Fort Wayne Children's Zoo
Encyclopedia
The Fort Wayne Children's Zoo (FWCZ) is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana
, United States
. Since opening in 1965, the 1,500 animal zoo has been located on 38 acres (15.4 ha) in Fort Wayne's Franke Park. The zoo continuously ranks among the top zoos in the nation, recently ranked as the ninth best zoo in America by Child
magazine in 2004 and fifth best zoo in the nation by Parents
magazine in 2009.
On July 3, 1965, the new Fort Wayne Children's Zoo opened on 5.5 acres (2.2 ha) with 18 animal exhibits. In 1976, a major expansion of the zoo was the African Veldt attraction, where savannah animals grazed in open fields east of the Central Zoo. In the late-1980s, the Australian Adventure premiered, showcasing animals from the Outback
. A domed Indonesian Rainforest exhibit opened in 1995, with an enclosed tiger forest exhibit launching a year later.
On May 18, 2004, 7.5-year-old "Coolah," the last remaining Tasmanian devil
to live outside of Australia
, died from complications of inoperable cancer
. Coolah had drawn international attention to the zoo once Australia banned the export of Tasmanian devils after the species became endangered. Over the years, FWCZ was the home for 12 Tasmanian devils, the most of any zoo in the United States. Later that year, on October 19, 2004, five wildebeests broke through a gate and jumped a fence, roaming the streets of a nearby neighborhood. Eventually, the wildebeests were captured, though two of the five suffered broken legs and were forced to be euthanized. The zoo was fined $
825 for the incident.
On November 2, 2007, artificial rocks made of styrofoam
caught fire in the zoo's new African Journey expansion, the largest project in the zoo's 42-year history. The fire happened where workers were constructing an African lion exhibit, the centerpiece of the new expansion. Thick black plumes of smoke billowing from the site of the fire were clearly visible across the skies of Fort Wayne and much of the region. No workers or animals were harmed in the blaze.
exhibit, African Village, interactive cultural center, giraffe
feeding area, Savannah Trail, zebra
s and wildebeest
s, new animal exhibits (mongoose
, buzzard
s, dik dik
s and hyena
s, honey badgers, bat-eared fox
es, pelican
s, serval
s), and a group educational and picnic area. The new Sky Safari, a ski lift-like ride, gives riders an aerial view of the Serengeti-based landscape.
s, echidnas, and owls
. In the Kangaroo Walkabout, a roped path leads through an open area of kangaroo
s, which may cross the path at their leisure. Along the path, there is also a dingo
exhibit. An aviary features birds native to Australia. There are other assorted exhibits, and a Dugout Canoe Ride where you can view the Australian Adventure from a canal.
s, African penguin
s, wallaby
s, tortoises, alligators and macaws. Sea Lion Beach is a major attraction, and scheduled feedings can be viewed. Monkey Island contains a family of Capuchin monkey
s. Peacocks roam freely throughout the zoo. Also located in the Central Zoo are a duckpond and small aviary.
The recently added Indiana Family Farm expands from the old petting zoo area, which contained only goats, chickens, and deer
. Now a model barn and farmhouse, as well as signs from the point of view of children living on a farm, lend atmosphere. Horses, sheep, rabbits, calves, and others are all contained in open stalls and may be pet by visitors. Barn mice and owls can be viewed. For a long time, chicks could be handled and lifted from their enclosure, but this was stopped recently due to children mishandling them. They have been replaced with an exhibit featuring a colony of honeybees and their hive. Goats reside in an open paddock which visitors can enter, and can, for a price, be fed goat feed from ice cream cones and milk from bottles, or brushed for free. This area is considered part of the Central Zoo, and is located directly before the exit. The Wild Things Gift Shop was recently expanded at the exit.
This area also offers rides on a miniature train and pony rides.
s, assorted birds, mammals, and primates, as well as a domed area (Domeaviary) containing birds, fish, reptiles, and, until recently, butterflies. The domeaviary allows visitors to experience the sights, sounds, and feel of the Indonesian Rainforest. This area also contains an Endangered Species Carousel.
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Since opening in 1965, the 1,500 animal zoo has been located on 38 acres (15.4 ha) in Fort Wayne's Franke Park. The zoo continuously ranks among the top zoos in the nation, recently ranked as the ninth best zoo in America by Child
Child (magazine)
Child is a discontinued American parenting magazine founded by Jackie Leo and MaryAnn Sommers in 1986 and published through 2007. It was originally backed by Italian publishers, then sold to The New York Times Magazine Group which published it until 1995 along with its other women’s magazines,...
magazine in 2004 and fifth best zoo in the nation by Parents
Parents (magazine)
Parents, published by Meredith Corporation, is the oldest parenting publication in the U.S. It was first published in October 1926.Its editorial focus is on the daily needs and concerns of mothers with young children. The glossy monthly features information about child health, safety, behavior,...
magazine in 2009.
History
The FWCZ can trace its origins to 1952 when 54 acres (21.9 ha) were added to Franke Park in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to establish a nature preserve. Local popularity of the preserve led to Fort Wayne officials deciding to build a full-fledged zoo by 1962. The new zoo was to target educating children about animals.On July 3, 1965, the new Fort Wayne Children's Zoo opened on 5.5 acres (2.2 ha) with 18 animal exhibits. In 1976, a major expansion of the zoo was the African Veldt attraction, where savannah animals grazed in open fields east of the Central Zoo. In the late-1980s, the Australian Adventure premiered, showcasing animals from the Outback
Outback
The Outback is the vast, remote, arid area of Australia, term colloquially can refer to any lands outside the main urban areas. The term "the outback" is generally used to refer to locations that are comparatively more remote than those areas named "the bush".-Overview:The outback is home to a...
. A domed Indonesian Rainforest exhibit opened in 1995, with an enclosed tiger forest exhibit launching a year later.
On May 18, 2004, 7.5-year-old "Coolah," the last remaining Tasmanian devil
Tasmanian Devil
The Tasmanian devil is a carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae, now found in the wild only on the Australian island state of Tasmania. The size of a small dog, it became the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world following the extinction of the thylacine in 1936...
to live outside of 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...
, died from complications of inoperable cancer
Devil facial tumour disease
Devil facial tumour disease is an aggressive non-viral transmissible parasitic cancer—which likely originated in Schwann cells—that affects Tasmanian devils. The first "official case" was described in 1996, in Australia...
. Coolah had drawn international attention to the zoo once Australia banned the export of Tasmanian devils after the species became endangered. Over the years, FWCZ was the home for 12 Tasmanian devils, the most of any zoo in the United States. Later that year, on October 19, 2004, five wildebeests broke through a gate and jumped a fence, roaming the streets of a nearby neighborhood. Eventually, the wildebeests were captured, though two of the five suffered broken legs and were forced to be euthanized. The zoo was fined $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
825 for the incident.
On November 2, 2007, artificial rocks made of styrofoam
Styrofoam
Styrofoam is a trademark of The Dow Chemical Company for closed-cell currently made for thermal insulation and craft applications. In 1941, researchers in Dow's Chemical Physics Lab found a way to make foamed polystyrene...
caught fire in the zoo's new African Journey expansion, the largest project in the zoo's 42-year history. The fire happened where workers were constructing an African lion exhibit, the centerpiece of the new expansion. Thick black plumes of smoke billowing from the site of the fire were clearly visible across the skies of Fort Wayne and much of the region. No workers or animals were harmed in the blaze.
Exhibits
The zoo consists of four self-contained biomes themed as different regions of the world.African Journey
The African Journey opened to the public June 6, 2009 on the former site of the African Veldt. The $9 million African Journey is currently the largest expansion in the FWCZ's history, featuring an African LionLion
The 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...
exhibit, African Village, interactive cultural center, giraffe
Giraffe
The giraffe is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all extant land-living animal species, and the largest ruminant...
feeding area, Savannah Trail, zebra
Zebra
Zebras are several species of African equids united by their distinctive black and white stripes. Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual. They are generally social animals that live in small harems to large herds...
s and wildebeest
Wildebeest
The wildebeest , also called the gnu is an antelope of the genus Connochaetes. It is a hooved mammal...
s, new animal exhibits (mongoose
Mongoose
Mongoose are a family of 33 living species of small carnivorans from southern Eurasia and mainland Africa. Four additional species from Madagascar in the subfamily Galidiinae, which were previously classified in this family, are also referred to as "mongooses" or "mongoose-like"...
, buzzard
Buzzard
A buzzard is one of several large birds, but there are a number of meanings as detailed below.-Old World:In the Old World Buzzard can mean:* One of several medium-sized, wide-ranging raptors with a robust body and broad wings....
s, dik dik
Dik Dik
Dik Dik are an Italian beat-pop-rock band, established in the 1960s and still in activity. They were most popular in the late 1960s, when they released a string of hit singles with the contribution of renowned lyric-writer Mogol and songwriter Lucio Battisti, their greatest successes being Sognando...
s and hyena
Hyena
Hyenas or Hyaenas are the animals of the family Hyaenidae of suborder feliforms of the Carnivora. It is the fourth smallest biological family in the Carnivora , and one of the smallest in the mammalia...
s, honey badgers, bat-eared fox
Bat-eared Fox
The 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....
es, pelican
Pelican
A pelican, derived from the Greek word πελεκυς pelekys is a large water bird with a large throat pouch, belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae....
s, serval
Serval
The serval , Leptailurus serval or Caracal serval, known in Afrikaans as Tierboskat, "tiger-forest-cat", is a medium-sized African wild cat. DNA studies have shown that the serval is closely related to the African golden cat and the caracal...
s), and a group educational and picnic area. The new Sky Safari, a ski lift-like ride, gives riders an aerial view of the Serengeti-based landscape.
Australian Adventure
The Australian Adventure area opens with the Australia After Dark exhibit, featuring nocturnal animals native to Australia. Also included is a 20,000-gallon aquarium which holds the Sharks, Rays, and Jellyfish Exhibit, as well as a model coral reef with tropical fish. A separate building holds batBat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
s, echidnas, and owls
OWLS
OWLS is a mnemonic used by general aviation airplane pilots to assess an unprepared surface for a precautionary landing.Like all mnemonics this check has become part of aviation culture and folklore.OWLS:* Obstacles* Wind direction...
. In the Kangaroo Walkabout, a roped path leads through an open area of kangaroo
Kangaroo
A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus, Red Kangaroo, Antilopine Kangaroo, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to the country...
s, which may cross the path at their leisure. Along the path, there is also a dingo
Dingo
The Australian Dingo or Warrigal is a free-roaming wild dog unique to the continent of Australia, mainly found in the outback. Its original ancestors are thought to have arrived with humans from southeast Asia thousands of years ago, when dogs were still relatively undomesticated and closer to...
exhibit. An aviary features birds native to Australia. There are other assorted exhibits, and a Dugout Canoe Ride where you can view the Australian Adventure from a canal.
Central Zoo
The Central Zoo includes assorted animals from the Americas and a few from other regions, including sea lions, Ring-tailed lemurRing-tailed Lemur
The 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...
s, African penguin
African Penguin
The African Penguin , also known as the Black-footed Penguin is a species of penguin, confined to southern African waters. It is known as Brilpikkewyn in Afrikaans, Inguza or Unombombiya in Xhosa, Manchot Du Cap in French and Pingüino Del Cabo in Spanish...
s, wallaby
Wallaby
A wallaby is any of about thirty species of macropod . It is an informal designation generally used for any macropod that is smaller than a kangaroo or wallaroo that has not been given some other name.-Overview:...
s, tortoises, alligators and macaws. Sea Lion Beach is a major attraction, and scheduled feedings can be viewed. Monkey Island contains a family of Capuchin monkey
Capuchin monkey
The capuchins are New World monkeys of the genus Cebus. The range of capuchin monkeys includes Central America and South America as far south as northern Argentina...
s. Peacocks roam freely throughout the zoo. Also located in the Central Zoo are a duckpond and small aviary.
The recently added Indiana Family Farm expands from the old petting zoo area, which contained only goats, chickens, and deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
. Now a model barn and farmhouse, as well as signs from the point of view of children living on a farm, lend atmosphere. Horses, sheep, rabbits, calves, and others are all contained in open stalls and may be pet by visitors. Barn mice and owls can be viewed. For a long time, chicks could be handled and lifted from their enclosure, but this was stopped recently due to children mishandling them. They have been replaced with an exhibit featuring a colony of honeybees and their hive. Goats reside in an open paddock which visitors can enter, and can, for a price, be fed goat feed from ice cream cones and milk from bottles, or brushed for free. This area is considered part of the Central Zoo, and is located directly before the exit. The Wild Things Gift Shop was recently expanded at the exit.
This area also offers rides on a miniature train and pony rides.
Indonesian Rainforest
The Indonesian Rainforest features orangutans, tigers, Komodo dragonKomodo dragon
The Komodo dragon , also known as the Komodo monitor, is a large species of lizard found in the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Motang and Gili Dasami. A member of the monitor lizard family , it is the largest living species of lizard, growing to a maximum length of in rare cases...
s, assorted birds, mammals, and primates, as well as a domed area (Domeaviary) containing birds, fish, reptiles, and, until recently, butterflies. The domeaviary allows visitors to experience the sights, sounds, and feel of the Indonesian Rainforest. This area also contains an Endangered Species Carousel.