th century, it was believed to be extinct...
- Prehensile-tailed Skink
- Argus MonitorArgus monitorThe Argus monitor is a monitor lizard found in northern regions of Australia and southern New Guinea. It is also commonly known as the Yellow-spotted Monitor....
- Tawny FrogmouthTawny FrogmouthThe Tawny Frogmouth is an Australian species of frogmouth, a type of bird found throughout the Australian mainland, Tasmania and southern New Guinea. The Tawny Frogmouth is often mistaken to be an owl...
- KookaburraKookaburraKookaburras are terrestrial kingfishers native to Australia and New Guinea. They are large to very large, with a total length of . The name is a loanword from Wiradjuri guuguubarra, and is onomatopoeic of its call...
- http://www.czs.org/CZS/Brookfield/Exhibit-and-Animal-Guide/Children-s-Zoo
Children's Zoo
- Harris Hawk
- Great Horned OwlGreat Horned OwlThe Great Horned Owl, , also known as the Tiger Owl, is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an adaptable bird with a vast range and is the most widely distributed true owl in the Americas.-Description:...
- American KestrelAmerican KestrelThe American Kestrel , sometimes colloquially known as the Sparrow Hawk, is a small falcon, and the only kestrel found in the Americas. It is the most common falcon in North America, and is found in a wide variety of habitats. At long, it is also the smallest falcon in North America...
- Turkey VultureTurkey VultureThe Turkey Vulture is a bird found throughout most of the Americas. It is also known in some North American regions as the Turkey Buzzard , and in some areas of the Caribbean as the John Crow or Carrion Crow...
- Red-tailed HawkRed-tailed HawkThe Red-tailed Hawk is a bird of prey, one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "chickenhawk," though it rarely preys on standard sized chickens. It breeds throughout most of North America, from western Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West...
- RaccoonRaccoonProcyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
- RavenRavenRaven is the common name given to several larger-bodied members of the genus Corvus—but in Europe and North America the Common Raven is normally implied...
- ChickenChickenThe chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
- GoatGoatThe domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
- GroundhogGroundhogThe groundhog , also known as a woodchuck, whistle-pig, or in some areas as a land-beaver, is a rodent of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. Other marmots, such as the yellow-bellied and hoary marmots, live in rocky and mountainous areas, but...
- Holstein cattle
- ReindeerReindeerThe reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
- Domestic Sheep and more...
- http://www.czs.org/CZS/Brookfield/Exhibit-and-Animal-Guide/Feathers-and-Scales
Feathers and Scales
- Andean CondorAndean CondorThe Andean Condor is a species of South American bird in the New World vulture family Cathartidae and is the only member of the genus Vultur...
- Blue Poison Dart FrogDendrobates azureusDendrobates azureus is a type of poison dart frog found in the forests surrounded by the Sipaliwini savannah, which is located in southern Suriname and northern to central Brazil. Dendrobates azureus is widely known as the Blue Poison Dart Frog or by its Tirio Indian name, Okopipi...
- Double-striped Thick-kneeDouble-striped Thick-kneeThe Double-striped Thick-knee, Burhinus bistriatus, is a Stone-curlew, a group of waders in the family Burhinidae.It is a resident breeder in Central and South America from southern Mexico south to Colombia, Venezuela and northern Brazil...
- Gambel's QuailGambel's QuailThe Gambel's Quail, Callipepla gambelii, is a small ground-dwelling bird in the New World quail family. It inhabits the desert regions of Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Texas, and Sonora; also New Mexico-border Chihuahua and the Colorado River region of Baja California...
- Greater RoadrunnerGreater RoadrunnerThe Greater Roadrunner, taxonomically classified as Geococcyx californianus, meaning "Californian Earth-cuckoo," is a long-legged bird in the cuckoo family, Cuculidae. Along with the Lesser Roadrunner, it is one of two species in the roadrunner genus Geococcyx...
- Green AracariGreen AracariThe Green Aracari, Pteroglossus viridis, is a toucan, a near-passerine bird found in the lowland forests of northeastern South America , in the northeast Amazon Basin, the Guianas and the eastern Orinoco River drainage of Venezuela. At 30-40 cm...
- Rainbow Boa ConstrictorBoa constrictorThe Boa constrictor is a large, heavy-bodied species of snake. It is a member of the family Boidae found in North, Central, and South America, as well as some islands in the Caribbean. A staple of private collections and public displays, its color pattern is highly variable yet distinctive...
- SungazerGiant Girdled LizardCordylus giganteus, the Sungazer, Giant Spiny-tailed Lizard, Giant Zonure, or Giant Girdled Lizard is the largest species of Girdled Lizard. They live in colonies and dig burrows into the silty soil of the Themeda grassland in South Africa. The name Sungazer comes from their habit of sitting at...
- http://www.czs.org/CZS/Brookfield/Exhibit-and-Animal-Guide/Perching-Bird-House
Perching Bird House
- African Pygmy-falcon
- Argus monitorArgus monitorThe Argus monitor is a monitor lizard found in northern regions of Australia and southern New Guinea. It is also commonly known as the Yellow-spotted Monitor....
- Bali StarlingBali StarlingThe Bali Starling , also known as Rothschild’s Mynah, Bali Myna, or Bali Mynah, locally known as Jalak Bali, is a medium-sized , stocky myna, almost wholly white with a long, drooping crest, and black tips on the wings and tail. The bird has blue bare skin around the eyes, greyish legs and a yellow...
- Bay-headed TanagerBay-headed TanagerThe Bay-headed Tanager, Tangara gyrola, is a medium-sized passerine bird. This tanager is a resident breeder in Costa Rica, Panama, South America south to Ecuador, Bolivia and southern Brazil, and on Trinidad....
- Crested Wood PartridgeCrested Wood PartridgeThe Crested Partridge also known as the Crested Wood Partridge, Roul-roul, Red-crowned Wood Partridge or Green Wood Partridge is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds...
- Green-winged Macaw
- Micronesian KingfisherMicronesian KingfisherThe Micronesian Kingfisher, Todiramphus cinnamominus, is a species of kingfisher from the Pacific Islands of Guam, Pohnpei and Palau...
- Paradise TanagerParadise TanagerThe Paradise Tanager, Tangara chilensis, is a brilliantly multicolored, medium-sized songbird whose length varies between 13.5 and 15 cm. It has a light green head, sky blue underparts and black upper body plumage. Depending on subspecies, the rump is yellow and red or all red...
- Tawny FrogmouthTawny FrogmouthThe Tawny Frogmouth is an Australian species of frogmouth, a type of bird found throughout the Australian mainland, Tasmania and southern New Guinea. The Tawny Frogmouth is often mistaken to be an owl...
- Turquoise TanagerTurquoise TanagerThe Turquoise Tanager, Tangara mexicana, is a medium-sized passerine bird. This tanager is a resident bird from Trinidad, Colombia and Venezuela south to Bolivia and much of Brazil...
- http://www.czs.org/CZS/Brookfield/Exhibit-and-Animal-Guide/Fragile-Desert
Fragile Desert
- African Crested PorcupineCrested PorcupineThe crested porcupine is a species of rodent in the Hystricidae family.It is extant in mainland Italy, Sicily, North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.-Physical Attributes:...
- Amur LeopardAmur LeopardThe Amur leopard , also known as the Far Eastern leopard, Korean leopard, and Manchurian leopard is one of nine recognised subspecies of leopard. It is a wild feline predator native to the mountainous areas of the Russian Far East. It used to inhabit the forests of Korea and China, but it has...
- Bat-eared foxBat-eared FoxThe bat-eared fox is a canid of the African savanna, named for its large ears. Fossil records show this canid to first appear during the middle Pleistocene, about 800,000 years ago....
- Black-footed CatBlack-footed CatThe black-footed cat is the smallest African cat, and is endemic in the south west arid zone of the southern African subregion. It is one of the lesser studied African carnivores, and has been listed as Vulnerable by IUCN since 2002....
- CaracalCaracalThe caracal is a fiercely territorial medium-sized cat ranging over Western Asia, South Asia and Africa.The word caracal comes from the Turkish word "karakulak", meaning "black ear". In North India and Pakistan, the caracal is locally known as syahgosh or shyahgosh, which is a Persian term...
- MeerkatMeerkatThe meerkat or suricate, Suricata suricatta, is a small mammal belonging to the mongoose family. Meerkats live in all parts of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, in much of the Namib Desert in Namibia and southwestern Angola, and in South Africa. A group of meerkats is called a "mob", "gang" or "clan"...
- Rock Hyrax
- Sand CatSand CatThe sand cat , also referred to as the "sand dune cat", is a small wild cat distributed over African and Asian deserts. The Sand cat lives in arid areas that are too hot and dry even for the African Wildcat: the Sahara, the Arabian Desert, and the deserts of Iran and...
- http://www.czs.org/CZS/Brookfield/Exhibit-and-Animal-Guide/Fragile-Hunters
Fragile Hunters
- African LionLionThe lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
- Amur Tiger
- Sloth bearSloth BearThe sloth bear , also known as the labiated bear, is a nocturnal insectivorous species of bear found wild within the Indian subcontinent. The sloth bear evolved from ancestral brown bears during the Pleistocene and shares features found in insect-eating mammals through convergent evolution...
- Snow leopardSnow LeopardThe snow leopard is a moderately large cat native to the mountain ranges of South Asia and Central Asia...
- http://www.czs.org/CZS/Brookfield/Exhibit-and-Animal-Guide/Fragile-Rain-Forest
Fragile Rain Forest
- Asian Small-clawed Otter
- BinturongBinturongThe Binturong , also known as the Asian Bearcat, the Palawan Bearcat, or simply the Bearcat, is a species of the family Viverridae, which includes the civets and genets. It is the only member of its genus...
- Burmese PythonBurmese PythonThe Burmese Python is the largest subspecies of the Indian Python and one of the 6 largest snakes in the world, native to a large variation of tropic and subtropic areas of Southern- and Southeast Asia. They are often found near water and are sometimes semi-aquatic, but can also be found in trees...
- Clouded leopardClouded LeopardThe clouded leopard is a felid found from the Himalayan foothills through mainland Southeast Asia into China, and has been classified as vulnerable in 2008 by IUCN...
- Fishing CatFishing CatThe Fishing Cat is a medium-sized wild cat of South and Southeast Asia. In 2008, the IUCN classified the fishing cat as endangered since they are concentrated primarily in wetland habitats, which are increasingly being settled, degraded and converted...
- Giant African MillipedeMillipedeMillipedes are arthropods that have two pairs of legs per segment . Each segment that has two pairs of legs is a result of two single segments fused together as one...
- Naked mole ratNaked Mole RatThe naked mole rat , also known as the sand puppy or desert mole rat, is a burrowing rodent native to parts of East Africa and the only species currently classified in the genus Heterocephalus...
- Northern TreeshrewNorthern TreeshrewThe Northern Treeshrew is a species of treeshrew found in Southeast Asia.It was chosen as one of the 16 mammals to have their genomes sequenced by the Broad Institute, and a low coverage assembly of genome was released by the Broad Institute in June 2006. The genome will be useful in comparisons...
- http://www.czs.org/CZS/Brookfield/Exhibit-and-Animal-Guide/Great-Bear-Wilderness
Great Bear Wilderness
- American bisonAmerican BisonThe American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
- Bald EagleBald EagleThe Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
- Brown bearBrown BearThe brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
- Polar bearPolar BearThe polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
- http://www.czs.org/CZS/Brookfield/Exhibit-and-Animal-Guide/Habitat-Africa--The-Forest!
Habitat Africa! The Forest
- African Forest BuffaloAfrican Forest BuffaloThe African Forest Buffalo is smaller than the Cape Buffalo, with horns that curves out backwards and upwards. Usually weighing , they are reddish brown in color. Its native habitat is the equatorial forest found in central and western Africa, and its diet consists primarily of grasses, twigs, and...
- Giant African MillipedeMillipedeMillipedes are arthropods that have two pairs of legs per segment . Each segment that has two pairs of legs is a result of two single segments fused together as one...
- OkapiOkapiThe okapi , Okapia johnstoni, is a giraffid artiodactyl mammal native to the Ituri Rainforest, located in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in Central Africa...
- Red-flanked DuikerRed-flanked DuikerThe Red-flanked Duiker , is a tiny antelope found in western and central Africa.Red-flanked Duikers grow to almost 15 inches in height and weigh up to 31 pounds...
- Red River HogRed River HogThe red river hog , also known as the bush pig , is a wild member of the pig family living in Africa, with most of its distribution in the Guinean and Congolian forests...
- Reunion chameleonChameleonChameleons are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of lizards. They are distinguished by their parrot-like zygodactylous feet, their separately mobile and stereoscopic eyes, their very long, highly modified, and rapidly extrudable tongues, their swaying gait, the possession by many of a...
- http://www.czs.org/CZS/Brookfield/Exhibit-and-Animal-Guide/Habitat-Africa--The-Savannah!
Habitat Africa! The Savannah
- AardvarkAardvarkThe aardvark is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa...
- African Wild Dog
- Common Ostrich
- KlipspringerKlipspringerThe Klipspringer, Oreotragus oreotragus, is a small species of African antelope.-Name:The word klipspringer literally means "rock jumper" in Afrikaans/Dutch...
- Reticulated GiraffeSomali GiraffeThe Somali Giraffe, or more commonly known as Reticulated Giraffe , is a subspecies of giraffe native to Somalia, northern Kenya and southern Ethiopia...
- WarthogWarthogThe Warthog or Common Warthog is a wild member of the pig family that lives in grassland, savanna, and woodland in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the past it was commonly treated as a subspecies of P...
Hamill Family Play Zoo
- African HedgehogHedgehogA hedgehog is any of the spiny mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae and the order Erinaceomorpha. There are 17 species of hedgehog in five genera, found through parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and New Zealand . There are no hedgehogs native to Australia, and no living species native to the Americas...
- Barred Tiger SalamanderAmbystoma mavortiumAmbystoma mavortium, commonly known as the Barred Tiger Salamander, is a species of salamander found from southwestern Canada in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, south through the western United States to Texas and northern Mexico.- Description :The tiger salamander is the...
- Mongoose lemurMongoose LemurThe mongoose lemur is a lemur ranging from 12 to 18 inches long plus a tail of 16 to 25 inches. The mongoose lemur lives in dry deciduous forests on the island of Madagascar as well as in the humid forests on the islands of the Comoros...
- Ring-tailed lemurRing-tailed LemurThe ring-tailed lemur is a large strepsirrhine primate and the most recognized lemur due to its long, black and white ringed tail. It belongs to Lemuridae, one of five lemur families. It is the only member of the Lemur genus. Like all lemurs it is endemic to the island of Madagascar...
- Blanding's TurtleBlanding's TurtleBlanding's turtle is a semi-aquatic turtle of the family Emydidae. It is considered to be an endangered species throughout much of its range.-Taxonomy:...
- Musk TurtleMusk turtleMusk turtle is the common name given to three genera of aquatic turtles:*Sternotherus, the musk turtles proper,*Staurotypus, variously called Mexican, three-keeled or giant musk turtles, and.*Claudius, the narrow-bridged musk turtle....
- Boa ConstrictorBoa constrictorThe Boa constrictor is a large, heavy-bodied species of snake. It is a member of the family Boidae found in North, Central, and South America, as well as some islands in the Caribbean. A staple of private collections and public displays, its color pattern is highly variable yet distinctive...
- African CichlidsCichlidCichlids are fishes from the family Cichlidae in the order Perciformes. Cichlids are members of a group known as the Labroidei along with the wrasses , damselfish , and surfperches . This family is both large and diverse. At least 1,300 species have been scientifically described, making it one of...
Hoofed Animals
- AddaxAddaxThe Addax , also known as the screwhorn antelope, is a critically endangered species of antelope that lives in the Sahara desert. As suggested by its alternative name, this pale antelope has long, twisted horns. It is closely related to the oryx, but differs from other antelopes by having large...
- Bactrian CamelBactrian camelThe Bactrian camel is a large, even-toed ungulate native to the steppes of central Asia. It is presently restricted in the wild to remote regions of the Gobi and Taklamakan Deserts of Mongolia and Xinjiang. A small number of wild Bactrian camels still roam the Mangystau Province of southwest...
- Grant's ZebraGrant's ZebraThe Grant's Zebra is the smallest of six subspecies of the Plains Zebra.-Distribution:The distribution of this subspecies is in Zambia west of the Luangwa river and west to Kariba, Shaba Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, north to the Kibanzao Plateau. In Tanzania north from...
- Grévy's ZebraGrevy's ZebraThe Grévy's zebra , also known as the Imperial zebra, is the largest extant wild equid and one of three species of zebra, the other two being the plains zebra and the mountain zebra. Named after Jules Grévy, it is the sole extant member of the subgenus Dolichohippus. The Grévy's zebra is found in...
The Living Coast
- Humboldt PenguinHumboldt PenguinThe Humboldt Penguin is a South American penguin, that breeds in coastal Peru and Chile. Its nearest relatives are the African Penguin, the Magellanic Penguin and the Galápagos Penguin...
s - Inca TernInca TernThe Inca Tern is a seabird in the family Sternidae. It is the only member of the genus Larosterna.This uniquely-plumaged bird breeds on the coasts of Peru and Chile, and is restricted to the Humboldt current...
- Grey GullGrey GullThis article is about the bird. For the record label, see Grey Gull Records.The Grey Gull is a gull found along the Pacific coast of South America...
- Moray EelMoray eelMoray eels are cosmopolitan eels of the family Muraenidae. The approximately 200 species in 15 genera are almost exclusively marine, but several species are regularly seen in brackish water and a few, for example the freshwater moray can sometimes be found in freshwater...
Pachyderm House
- Eastern Black RhinocerosEastern Black RhinocerosThe Eastern Black Rhinoceros is also known as the East African Black Rhinoceros. It is a subspecies of the Black Rhino...
- HippopotamusHippopotamusThe hippopotamus , or hippo, from the ancient Greek for "river horse" , is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal in sub-Saharan Africa, and one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae After the elephant and rhinoceros, the hippopotamus is the third largest land mammal and the heaviest...
- South American Tapir
Pinniped Point
- California Sea LionCalifornia Sea LionThe California sea lion is a coastal sea lion of western North America. Their numbers are abundant , and the population continues to expand about 5% annually. They are quite intelligent and can adapt to man-made environments...
- Harbor sealHarbor SealThe harbor seal , also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere...
Regenstein Wolf Woods
- Mexican WolfMexican WolfThe Mexican Wolf is a subspecies of the Gray Wolf. It is native to North America, where it is the rarest and most genetically distinct subspecies.- Physical features :...
Salt Creek Wilderness
- Trumpeter SwanTrumpeter SwanThe Trumpeter Swan, Cygnus buccinator, is the largest native North American bird, if measured in terms of weight and length, and is the largest living waterfowl species on earth. It is the North American counterpart of the European Whooper Swan.-Description:Males typically measure from and weigh...
Seven Seas
- Bottlenose DolphinBottlenose DolphinBottlenose dolphins, the genus Tursiops, are the most common and well-known members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Recent molecular studies show the genus contains two species, the common bottlenose dolphin and the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin , instead of one...
The Swamp
- American alligatorAmerican AlligatorThe American alligator , sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator, is a reptile endemic only to the Southeastern United States. It is one of the two living species of alligator, in the genus Alligator, within the family Alligatoridae...
- Alligator snapping turtleAlligator Snapping TurtleThe alligator snapping turtle is one of the largest freshwater turtles in the world. It is not closely related to, but is often associated with the common snapping turtle. They are the sole living member of the genus Macrochelys--while common snappers are in the genus Chelydra...
- Eastern Screech OwlEastern Screech OwlThe Eastern Screech Owl or Eastern Screech-Owl is a small owl that is relatively common in Eastern North America, from Mexico to Canada.-Description:...
- Little Blue HeronLittle Blue HeronThe Little Blue Heron, Egretta caerulea, is a small heron. It breeds from the Gulf states of the USA through Central America and the Caribbean south to Peru and Uruguay. It is a resident breeder in most of its range, but some northern breeders migrate to the southeastern USA or beyond in winter...
- North American River Otter
- Snowy EgretSnowy EgretThe Snowy Egret is a small white heron. It is the American counterpart to the very similar Old World Little Egret, which has established a foothold in the Bahamas....
Tropic World
- Asian Small-clawed Otter
- Bornean orangutanBornean OrangutanThe Bornean orangutan, Pongo pygmaeus, is a species of orangutan native to the island of Borneo. Together with the slightly smaller Sumatran orangutan, it belongs to the only genus of great apes native to Asia....
- Collared mangabeyCollared MangabeyThe collared mangabey , also known as the red-capped mangabey, white-collared mangabey , or cherry-crowned mangabey, is a species of primate in the Cercopithecidae family of Old World monkeys. It formerly included the sooty mangabey as a subspecies...
- Cottontop tamarinCottontop TamarinThe cotton-top tamarin , also known as the Pinché tamarin, is a small New World monkey weighing less than 1 lb...
- Eastern black-and-white colobus
- Giant AnteaterGiant AnteaterThe Giant Anteater, Myrmecophaga tridactyla, is the largest species of anteater. It is the only species in the genus Myrmecophaga. It is found in Central and South America from Honduras to northern Argentina...
- Geoffroy's spider monkeyGeoffroy's Spider MonkeyGeoffroy's spider monkey, Ateles geoffroyi, also known as black-handed spider monkey, is a species of spider monkey, a type of New World monkey, from Central America, parts of Mexico and possibly a small portion of Colombia. There are at least five subspecies. Some primatologists classify the...
- Golden lion tamarinGolden Lion TamarinThe golden lion tamarin also known as the golden marmoset, is a small New World monkey of the family Callitrichidae...
- MandrillMandrillThe mandrill is a primate of the Old World monkey family, closely related to the baboons and even more closely to the drill. Both the mandrill and the drill were once classified as baboons in genus Papio, but recent research has determined they should be separated into their own genus, Mandrillus...
- Northern white-cheeked gibbon
- Pygmy hippopotamusPygmy HippopotamusThe pygmy hippopotamus is a large mammal native to the forests and swamps of western Africa . The pygmy hippo is reclusive and nocturnal...
- Sooty mangabeySooty MangabeyThe sooty mangabey is an Old World monkey found in forests from Senegal east to Ghana. It is famous for being believed to be the monkey that HIV-2 might have originated in before jumping species...
- Western lowland gorillaWestern Lowland GorillaThe western lowland gorilla is a subspecies of the western gorilla that lives in montane, primary, and secondary forests and lowland swamps in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. It is the gorilla usually found in zoos...
Former exhibits
- Bear Grottos - Old home of Brown BearsBrown BearThe brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
, Spectacled BearsSpectacled BearThe spectacled bear , also known as the Andean bear and locally as ukuko, jukumari or ucumari, is the last remaining short-faced bear and the closest living relative to the Florida spectacled bear and short-faced bears of the Middle Pleistocene to Late Pleistocene age.The spectacled bear is a...
, and Polar BearsPolar BearThe polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
. This exhibit closed when Brown Bears and Polar Bears were moved to the Great Bear Wilderness in 2010. - Ibex Island - Home of Siberian Ibex and was replaced by the Great Bear Wilderness's Bison Exhibit.
- Reptile House - Former home of a majority of the zoo's reptiles. Feathers and Scales became the new home for these animals.
- Be A Bird - Former home of a majority of the zoo's birds. Feathers and Scales became the new home for these animals.
Special exhibits
Since 2007, Brookfield Zoo has offered seasonal exhibits available from late April through September/October.- 2007: Stingray Bay! - Cownose rayCownose rayThe cownose ray is a species of eagle ray found throughout a large part of the western Atlantic and Caribbean, from New England, USA to southern Brazil. Cownose rays grow rapidly, and male rays often reach about in width and weigh . Females typically reach in width and weigh .-Gestation:The...
and Southern stingraySouthern stingrayThe southern stingray, Dasyatis americana, is a stingray of the family Dasyatidae found in tropical and subtropical waters of the Western Atlantic Ocean from New Jersey to Brazil. It has a flat, diamond-shaped disc, with a mud brown, olive, and grey dorsal surface and white underbelly... - 2008: Sharks! at Stingray Bay! - Cownose ray, Southern stingray, Whitespotted bamboo shark, Nurse sharkNurse sharkThe nurse shark, Ginglymostoma cirratum, sometimes referred to as the Nur Shark is a shark in the nurse sharks family, the only member of its genus Ginglymostoma...
, and Horseshoe crabHorseshoe crabThe Atlantic horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus, is a marine chelicerate arthropod. Despite its name, it is more closely related to spiders, ticks, and scorpions than to crabs. Horseshoe crabs are most commonly found in the Gulf of Mexico and along the northern Atlantic coast of North America... - 2009: Dinosaurs ALIVE! - 18 animatronic dinosaurs, including Stegosaurus, Triceratops, Pteranodon, and Tyrannosaurus Rex
- 2010: The return of Stingray Bay! - 20+ cownose rays in an interactive touch pool.
- 2011: Stingray Bay! - Cownose Rays
Notable staff and programs
Grace Olive WileyGrace Olive Wiley
Grace Olive Wiley was an American herpetologist best known for her work with venomous snakes. She died of a snakebite she received while posing for a photographer at the age of 64.-Background:...
briefly worked as a reptile curator at the zoo in 1935.
George B. Rabb
George B. Rabb
George B. Rabb is an American zoologist, and director of the Chicago Zoological Park.He won the 1996 Heini Hediger award, and 1997 Silver Medal .-Life:...
was director.
Brookfield has had exceptional success in breeding the sitatunga, a type of antelope; it also bred the world’s first captive-born black rhinoceros (1941) and gray-headed kingfisher (1980), the first okapi born in the United States (1959), and the first wombat born outside Australia (1975).
Brookfield Zoo is right next to the Riverside Brookfield High School
Riverside Brookfield High School
Riverside Brookfield High School is a public high school located in Riverside, IL. It serves the towns of Riverside, Brookfield, LaGrange Park, North Riverside and Broadview . The mascot of Riverside Brookfield is Rouser the Bulldog....
and had a program for freshman with the zoo called SEE (School of Environmental Education) team. The SEE Team and many other clubs, activities, and faculty members at RBHS were cut following a failed 2011 referendum.