Oakland Zoo, in the past known as the Knowland Zoo, is a 100 acres (40.5 ha) zoo

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 southeastern Oakland

Oakland, California

Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, United States. Oakland Zoo is relatively small for a city of its size, but it contains modern exhibits. Most of its animals are kept in relatively "natural" habitats, and expanded natural habitats are planned. The Wayne and Gladys Valley Children's Zoo which opened in 2005 is a good example of the zoo's plans for the future, with interactive exhibits, state of the art animal housing facilities and children's play areas. The Zoo is nationally known for its excellent elephant

Elephant

Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...

 exhibit and has been praised for allowing their elephants to roam freely.

The Beginning of the Zoo

Naturalist Henry A. Snow established the Oakland Zoo in 1922 on 19th St and Harrison St in downtown Oakland. Snow Park now occupies the site of the Zoo's first home. Over the years the zoo relocated several times: to Sequoia Park, Joaquin Miller Park and finally in 1939 to Durant Park. Under Joseph R. Knowland

Joseph R. Knowland

Joseph Russell Knowland was an American politician and newspaper publisher. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from California and was owner, editor and publisher of the Oakland Tribune. He was the father of United States Senator William F...

, Chairman of the California State Park Commission, California purchased the land and in 1950 renamed the park to Joseph Knowland State Arboretum and Park

Joseph Knowland State Arboretum and Park

Joseph Knowland State Arboretum and Park is a park located in the Grass Valley neighborhood of Oakland, California, formerly a state park, now property of the City of Oakland and the location of the Oakland Zoo.-Park creation:...

. The East Bay Zoological Society (EBZS), founded in 1936 by Henry Snow's son, Sidney, has had a long relationship with the Oakland Zoo. At the time of its founding, EBZS was known as the Alameda County Botanical and Zoological Society.

Growing a Zoo

Although EBZS has always been involved with zoo projects and operations to some extent, it was not until after major development of the zoo from 1958 to 1965 that the EBZS's role increased dramatically. Through their efforts, money was raised to develop the African Veldt (1965), the Australian Outback (1975) and the original tiger exhibit (1980). In 1977, the EBZS purchased the food, rides and Children's Zoo concessions.

In 1982 the EBZS entered into an agreement with the City of Oakland to manage the zoo and develop it under non-profit status. The zoo has flourished since then. In 1985, Joel Parrott, DVM, was hired as Executive Director of the Oakland Zoo. Many new exhibits have been created, including those for the Hamadryas Baboons and the Chimpanzees. A new, spacious elephant exhibit was built in 1987.
The current sun bear exhibit was finished in 1995 and was featured on Animal Planet “Ultimate Zoos.” The White-Handed Gibbons now live on a lush island in the heart of the Rainforest. The African Savannah, with camels, lions, elephants, meerkats, hyenas and more was completed in 1998.

The Education Center opened its new doors in 1999 with the new main entrance following soon after in summer 2001 (see picture). In autumn of 2001, a new Squirrel Monkey exhibit opened along with a larger, newly renovated Tiger exhibit. In the spring of 2007, the four dromedary camels were moved to a larger, fenced enclosure uphill from their old enclosure.

The Wayne and Gladys Valley Children’s Zoo

Summer 2005 the 3 acres (12,140.6 m²) Valley Children's Zoo opened with spacious new animal exhibits along with plenty of interactive play-structures for children. The Ring-Tailed Lemurs, century old Aldabra Tortoises, the interactive Goat and Sheep Contact yard along with the River Otters can be found in the Children’s Zoo. The popular American Alligators, the Bats, the Pot-Bellied Pigs, the Old-World Rabbits along with the Bug Room, and the Reptile and Amphibian Discovery Room are also in the Children’s Zoo. One of the most interesting and popular features with the smaller children are the brass insects embedded in the concrete walkways, which were installed as a form of public art.

Teen Wild Guides

Every weekend Teen Volunteers also known as (TWGS) come to the children's zoo to tell the public about the animals depending on which station they are at; Bats, Goat Barn, Gators, Bugs, Rad Room, Otters, Lemurs, and occasionally Face Painting in the Children's Zoo, or working at the Sun Bear or Chimp Stations. The age range is 12½–18 years.

The Playground

Just outside of the zoo, there is a small playground with four structures: an elephant slide, a crawl-through hippo tunnel, a turtle that children can climb on, and a climber which is hard to tell if it is a giraffe or a camel.

Exhibitions

Today the zoo is home to over 660 native and exotic animals and is a member of the AZA. The following animals are on exhibit to the public:
Mammals

• Hamadryas Baboon
  Hamadryas Baboon
  The Hamadryas baboon is a species of baboon from the Old World monkey family. It is the northernmost of all the baboons; being native to the Horn of Africa and the southwestern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. These regions provide habitats with the advantage for this species of fewer natural...
  
  
• Sun Bear
  Sun Bear
  The sun bear , sometimes known as the honey bear, is a bear found primarily in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia; North-East India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Southern China, Peninsular Malaysia, and the islands of Sumatra and Borneo.-Description:The sun bear...
  
  
• Bison
  Bison
  Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...
  
  *
• Bobcat
  Bobcat
  The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
  
  
• Arabian Camel
• Chimpanzee
  Chimpanzee
  Chimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
  
  
• Highland Cow (retired)
• Sika Deer
  Sika Deer
  The Sika Deer, Cervus nippon, also known as the Spotted Deer or the Japanese Deer, is a species of deer native to much of East Asia and introduced to various other parts of the world...
  
  *
• Eland
  Taurotragus
  Taurotragus, commonly called Eland, is a genus of antelopes of the African savannah, containing two species: the Common Eland and the Giant Eland...
  
  
• African Elephant
• Tule Elk
  Tule Elk
  The tule elk is a subspecies of elk found only in California, ranging from the grasslands and marshlands of the Central Valley to the grassy hills on the coast. The subspecies name derives from the tule that it feeds off of, which grows in the marshlands...
  
  *
• Island Flying Fox
• Malayan Flying Fox
• Dama Gazelle
  Dama Gazelle
  The Dama Gazelle is a species of gazelle. It lives in Africa in the Sahara desert and migrates south in search of food during the dry season. Their habitat includes open steppes, bushy, grassy steppes, semi-desert, and deserts, while their diet includes grasses, leaves, shoots, fruit, and...
  
  
• Lar Gibbon
  Lar Gibbon
  The lar gibbon , also known as the white-handed gibbon, is a primate in the Hylobatidae or gibbon family. It is one of the better-known gibbons and is often seen in zoos.-Range:...
  
  
• Reticulated Giraffe
• Pygmy goat
  Pygmy goat
  A pygmy goat is a small breed of domestic goat. Although they produce a very large amount of milk for their size, and can be eaten, pygmy goats are not typically used for milk or meat, unlike larger dairy and meat goat breeds. Pygmy goats tend to be more robust and breed more continually throughout...
  
  
• Alpine Goat
  Alpine (goat)
  Alpine is a breed of domestic goat known for its very good milking ability.They are multi-colored and have no set markings. They have erect ears, horns, and have a dish-face....
  
  
• Anglo-Nubian
  Anglo-Nubian
  The Anglo-Nubian, or simply Nubian in the United States, is a breed of domestic goat.The breed was developed in Great Britain of native milking stock and goats from the Middle East and North Africa. Its distinguishing characteristics include large, pendulous ears and a "Roman" nose...
  
  
• Spotted Hyena
  Spotted Hyena
  The spotted hyena also known as laughing hyena, is a carnivorous mammal of the family Hyaenidae, of which it is the largest extant member. Though the species' prehistoric range included Eurasia extending from Atlantic Europe to China, it now only occurs in all of Africa south of the Sahara save...
  
  
• Lemur, Black Blue Eyed
• Ring-tailed Lemur
  Ring-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...
  
  
• Lion
  Lion
  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...
  
  
• Meerkat
  Meerkat
  The 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"...
  
  
• Squirrel monkey
  Squirrel monkey
  The squirrel monkeys are the New World monkeys of the genus Saimiri. They are the only genus in the subfamily Saimirinae.Squirrel monkeys live in the tropical forests of Central and South America in the canopy layer. Most species have parapatric or allopatric ranges in the Amazon, while S...
  
  
• Indian Muntjac
  Indian Muntjac
  The Common Muntjac , also called the Red Muntjac, Indian Muntjac or Barking deer is the most numerous muntjac deer species. It has soft, short, brownish or greyish hair, sometimes with creamy markings. This species is omnivorous, feeding on fruits, shoots, seeds, birds' eggs as well as small...
  
  
• Reeves's Muntjac
  Reeves's Muntjac
  The Reeves' Muntjac is a muntjac species found widely in southeastern China and in Taiwan. They have also been introduced in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Ireland by 2008. It feeds on herbs, blossoms, succulent shoots, grasses and nuts, and was also reported to eat trees...
  
  
• River Otter
  River Otter
      Not to be confused with the animal Otter or the River Ottery in CornwallThe River Otter rises in the Blackdown Hills just inside the county of Somerset, near Otterford, then flows south for some 32 km through East Devon to the English Channel at the western end of Lyme Bay, part of...
  
  
• Pig, Asian Miniature Potbelly
  Pot-bellied pig
  The pot-bellied pig is a breed of domesticated pig originating in Vietnam.-Description:Considerably smaller than standard American or European farm pigs, most adult pot-bellied pigs are about the size of a medium- or large-breed dog, though their bodies are denser at 8 to 136 kg...
  
  
• European Rabbit
  European Rabbit
  The European Rabbit or Common Rabbit is a species of rabbit native to south west Europe and north west Africa . It has been widely introduced elsewhere often with devastating effects on local biodiversity...
  
  
• Sheep
• Siamang
  Siamang
  The siamang is a tailless, arboreal, black-furred gibbon native to the forests of Malaysia, Thailand, and Sumatra. The largest of the lesser apes, the siamang can be twice the size of other gibbons, reaching 1 m in height, and weighing up to 14 kg...
  
  
• Tiger
  Bengal Tiger
  The Bengal tiger is a tiger subspecies native to the Indian subcontinent that in 2010 has been classified as endangered by IUCN...
  
  
• Cottontop Tamarin
  Cottontop Tamarin
  The cotton-top tamarin , also known as the Pinché tamarin, is a small New World monkey weighing less than 1 lb...
  
  
• Vervet
  Vervet Monkey
  The vervet monkey , or simply vervet, is an Old World monkey of the family Cercopithecidae native to Africa. The term "vervet" is also used to refer to all the members of the genus Chlorocebus....
  
   (Green Monkey)
• Wallaroo
  Wallaroo
  A Wallaroo is any of three closely related species of moderately large macropod, intermediate in size between the kangaroos and the wallabies. The name "wallaroo" is a portmanteau of wallaby and kangaroo. The term is not generally used by Australians...
  
  **
• Warthog
  Warthog
  The 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...
  
  
• Zebra
  Grant's Zebra
  The 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...
  
  

Birds

• Bishop, Orange
• Corella, Long-Billed
  Long-billed Corella
  The Long-billed Corella, Cacatua tenuirostris, is a cockatoo native to Australia, which is similar in appearance to the Little Corella and Sulphur-crested Cockatoo. This species is mostly white, with a reddish-pink face and forehead, and has a long pale beak, which is used to dig for roots and seeds...
  
  
• Crane, African Crowned
  Grey Crowned Crane
  The Grey Crowned Crane is a bird in the crane family Gruidae. It occurs in dry savannah in Africa south of the Sahara, although it nests in somewhat wetter habitats. This animal does not migrate....
  
  
• Crane, Lilford
• Crow, Pied
  Pied Crow
  The Pied Crow is a widely distributed African bird species in the crow genus.Structurally, the Pied Crow is better thought of as a small crow-sized Raven, especially as it can hybridise with the Somali Crow where their ranges meet in the Horn of Africa...
  
  
• Dove, Tambourine
  Tambourine Dove
  The Tambourine Dove is a pigeon which is a widespread resident breeding bird in woodlands and other thick vegetation in Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Its range extends from Senegal east to Ethiopia and Kenya and southwards through eastern Africa to south-eastern South Africa, but it is absent...
  
  
• Duck, White-faced Whistling
  White-faced Whistling Duck
  The White-faced Whistling Duck, Dendrocygna viduata, is a whistling duck which breeds in sub-Saharan Africa and much of South America.This species is gregarious, and at favoured sites, the flocks of a thousand or more birds arriving at dawn are an impressive sight...
  
  
• Egret, Cattle
  Cattle Egret
  The Cattle Egret is a cosmopolitan species of heron found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Bubulcus, although some authorities regard its two subspecies as full species, the Western Cattle Egret and the Eastern Cattle Egret...
  
  
• Emu
  Emu
  The 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...
  
  **
• Fischer's Lovebird
  Fischer's Lovebird
  The Fischer's Lovebird is a small parrot species of the Agapornis genus. They were originally discovered in the late 19th century, and were first bred in the United States in 1926. They are named after German explorer Gustav Fischer.- Description :The Fischer's Lovebird has a green back, chest,...
  
  
• Flamingo
  Lesser Flamingo
  The Lesser Flamingo is a species in the flamingo family of birds that resides in Africa and in southern Asia...
  
  
• Goose, Egyptian
  Egyptian Goose
  The Egyptian Goose is a member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. It is in the shelduck subfamily Tadorninae, and is the only extant member of the genus Alopochen...
  
  
• Guinea Fowl, Helmeted
  Helmeted Guineafowl
  The Helmeted Guineafowl is the best known of the guineafowl bird family, Numididae, and the only member of the genus Numida...
  
  
• Hammerkop
  Hammerkop
  The Hamerkop , also known as Hammerkop,Hammerkopf, Hammerhead, Hammerhead Stork, Umbrette, Umber Bird, Tufted Umber, or Anvilhead, is a medium-sized wading bird...
  
  
• Hornbill, Wreathed
  Wreathed Hornbill
  The Wreathed Hornbill , also known as the Bar-pouched Wreathed Hornbill, is a species of hornbill found in forests from far north-eastern India and Bhutan, east and south through mainland south-east Asia and the Greater Sundas, except Sulawesi. It is 75–100 cm long...
  
  
• Red-billed Hornbill
  Red-billed Hornbill
  Red-billed Hornbill is a relatively small species of hornbill found in savanna and woodland of sub-Saharan Africa. It is sometimes split into five species, the Northern Red-billed Hornbill , Western Red-billed Hornbill , Tanzania Red-billed Hornbill , Southern Red-billed Hornbill Red-billed...
  
  
• Hottentot Teal
  Hottentot Teal
  The Hottentot Teal is a species of dabbling duck of the genus Anas. It is migratory resident in eastern and southern Africa, from Sudan and Ethiopia west to Niger and Nigeria and south to South Africa and Namibia. In west Africa and Madagascar it is sedentary.The Hottentot Teal breed year round,...
  
  
• Ibis, Hadada
  Hadada Ibis
  The Hadada or Hadeda Ibis, Bostrychia hagedash, is an ibis found in Sub-Saharan Africa.-Appearance:The Hadeda is a large , dark brown ibis with a white "moustache", glossy greenish purple wings, a large black bill with a red stripe on the upper mandible, and blackish legs.-Call:It has a...
  
  
• Ibis, Sacred
  Sacred Ibis
  The African Sacred Ibis is a species of ibis.-Description:An adult individual is 68 cm long with all-white body plumage apart from dark plumes on the rump. The bald head and neck, thick curved bill and legs are black. The white wings show a black rear border in flight...
  
  
• Kookaburra
  Kookaburra
  Kookaburras 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...
  
  
• Lilac-breasted Roller
  Lilac-breasted Roller
  The Lilac-breasted Roller is a member of the roller family of birds. It is widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula, preferring open woodland and savanna; it is largely absent from treeless places...
  
  
• Macaw, Blue & Yellow
  Blue-and-yellow Macaw
  The Blue-and-Yellow Macaw , also known as the Blue-and-Gold Macaw, is a member of the group of large Neotropical parrots known as macaws. It breeds in forest and woodland of tropical South America from Trinidad and Venezuela south to Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay...
  
  
• Parrot, Princess
  Princess Parrot
  The 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...
  
  
• Pigeon, Speckled
  Speckled Pigeon
  The Speckled Pigeon or Rock Pigeon is a pigeon which is a resident breeding bird in much of Africa south of the Sahara. It is a common and widespread species in open habitats over a good deal of its range, although there are sizeable gaps in its distribution.This species builds a large stick nest...
  
  
• Roller, Blue-Bellied
  Blue-bellied Roller
  The Blue-bellied Roller, Coracias cyanogaster is a member of the roller family of birds which breeds across Africa in a narrow belt from Senegal to northeast Zaire. It is resident, apart from some local seasonal movements, in mature moist savannah dominated by Isoberlinia trees.The Blue-bellied...
  
  
• African Spoonbill
  African Spoonbill
  The African Spoonbill is a long-legged wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae. The species is widespread across Africa and Madagascar, including Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. It lives in marshy wetlands with some open shallow water and...
  
  
• Swainson's Toucan
  Chestnut-mandibled Toucan
  The Chestnut-mandibled Toucan, or Swainson’s Toucan is a near-passerine bird which breeds from eastern Honduras to northern Colombia to western Ecuador. This subspecies is replaced from southern Colombia to eastern Peru by the nominate subspecies Black-mandibled Toucan, R. ambiguus ambiguus...
  
  
• Griffon Vulture
  Griffon Vulture
  The Griffon Vulture is a large Old World vulture in the bird of prey family Accipitridae.The Griffon Vulture is long with a wingspan. In the nominate race the males weigh and females typically weigh , while in the Indian subspecies the vultures average...
  
  
• Weaver, Taveta Golden
  Taveta Golden Weaver
  The Taveta Weaver is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family.It is found in Kenya and Tanzania. The name of the bird comes from the unique markings/coloration of the bird, as well as how these birds weave intricate nests....
  
  

Reptiles and Amphibians

• Yellow Anaconda
• American Alligator
  American Alligator
  The 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...
  
  
• Emerald Tree Boa
  Emerald tree boa
  Corallus caninus is a non-venomous boa species found in the rainforests of South America. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description: Adults grow to about 6 feet in length...
  
  
• Red-Tailed Boa
  Boa constrictor
  The 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...
  
  
• Nosy be Chameleon
  Chameleon
  Chameleons 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...
  
  
• Frog, Panamanian Golden
• Frog, Golden Mantella
• Gecko, Giant Leaf-Tailed
• Lizard, African Plated
• Lizard, Black Tree Monitor
• Lizard, Common Chuckwalla
• Lizard, Desert Grassland Whiptail
• Gila Monster
  Gila monster
  The Gila monster is a species of venomous lizard native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexican state of Sonora...
  
  
• Lizard, Great Plated
• Lizard, White-throated Monitor
• Snake, Brown House
• Snake, Taiwan Beauty
• Tortoise, Aldabra
• African Spurred Tortoise
  African Spurred Tortoise
  The African spurred tortoise , also called the African spur thigh tortoise or the sulcata tortoise, is a species of tortoise which inhabits the southern edge of the Sahara desert, in northern Africa...
  
  
• Turtle, Florida Red-Bellied
• Turtle, Spotted

Arthropods

• Ants, Honey Pot
• Ants, Leaf-Cutter
• Beetle, Dermestid
• Cockroach, Madagascar-Hissing
• Lubber, Florida Eastern
• Millipede, African Giant
• Scorpion, Desert Hairy
• Spider, Black Widow
• Spider, Golden Silk
• Tarantula, Chilean Rose
• Vinegaroon, Giant
• Walking Stick, Indian
  Carausius morosus
  Carausius morosus is a species of phasmid that is often kept by schools and individuals as pets. Culture stocks originate from an original collection from Tamil Nadu, India. Like the majority of the phasmatodea, they are nocturnal. Culture stocks are parthenogenetic females that can reproduce...
  
  
• Walking Stick
  Phasmatodea
  The Phasmatodea are an order of insects, whose members are variously known as stick insects , walking sticks or stick-bugs , phasmids, ghost insects and leaf insects...
  
  , Giant Thorny

• The (*) indicates animals only viewable on sky-ride
• The (**) indicates animals only viewable on train.