| Bronx Zoo | |
|---|---|
 Bronx Zoo logo | |
 Asia Gate Entrance | |
 Interactive map of Bronx Zoo | |
| 40°51′01″N73°52′42″W / 40.85028°N 73.87833°W /40.85028; -73.87833 | |
| Date opened | November 8, 1899[1] |
| Location | 2300Southern Boulevard,Bronx Park,Bronx, New York 10460, U.S. |
| Land area | 265 acres (107 ha)[2] |
| No. of animals | 4,000 (2010)[3] |
| No. of species | 650 (2010)[3] |
| Annual visitors | 2+ million |
| Memberships | AZA[4] |
| Major exhibits |
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| Management | Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) |
| Public transit access | Subway: Bus:
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| Website | bronxzoo |
TheBronx Zoo (also historically theBronx Zoological Park and theBronx Zoological Gardens) is azoo withinBronx Park inthe Bronx, New York City. It is one of the largest zoos in the United States by area and the largestmetropolitan zoo,[5] comprising 265 acres (107 ha) of park lands and naturalistic habitats separated by theBronx River. The zoo has 2.1 million average yearly visitors as of 2009[update].[5] The zoo's original buildings, known as Astor Court, were designed as a series ofBeaux-Artspavilions grouped around the large circular sea lion pool.[6] TheRainey Memorial Gates were designed by sculptorPaul Manship in 1934 and listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 1972.[7]
The zoo opened on November 8, 1899, featuring 843 animals in 22 exhibits. Its first director wasWilliam Temple Hornaday, who served for 30 years. From its inception the zoo has played a vital role in animal conservation. In 1905, theAmerican Bison Society was created in an attempt to save theAmerican bison, which had been depleted from tens-of-millions of animals to only a few hundred, fromextinction. Two years later they were successfully reintroduced into the wild. In 2007, the zoo successfully reintroduced threeChinese alligators into the wild. The breeding was a milestone in the zoo's 10-year effort toreintroduce the species to theYangtze River in China.
The Bronx Zoo is world-renowned for its large and diverse animal collection, and its award-winning exhibitions.[5] The zoo is part of an integrated system of four zoos and one aquarium managed by theWildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and it is accredited by theAssociation of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).[8]
In 1895, a group made up largely of members of theBoone and Crockett Club founded the New York Zoological Society (later renamed theWildlife Conservation Society) for the purposes of founding a zoo, promoting the study ofzoology, and preserving wildlife.[9] Credit for this belonged chiefly to Club membersMadison Grant and C. Grant LaFarge.[10]
The zoo (sometimes called theBronx Zoological Park[11] and theBronx Zoological Gardens[12]) opened its doors to the public on November 8, 1899, featuring 843 animals in 22 exhibits. Its first director wasWilliam Temple Hornaday, who had 30 years of service at the zoo.[13]
Heins & LaFarge designed the original permanent buildings, known as Astor Court, as a series ofBeaux-Artspavilions grouped around the large circular sea lion pool.[6] In 1934, theRainey Memorial Gates, designed by sculptorPaul Manship, were dedicated as a memorial to notedbig game hunterPaul James Rainey.[14] The gates were listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 1972.[7]
The Rockefeller Fountain, which today adorns the gardens just inside theFordham Road Gate, was once a landmark inComo, Italy. Originally built by Biagio Catella in 1872, it stood in the main square (PiazzaCavour) by the lakeside.[15] Bought byWilliam Rockefeller in 1902 forlire 3,500 (the estimated equivalent then of $637, and today of around $17,600), it was installed at the zoo in 1903. In 1968, the fountain was designated an officialNew York City landmark, and is one of the few local monuments to be honored in this way.[16]
The New York Zoological Society'sseal was designed by famedwildlife-artistCharles R. Knight. It depicted aram's head and aneagle to reflect the society's interest in preserving North American wildlife.[17] While no longer in use, the seal can still be found on the lawn in the center of Astor Court.[original research?]
On December 17, 1902, the zoo became one of the seven zoos outside ofAustralia, and one of only two in the United States, to ever hold thenow-extinctthylacine. The first was a male obtained from Germananimal dealerCarl Hagenbeck. It died on August 15, 1908. The zoo received a second male on January 26, 1912, from theBeaumaris Zoo inTasmania, who later died on November 20 of that year. The zoo received its final two animals fromSydney animal dealerEllis S. Joseph. The first was an unsexed individual who arrived on November 7, 1916, in poor condition and died seven days later. The second and final animal was a female purchased from theBeaumaris Zoo by Joseph for £25[clarification needed] (~$35) and then was resold to the zoo, arriving on July 14, 1917.[18] On a visit, the director of theMelbourne Zoo,Mr. Le Souef, said upon seeing the animal:
I advise you to take excellent care of that specimen; for when it is gone, you never will get another. The species soon will be extinct.
The thylacine died on September 13, 1919.[18]
In early 1903, the zoo was gifted a pair ofBarbary lions, asubspecies which is extinct in the wild. The female was named Bedouin Maid and male Sultan, who went on to become one of the zoo's most popular animals. Displayed in the Lion House, Sultan was four years old at the time and described as being both "a perfect specimen" and "unusually good tempered". In May 1903, the pair produced three cubs, the first to be born at the zoo. On October 7, 1905,Charles R. Knight painted a portrait of Sultan and the animal went on to be the focus of many of the zoo'spostcards. Sultan was also the model for the lion which sits atop the Rainey Memorial Gates.[19]
In 1906, the Bronx Zoo putOta Benga, a youngMbuti man from the Congo, on display along with monkeys and a bow and arrow. He was never returned home and later died of suicide at age 33.[20]
In 1916, the zoo built the world's firstanimal hospital located at a zoo.[5]
In 1926, the Bronx Zoo and theSmithsonian Institution'sNational Zoological Park simultaneously became the first in the country to exhibitshoebills.[21]
The same year,W. Douglas Burden, F. J. Defosse, andEmmett Reid Dunn collected two live adultKomodo dragons—the first in America—for the zoo.[22]
In 1937, the zoo became the first in North America to exhibitokapi.[23]
In 1960, the zoo became the first in the world to keep aJames's flamingo, a species which had been thought to beextinct until 1957. They were imported along with the similarAndean flamingo.[24]
The zoo was one of the few in the world to exhibitproboscis monkeys outside ofSoutheast Asia and, in the 1976International Zoo Yearbook, the zoo reported having eight monkeys, seven of which were born at the zoo. As of March 1999, it only had two monkeys left, these two being the last members of their species kept in the United States.[25][26] In 2003, the pair were sent to theSingapore Zoo.
On June 6, 1990, the zoo received a femaleSumatran rhinoceros named Rapunzel. At the time, the zoo was one of only three in North America to hold thecritically endangered species, with theCincinnati andSan Diego Zoos being the others, holding one female each. The three institutions were a part of the Sumatran Rhino Trust's plan to start acaptive breeding program for the species.[27] Rapunzel was born in the wild inSumatra and rescued from an area ofrainforest that was slated to be cleared for apalm oil plantation in 1989. Though it's believed she bred in the wild, she never produced any calves in captivity. It was eventually determined that she was past reproductive age, at which point she was returned to the zoo in 2000, having been brought out for breeding purposes. She lived in the Zoo Center until her death in December 2005 in her 30s.[28]
In November 2006, the zoo opened up brand-neweco-friendly restrooms outside the Bronx River Gate. According toClivus Multrum, which built thecomposting toilets chosen by the zoo, these facilities can serve 500,000 people and save 1,000,000 U.S. gal (3,800,000 L) of water a year.[29][30]
In March 2007, theWildlife Conservation Society and theFordham University Graduate School of Education announced they would offer a joint program leading to aMaster of Science degree in education and New York State initial teacher certification in adolescent science education (biology, grades 7–12). The program began the next year, and is the first joint degree program of its kind.[31]
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In 2009, New York City[who?] cut funding for the state's 76 zoos, aquariums, and botanical gardens. The Wildlife Conservation Society as a whole suffered a $15-million deficit, and the zoo was forced to downsize its staff and animal collection. The budget cuts forced thebuyouts of over 100 employees andlayoffs of dozens more as well as the closure of four sections of the zoo: World of Darkness, Rare Animal Range, the Skyfari, and a small section of the overall still-open African Plains exhibit which featured endangeredantelope.[32][33] In the end, 186 staff positions (15%) were cut within the WCS. In 2012,Mayor Michael Bloomberg passed another budget cut that took $4.7-million from the funding of the zoo and theNew York Aquarium, also run by the WCS. This cut represented more than half of what the collections were receiving. However, Bloomberg also passed anenergy subsidy that brought the cuts down to $3.7-million.[34]
In the summer of 2014,New York RepresentativeCarolyn B. Maloney visited theChengdu Panda Base inSichuan, China and announced her plan to bringgiant pandas to New York City. Initially, she aimed to exhibit them at theCentral Park Zoo, though switched her attention to the Bronx after deciding the 6.5-acre zoo didn't have the resources to care for the animals. Maloney and her supporters, which includedMaurice R. Greenberg,Newt Gingrich, andJohn A. Catsimatidis, were met with many obstacles throughout their campaign. Initially, the largest issues were the lack of support fromMayor Bill de Blasio andCity Hall, and Chinese officials insisting that no more pandas be brought to the United States. However, in October 2015,Chinese AmbassadorCui Tiankai announced that his country was willing to enter preliminary talks with the city over the matter, and soon after de Blasio and City Hall signed a letter appealing to Chinese officials, drafted by Maloney in 2014. Despite her efforts, Maloney's campaign still has yet to overcome two critical steps in acquiring pandas: funding and the zoo's consent. Both de Blasio and the Wildlife Conservation Society refuse to fund the project, not wanting taxpayer or vital zoo money to go towards the highly expensive project. David Towne, chairman of the American-based Giant Panda Conservation Foundation, estimated that the cost of bringing pandas to the city would be around $50 million.
The foundation has also said that the cost of keeping just one such animal is about $1 million a year, including food, trainers, and habitat upkeep. Additionally, China loans out their pandas for a hefty fee. A study published byThe Washington Post in 2005 found that the four U.S. zoos holding pandas—theMemphis Zoo, theSan Diego Zoo, theNational Zoological Park (located in Washington, D.C., and Front Royal, Virginia) andZoo Atlanta—had spent $33 million more on their animals than revenue made off of them between 2000 and 2003. Despite the figures, Maloney believes pandas in her city will do better since the city has a higher population than those four cities combined, and received a record-breaking 56.4-million visitors in 2014. Still, the WCS continues to steer away from bringing in these pandas. In 2014, a senior official from the WCS said Maloney's campaign had reached "a new level ofabsurdity" when it was announced she intended to bring a Chinese delegation to the Central Park Zoo. In November 2015, Jim Breheny, WCS Executive Vice President and Bronx Zoo Director, released a statement saying:[35][36]
The concept of bringing Giant Pandas to New York which the Congresswoman is proposing is complex and would require that a number of complicated issues be considered and resolved before any such plan could be implemented.
Any decision to bring giant pandas to New York would need to be based on positively contributing to the conservation of giant pandas in the wild and a determination that all the requirements necessary to keep the animals well in New York could be met.
Very importantly, there is no funding for this initiative. Building and maintenance of such a exhibit would be an ongoing effort that would require tens of millions of dollars up front and annual support monies for pandas for however long they would be in the city. Any agreement to exhibit pandas would have to come with a guarantee of provision for the necessary funds.
The zoo has two types of displays: free exhibits accessible with a Limited Admission ticket, and premium exhibits which require a full Bronx Zoo admission ticket or additional fees.[37][38]
As of 2010[update], the Bronx Zoo is home to more than 4,000 animals of 650 species, many of which areendangered orthreatened.[3] Some of its exhibits, such as World of Birds and World of Reptiles, are arranged bytaxonomy, while others, such as African Plains and the Wild Asian Monorail, are arranged geographically.[39] The zoo also hasIndian peafowl that roam freely.
Astor Court is an old section of the zoo that is home to many of the zoo's original buildings, designed byHeins & LaFarge. While most of the buildings are closed to the public, the former Lion House was reopened as the "Madagascar!" exhibit in 2008,[40] and the Zoo Center still exhibits various species. Astor Court includes the historicsea lion pool featuringCalifornia sea lions.[41] Small aviaries featuring small bird species can be found nearby andwhite-headed capuchins can be seen behind the old Monkey House.[citation needed]
TheNew York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated Astor Court's buildings as a city landmark in 2000,[42] after a failed attempt to do so in 1966.[43]
African Plains allows visitors to walk pastlions,African wild dogs,Grévy's zebras, andspotted hyenas, and see herds ofnyalas,Thomson's gazelles,lesser kudus, andslender-horned gazelles, It also includes hybridgiraffes (Baringo ×reticulated giraffe) sharing their home withcommon ostriches. The exhibit originally opened in 1941 and was the first in the country to allow visitors to view predators and their prey in a naturalistic setting as well as allowing large predators such as lions to be exhibited cage-free.[5] This success was achieved through the creation of a series of deep moats, a set-up which can still be found at the zoo today.[15] The wild dogs, however, can be viewed close-up from a glass-fronted viewing pavilion.[44] The zoo has bred their lions on multiple occasions, including one male and two females born in January 2010 and three males and one female born in August 2013. The zoo, in partnership with the New YorkDaily News, held a contest to name the 2010 cubs, which made their public debut in April 2010. The winning names were Shani, Nala, and Adamma.[45] The 2013 cubs were named Thulani, Ime, Bahata, and Amara[46] and the three males can still be found on-exhibit at the zoo.
TheCarter Giraffe Building, a section of African Plains, features indoor/outdoor viewing of the zoo's giraffes andSouth African ostriches, and is also home tocommon dwarf mongooses,Von der Decken's hornbills, andnorthern white-faced owls. In June 2009, twoaardvarks imported fromTanzania joined the exhibit.[5][47] In September 2010, the pair gave birth to a male named Hoover, the first to ever be born at the zoo.[48]
Until 2009, the southwestern corner of African Plains was home to the endangeredArabian oryx andblesbok. Due to budget cuts and the unpopularity of the species with visitors, they were phased-out of the collection.[33] This section of the exhibit is replaced by the Nature Trek. In 2017 they received two babycheetahs from theSan Diego Zoo. Cheetahs are now part of their animal encounter programs.[49] They were replaced by the hyenas.[50]
Big Bears features four bears, a malegrizzly bear and threeABC Islands bears rescued as orphans fromBaranof Island ofAlaska.[51]
Until 2015, two female grizzly bears named Betty and Veronica also lived in this exhibit, but moved to theCentral Park Zoo where they died in 2020 and 2021.[52]
The zoo also formerly housedpolar bears until the last individual, a 26-year-old male named Tundra died in December 2017.[53] Threedholes from theSan Diego Zoo Safari Park were added to the habitat in 2019.[54]
Gelada Reserve, originally called Baboon Reserve, opened in 1990. It is a two-acre recreation of theEthiopian Highlands which, at the time of its opening, was the largest primate exhibit in the United States.[55] The exhibit's main features revolve around the zoo's troop ofgeladas such as artificial rocks and earthbanks, and displays about life in the highlands and the side-by-sideevolution ofhumans and geladas. Visitors can watch the geladas from multiple viewpoints along withNubian ibex androck hyrax, all of which are mixed together in the hilly enclosure. An African village-styled café overlooks the exhibit. Baboon Reserve won the AZA Exhibit Award in 1991.[55][56] In the fall of 2014, a male gelada was born at the zoo, the first in over 13 years, and was the only zoo in the US to display them until theSan Diego Zoo in 2017 received their gelada troop for their Africa Rocks exhibit.[57][58]
Before the late 1980s, this place replaced a lawn ofaoudads.
Himalayan Highlands, which opened on June 27, 1986,[59] recreates theHimalayas region of Asia. The exhibit is known for its highly naturalistic look and use of the hilly and rocky terrain found in that portion of the zoo. The stars of the exhibit are the zoo's multiplesnow leopards. The exhibit also is home tored pandas andwhite-naped cranes. In 2006, the zoo brought in a male snow leopard named Leo fromPakistan after he was orphaned at around two months old.[60] Leo sired a male cub on April 9, 2013. The cub is one of more than 70 snow leopards born at the zoo, which was the first U.S. zoo to exhibit the species in 1903. Leo later became a grandfather when his son sired a female cub in 2017.[61]
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Madagascar!, which opened on June 20, 2008, recreates various habitats found on the island ofMadagascar and contains a variety of wildlife from the island, includinglemurs,fossas,Nile crocodiles,radiated tortoises,greater vasa parrots and highly endangeredcichlids.[40][62]Ring-tailed lemurs,collared lemurs,red ruffed lemurs,crowned lemurs, andCoquerel's sifakas are the lemur species held in the exhibit. Madagascar! holds the first tworing-tailed mongoose in the United States and is home to over 100,000Madagascar hissing cockroaches that can be named for $10 aroundValentine's Day.[5][63] The exhibit has multiple educational displays focusing on the many threats to the survival of these species as well as the WCS'sconservation work in Madagascar. The building was converted from the former Lion House, which had opened in 1903 and closed by the late 1980s. The exhibit also hastomato frogs andHenkel's leaf-tailed geckos.
The Mouse House is a small building home to various species of smallmammals, particularlyrodents. The building features bothdiurnal andnocturnal areas and a row of outdoor cages which, during the summer months, are home to a variety of smallprimates, many of which are former monkey house inhabitants. Species includeblack and rufous elephant shrews,eastern spiny mice,harvest mice,common degus,African pouched rats,northern Luzon giant cloud rats,lesser hedgehog tenrecs,Damaraland mole-rats,northern treeshrews,long-tailed chinchillas, andfeathertail gliders.
The current Aquatic Bird House opened on September 24, 1964, on the foundation of the original house, which was opened on November 8, 1899, with the rest of the zoo. The building features a multitude of mostly open-fronted enclosures mainly focusing oncoastal andwetland habitats and the species that rely on them.[64]Scarlet ibises,roseate spoonbills,anhingas,boat-billed herons andMadagascar crested ibises are among the residents here. The exhibit also features an outdoor pond home to a flock ofAmerican flamingos and a large aviary home forlesser adjutant storks.
The zoo is one of only three zoos in North America working with the endangered storks and has bred them several times, including the hatching of two chicks on June 27 and August 15, 2015.[65] The Aquatic Bird House is also home to another endangered stork species: theStorm's stork. The zoo is one of only two in the United States working with this species; the other being theSan Diego Zoo. In May 2014, the zoo opened a new nocturnal enclosure for aNorth Island brown kiwi in the building,[66] and in May 2015, a colony ofAustralian little penguins from theTaronga Zoo were added.[67]
The Russell B. Aitken Sea Bird Aviary, which opened on May 17, 1997, is a huge walk-throughaviary designed to resemble thePatagonian coast. The aviary stands at 60-feet high, occupies 615,000 cubic feet, is supported by five steel arches, and netted with a stainless steel mesh. The aviary was built to replace the original De Jur Aviary that opened with the zoo in 1899 and collapsed in a snowstorm in February 1995.[68] The exhibit's height and open space allows the residents to soar around above visitor's heads and the fakesea cliff walls allows for more naturalnesting androosting behavior. The aviary is home to about 100 birds, most beingInca terns, but also a small colony ofMagellanic penguins,grey gulls, andbrown pelicans. The aviary was also home to the lastguanay cormorant in captivity outside of South America. In April 2014, fourPeruvian pelicans were added to the exhibit,[69] and in January 2015, a pair ofruddy-headed geese were added.[70]
Tiger Mountain, which opened on May 15, 2003, is a three-acre exhibit which featuresAmur tigers and occasionallyMalayan tigers, who are usually kept off-exhibit. The exhibit has two enclosures with glass viewing, the second of which has a 10,000 gallon pool with underwater viewing. Outside of thetigers, the exhibit has multiple interactive displays designed to educate visitors onbehavioral enrichment and on the zoo's/WCS'ex-situ andin-situ conservation.
The exhibit won the AZA Exhibit Award in 2004.[71] The zoo has had good breeding successful with bothsubspecies of tiger, having bred both in 2010.[72] Another set of Siberian tiger cubs were born in 2012,[73] and a pair of Malayan tiger cubs were born in 2016.[74] One of the tiger cubs named Nadia tested positive forCOVID-19 during theCOVID-19 pandemic in New York City, but have since recovered from the disease.[75] Across from the entrance to Tiger Mountain, a large herd ofPère David's deer and a pair ofwhooper swans can be found.
Before 2003, this part of the area was once Wolf Wood, and includes a pack ofwolves.
World of Birds, which originally opened in 1972, is an indoor bird house spanning two floors and featuring several walk-throughaviaries. The building closed for repairs and upgrades in the summer of 2010,[76] and reopened the following year. The exhibit has multiple educational displays focusing ondeforestation and theillegal wildlife trade and their affects on wild bird populations. The most prominent residents of the exhibit include themaleos,[77]great hornbills,knobbed hornbills,Andean cock-of-the-rocks,Nicobar pigeons,southern bald ibises,great argus pheasants,ocellated turkeys,hyacinth macaws,grey parrots,grey-winged trumpeters,lesser birds-of-paradise andwhite-throated bee-eaters. Some mammals likeBolivian gray titis andgreater mouse deer also live here.Emus can be found in an outdoor yard. In mid-2009, the zoo's hand-reared pair ofgreat blue turacos successfully raised chicks, the first known instance of a hand-reared pair doing so.[78] In March 2013, three maleo chicks hatched at the zoo, bringing their total number of birds to 12. The zoo, along with the WCS, works toward preserving this species in the wild as well.[77]
World of Darkness opened in 1969 and was the world's first major exhibit designed specifically to introduce the public tonocturnal animals such asaye-ayes,naked mole-rats,common vampire bats,Seba's short-tailed bats,ringtails,gray mouse lemurs,red-rumped agoutis,Egyptian fruit bats,broad-snouted caimans,fat-tailed dwarf lemurs,blood pythons,Mohol bushbabies,northern Luzon giant cloud rats,Hoffman's two-toed sloths,nine-banded armadillos,pygmy slow lorises,dourocoulis,sand cats,Guatemalan beaded lizards,Timor pythons,New Caledonian giant geckos,Texas blind salamanders,blind cave fish,emperor scorpions, andpinktoe tarantulas.[79] Built byMorris Ketchum Jr. & Associates, the house was built where the zoo's Rocking Stone Restaurant stood until 1942. The exhibit usedred-lights to dimly illuminate the enclosures within the windowless building. Like all nocturnal exhibits, the house ran on a reversed lighting schedule, which simulated night and day at opposite times to allow visitors to view nocturnal animals in a more naturalistic setting.[80] Due to budget cuts and the high cost of running the exhibit, it was closed in 2009.[32][33] On November 28, 2024, during the 98thMacy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the zoo ran a float that hinted at the return of the exhibit.[81] This was later confirmed on December 4 when the zoo announced that the exhibit reopened on July 12, 2025. The exhibit used to have species includingleopard cats,Rodrigues flying foxes,bay duikers,African brush-tailed porcupines,spotted skunks,rock cavies,common genets,Pallas's long-tongued bats,Jamaican fruit bats,lesser spear-nosed bats,short-tailed bats,sand boas, andmarine toads until 2009.
World of Reptiles has been an attraction at the zoo since it first opened. The building's first curator wasRaymond Lee Ditmars, who had kept 45 snakes in his attic before being hired at the zoo.[82] The exhibit is a long hall with variousterrariums situated on both sides. The exhibit also features a nursery area, which exhibits newbornherptiles born at the zoo, as well as a window into the off-show breeding and caring facilities. In the building, the zoo breeds and exhibits a wide range of species, includingChinese alligators,blue iguanas,Cuban crocodiles,false gharials,dyeing poison dart frogs,eyelash vipers,Fly River turtles,giant musk turtles,green anacondas,hellbenders,Milos viper,king cobras andPhilippine sailfin lizards. The building also is home to the zoo's breeding population ofKihansi spray toads, which the zoo saved from extinction.[83] On March 25, 2011, anEgyptian cobra escaped from its off-show enclosure, during which time the exhibit was closed to the public. Six days later, the animal was found elsewhere in the building. The zoo named the cobra MIA (Missing In Action) and placed it on exhibit.[84]
The Pheasant Aviary is a long row of cages home to a large variety of bird species, particularly pheasants. Exhibited species includeElliot's pheasant,Lady Amherst's pheasant,Cabot's tragopan,blue eared-pheasant,mountain peacock-pheasant,Mérida helmeted curassow,Swinhoe's pheasant,Java peafowl,eastern loggerhead shrike (Lanius ludovicianus migrans),white-throated ground-dove,Lord Derby's parakeet,Montezuma oropendola andyellow-crested cockatoo.
Birds of Prey is a row of cages for multipleraptor species. The exhibit is home tobald eagles,golden eagles,turkey vultures,snowy owls,Andean condors,palm nut vultures andking vultures. In February 2011, the zoo received two bald eagles rescued inWyoming.[85] Nearby is a small pond forblack-necked swans,American white pelicans andbrown pelicans.
The Zoo Center, built in 1908, is a one-storyBeaux-Arts building located in Astor Court. The exhibit housesblue tree monitors,Mertens' water monitors andspiny-tailed monitors indoors and has both indoor and outdoor enclosures forKomodo dragons,Aldabra giant tortoises andsouthern white rhinoceros.[86] The building's animalfrieze was carved byA. P. Proctor.[5] In 2000, the building was landmarked.[87] The building is east of the Children's Zoo and south of Madagascar!.[88]
The building was originally designed as the zoo's Elephant House and has held all threeelephant species over its history.[89] The building has also been home to variousrhinoceros species,hippopotamus,Bactrian camel,Malayan tapir andNorth Sulawesi babirusa. The building also held Rapunzel, one of the fewSumatran rhinos held in U.S. zoos, until her death in 2005.[90]
The Bison Range is in the northeast corner of the zoo,[91] and has been a feature of the zoo since its opening, having been only renovated since 1971. The range initially served to breedPlains bison, who were in danger of becomingextinct in the United States. The exhibit is one of the few large herds of bison in U.S. zoos. In 1913, at the behest of theAmerican Bison Society, fourteen bison were transported from the range toMontana'sNational Bison Range, as well as toWind Cave National Park inSouth Dakota.[92]
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Northern Ponds is a series of naturalistic ponds home to a variety ofwaterfowl and other aquatic birds both wild and captive. Captive residents includered-crowned cranes,red-breasted geese,lesser white-fronted geese,ruddy ducks,barnacle geese,mute swans andtrumpeter swans. A wide variety of wild bird species can also be found in the ponds, including several nativeducks such asmallards andmergansers, as well as other birds such asblack-capped night-herons.[93]
In June 2024, a red-crowned crane chick hatched in this exhibit.[94]
The Mitsubishi Riverwalk is a path that curves around theBronx River, on the opposite bank from the zoo. It opened in 2004 upon the completion of a cleanup project on the river. The walkway was funded byMitsubishi International Corporation Foundation[95] and protects 15 acres (6.1 ha) of Bronx Riverwatershed.[96]
One admission to a premium exhibit costs $7 per exhibit if paid separately. A holder of a limited admission may upgrade for a fee, granting the ticket holder free access to all attractions for that day. Family memberships include full access.[97]
There are nine premium exhibit attractions:
Budgie Landing is an exhibit featuring of 1,000budgerigars which opened on May 27, 2023.[98] Unlike premium attractions and exhibits, Budgie Landing requires all visitors pay a small entrance fee ($5 for regular guests and $3 for members). A complementary feeding stick is handed out with admission.[99]
The Bug Carousel has seats shaped likeinsects. Installed in 2005, it has an annual ridership of 540,000 as of 2014.[100]
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This permanent structure is an indoorbutterfly conservatory which lets visitors walk through gardens and meadows and watch the butterflies up close.[101] Built and inaugurated in mid-1996, the attraction is a 170-foot-long maze, where "visitors can walk through the stages of amonarch'smetamorphosis" with agreenhouse in the middle hosting 44 species and over 1,000 butterflies; the greenhouse is really "a plastic tent on an aluminum frame".
The structure, costing $500,000, is the precursor for a future permanent House of Invertebrates in the Monkey House near the Fordham Road entrance. Many species come from theNew York metropolitan area, and all species ofbutterflies andmoths are from around the continent.If not successful, theOklahoma City Zoo would have purchased it in September 1997.[102]
Before the Butterfly Garden opened, this was where the GreatApe House was located, and it was once home togorillas,chimpanzees,orangutans, andgibbons through the exhibit's history.
The original Children's Zoo in the Bronx Zoo opened in 1941 with anursery-rhyme theme; in 1981, a new Children's Zoo opened, and was instantly successful, seeing almost 250,000 visitors in two months. It closed for renovations in 2013;[103] it reopened on May 30, 2015, with new exhibits featuringgiant anteaters,common degus,Patagonian maras,white-nosed coatis,Linnaeus's two-toed sloths,squirrel monkeys,American flamingos,Asian small-clawed otters,North American porcupines,great horned owls,striped skunks,prairie dogs,fennec foxes,African spurred tortoises,Nubian goats,zebus,alpacas,sheep,donkeys,chickens,ducks,pigs,geese, anddomestic turkeys.[104]
In the southwestern part of the zoo, Congo Gorilla Forest is a 6.5-acre (2.6 ha) rainforest that is home to the 20 or sowestern lowland gorillas in the zoo.Angolan colobus,Wolf's guenons,pygmy marmosets,mandrills,okapis,red river hogs, anornate monitor, and anAfrican rock python also call this area home. It also includes a bird exhibit that houseswhite-crested hornbills,Congo peafowls, andAfrican pygmy geese.[105]
The Congo Gorilla Forest was opened in 1999 and was visited 7,000,000 times as of 2009[update].[106] In one of the largest breeding groups ofwestern lowland gorillas inNorth America, the exhibit has two troops of gorillas, for a total of 19 gorillas. Since 1999, 14gorillas, 23red river hogs, 11Wolf's guenons, and fourokapis have been born in the exhibit.[106] There is also an 8-minute film in the middle of the exhibit, as well as viewing points throughout. In total, there are about 400 animals from 55 species. Over $10.6 million for conservation of Central African habitats has been collected in donations since the exhibit's opening,[107] and the exhibit has netted $12.5 million in exhibit fees as of 2014[update].[108][109]
Before the Congo Gorilla Forest was constructed, this site was once South America, and it is known to housepygmy hippopotamuses,tapirs,giant anteaters,Patagonian maras,guanacos,greater rheas,babirusas,brocket deer, andpeccaries.
This exhibit is an indoor tropical jungle and home to nearly 800 species[110] includingAsian small-clawed otters,Javan lutungs,silvery lutungs,northern white-cheeked gibbons,Matschie's tree-kangaroos,gharials, aclouded leopard,common treeshrews, acarpet python,northern Luzon giant cloud rats,greater mouse deer,Malayan tapirs, andlesser adjutants living in mangroves and on the beaches. Visitors can watch the gibbons swinging or singing and watch the otters play. The exhibit includes species that are usually on the jungle floor includingstag beetles,scorpions andfire-bellied toads, but behind glass. A pond with a waterfall lets visitors sit and observegourami andFly River turtles.[111]
Planning for JungleWorld, in the southeastern Wild Asia portion of the zoo, was started in 1977 and completed at a cost of $9.5 million in June 1985. $4.1 million in funds were donated byEnid A. Haupt, a member of theNew York Zoological Society's board of trustees.[112] The building is the largest at the zoo with an area of 1 acre (4,000 m2) and a height of 55 ft (17 m). There is a wooden path that meanders for 0.13 mi (210 m).
The building's design integrates its environment with the path, as no bars are present in the building; the walkway has no full-height barriers and short railings; and only by means of ravines, streams, or cliffs are most of the animals separated from people and each other. There is avolcanicscrub forest, amangroveswamp, alowlandevergreenrain forest with giant trees which merges into amountain rain forest and fivemuseum-like galleries connecting and explaining the habitats.[112] The building was built to emphasize the fact that 150 acres (61 ha) of rainforest is lost every minute.[113]
Themonorail was inaugurated in 1977 with the rest of the formerly underdeveloped Wild Asia section of the zoo. There are six 9-car monorails on this 1.6 mi (2.6 km) ride, originally built byRohr; the ride was refurbished in 2007.[114] Some animals in the zoo can only be seen on this ride such astigers,Przewalski's horses,greater one-horned rhinoceros,Asian elephants,red pandas, and a plethora ofeven-toed ungulates such asaxis deer,barasingha,blackbuck,Bactrian deer,gaurs,brow-antlered deer,babirusas,sambar deer,nilgai,red muntjacs,Indian hog deer,Formosan sika deer,tufted deer,Himalayan tahrs, andmarkhors.[3]
This ride takes visitors through a 40-acre (16 ha) area that recreates the mud wallows and pastures, forests and riverbanks of Asia. Visitors will seetigers,Indian elephants,rhinos and wild horses in their natural habitats. As the monorail travels along the Bronx River, visitors can see native animals includingegrets,turtles, andducks. The monorail is accessible for wheelchairs up to 26 inches (66 cm) wide. Smaller chairs are available at the monorail platform for visitors with wider wheelchairs or motorized scooters.[115]
Nature Trek opened on July 1, 2017, in the southeast portion of the park near Wild Asia. It consists of twelvecovered rope bridges[116] connecting small porches on the sides of towers.[117][118][119] There are also elevated tunnels and a largeoverlook, as well as several small challenges resemblingAmerican Ninja Warrior obstacles.[116] On the ground is a play area with a sandbox, water sprinklers and structures, and branches.[120][116] Nature Trek is partially wheelchair-accessible[116] and contains ramps of varying difficulties.[117] This attraction discourages visitors who are wearing footwear such asflip-flops;high heels are prohibited.[120] As part of a push for environmental sustainability, some parts of the attraction are made ofblack locust, and the structures use existing trees within the forest.[117]
The Treetop Adventure section opened on July 7, 2017, in the northeast portion of the park near Bronx River Parking. It consists of seven different levels of rope courses: two each of beginner, intermediate, and advanced, and one expert course.[116] There is also a 400 ft (120 m)zip-line course traversing 50 ft (15 m) the Bronx River in both directions.[118][119] The attraction also containsrope andswinging bridges, ladders and rolling and swinging objects. Separate from the rest of the zoo, it charges its own entry fee;[121][118] the fee is only applied to those who are climbing on the objects or using the zip-line.[121] Open year-round,[116] the attraction prohibits riders who are less than 7 years old and less than 50 lb (23 kg), or more than 275 lb (125 kg).[117][116] After 6 years of operation, Treetop Adventure closed in 2023.[122][123]
Dinosaur Safari takes visitors on a safari ride through a normally off-exhibit 2-acre wooded area and featuresanimatronicdinosaurs from throughout time, starting at 300-million-years ago in thePermian Period and ending 235-million-years later in theCretaceous Period. The ride lasts approximately 20 minutes. The "robo-saurs" are manufactured by Billings Productions, who lease them out to sites all over the world. The exhibit features more popular species such as theTyrannosaurus rex,Triceratops,Stegosaurus,Velociraptor andBrachiosaurus, as well as less well-known species such as thePachycephalosaurus,Carnotaurus andSpinosaurus. The ride'sDilophosaurus spit water at visitors as a nod to the species' acid-spitting abilities inSteven Spielberg'sJurassic Park film andMichael Crichton'snovel, even though there is no reason to believe the living animal did so.[124][125] The exhibit originally ran through the summers of 2013[124] and 2014[125] and returned for the 2019 season.[126] It also returned for the 2022 season as a walking trail, and after a three year hiatus.[127]
On April 12, 2025, Dinosaur Safari opened once again. Visitors can get up-close to life-sized animatronics of dinosaurs and pterosaurs plus 11 new ones. Kids can dig up ancient fossils in a sandbox, and they can walk through a ribcage and enjoy photo ops with dinosaur eggs.[128]
Rare Animal Range was a trail which focused on highly endangered species.[129] Featured species includedguanaco,Formosan sika deer,pied ruffed lemurs andblue-eyed black lemurs.[130][131] The exhibit also had duplicate enclosures for the zoo'sArabian oryx,blesbok,Père David's deer andbroad-snouted caiman as well as a large pond with a pair of small islands in the center which were home to a pair ofgolden-cheeked gibbons. They had the Big Birds exhibits, which were lawns forostriches,emus,rheas, andcassowaries. Due to budget cuts and the unpopularity of many of the species, the zoo was forced to close the exhibit in 2009.[32][33]
While most of the species left the zoo when the exhibit closed, the Formosan sika deer were moved to the Wild Asia Monorail and the Père David's deer remained in their primary enclosure across from Tiger Mountain while the blue-eyed black lemurs were moved to Madagascar! where they are rotated with the Coquerel's sifakas. While no longer at the zoo, pied ruffed lemurs can still be seen at the zoo's partner institute, theCentral Park Zoo.[132] The zoo's popular Dinosaur Safari ran through a part of this area and the zoo's yearly Run for the Wild event runs through its entirety.
On April 20, 2024, the Animal Chronicles opened in honor of the 125th Anniversary of the Bronx Zoo. it features 13 scenes of 68 animal eco-sculptures that showcase key achievements in the zoo's 125 year history of saving animal species and connecting visitors to wildlife.
The Skyfari was a populargondola lift which transported visitors from the Zoo Center to the Asian Plaza, running over African Plains and several other popular exhibits at the zoo. The seasonal exhibit ran from April to October and rose 60 to 100 ft (18 to 30 m) feet in the air. With around 490,000 riders annually, the lift was the zoo's third most popular attraction after Congo Gorilla Forest and the Wild Asia Monorail. Despite its popularity, ticket sales for it were barely breaking-even andmaintenance costs led to a loss of profit. On July 8, 2008, high winds and heat led to one of the cars derailing, which trapped thirty-six passengers for up to five hours.[133] Due to this, along with heavy budget cuts, the ride was permanently closed in January 2009, after 35 years of operation.[134]
The Monkey House, which first opened in 1901 and was originally named the Primate House, closed in late February 2012 after 111 years of operation.[135][136] At the time of closing, it was home tocotton-top tamarins,white-faced sakis,Wied's marmosets,moustached tamarins,black-chinned emperor tamarins,Goeldi's monkeys andgrey-handed night-monkeys, as well asBrazilian porcupines andPallas's long-tongued bats. This was the building whereOta Benga spent most of his time during his stay at the zoo.[136]
Some of the primates that were in the now-closed exhibit have been moved to other parts of the zoo, such as the cotton-top tamarins now being found in World of Birds; others were sent to other New York City zoos, such as the sakis being moved to theCentral Park Zoo.White-headed capuchins can still be seen in an outdoor cage behind the building.[136]
Amazing Amphibians was a short-lived exhibition which opened in the zoo's Zoo Center in June 2008 and only remained for a few years. The exhibit featured several educational displays onamphibian conservation as well as a fewterrariums containing several amphibian species. Highlight species includedChacoan horned frog,Puerto Rican crested toad,smooth-sided toad andcommon mudpuppy.[137]
While none of these species are currently on-exhibit at the zoo, the Puerto Rican crested toads can be seen at theCentral Park Zoo, which breeds this species forreintroduction back intoPuerto Rico.[138]
The 4-D Theater showed4-D films with the help of3-D film and built-in sensory effects, including moving seats, wind, mist, and scents.[139] Produced bySimEx-Iwerks, the theater showed condensed versions of popular children's movies. The 4-D Theater previously showedIce Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, one episode ofDora the Explorer,Rio andStorks. It closed in 2019 and was replaced with a giraffe encounter where guests can feed the giraffes for a fee.
The Most Dangerous Animal in the World exhibit debuted at the Bronx Zoo on April 26, 1963.[140] The exhibit was installed at the Great Apes House and it featured a statement about the danger humans pose.[141]
The words: "The Most Dangerous Animal in the World" were printed in red on top of a cage.[142] Behind the bars of the cage there was a mirror. The exhibit was reportedly still at the zoo in 1981.[143]
In April 2008, the zoo hosted the first Run for the Wild event. The event is a5k run (5 km (3.1 mi) long) organized by the Wildlife Conservation Society with the goal of raising money and awareness for their conservation programs of endangered species. Each year, there is a set entry fee for participants with varying prices depending on age; child (3–15), adult, and senior (65+). WCS Members get a discounted fee. Along with the entry fee, there is a $35 minimum donation per adult/senior participant. The event offers free prizes for donors, based on donation size, ranging from a Run for the Wild T-shirt to a special animal experience at the zoo. All donations aretax-deductible. All participants are also offered free all-day entry to the zoo and its paid exhibits/attractions. The yearly event takes place at the end of April and originally began at 8 am for those wishing to actually run, and 8:45 for those who wish to simply walk or jog; the start times were changed to 7 am and 7:45 am in later years.[144]
The event takes participants through the zoo before opening hours, starting at the Bronx River Parkway Entrance, through the Asian Plaza and African Plains, and ending by the Rockefeller Fountain near Astor Court. The trail also takes runners through the now-closed section of the zoo where the Rare Animal Range once stood. Each year, the event focuses on a specific endangered species or animal group to help raise funds for: 2009's run was forgorillas, 2010 focused ontigers, 2011 helped raise funds to protect thePunta Tombo peninsula ofArgentina forMagellanic penguins, 2012 focused onlions, both 2013 and 2014 focused onelephants, 2015 once again was for gorillas, and 2016's run will allow participants to run on behalf of their favorite animal.[144][145]
In 2011, another WCS institute, theNew York Aquarium, held its own Run for the Wild event forsea turtles in early October. The 5k run began at the aquarium and led down theRiegelmann Boardwalk onConey Island.[146] The aquarium held a second run the following year forwalruses.[147] The event has not returned to the aquarium since.
In 1905, the zoo's first director,William T. Hornaday, along withPresidentTheodore Roosevelt and other conservationists, created theAmerican Bison Society (ABS) in an attempt to save theAmerican bison fromextinction. The bison had been depleted from tens-of-millions of animals to only a few hundred by the end of the 19th century due towestward expansion. The society worked to breed the species in captivity as well as raise public awareness, raise money to create protected reserves, andreintroduce bison back into the wild.[15] On October 11, 1907, the first reintroduction of bison began when the zoo sent six males and nine females, by rail, to theWichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge inOklahoma. Seven days later, the animals were successfully reintroduced to the park.[148] By 1935, the society, who had successfully carried out several more reintroductions from bison kept in zoos and ranches, considered their work done and disbanded that year.
In 2005, the Wildlife Conservation Society resurrected and re-purposed the ABS to, "help build the social and scientific foundations for theecological restoration of bison", and, "restore bison ecologically, not just animals in pens but actual functioning animals in the larger landscape", (Keith Aune, WCS bison coordinator).[149][150] According to a study published in 2012, virtually all wild and captive bison in the United States arehybrids withcattle genes, with the exception of the two distinct breeding populations withinYellowstone National Park and their descendants. The cattle genes entered the bison population due to private ranchers hybridizing their bison to make them more docile, with some of these animals being accidentally reintroduced by the ABS.[151] In response, in the fall of 2011, the WCS arranged for a herd of female bison originating from theAmerican Prairie Reserve to be sent to theColorado State University's Animal Reproduction & Biotechnology Laboratory to be used assurrogates in an attempt totransfer the fertilized embryos of genetically pure bison. After anultrasound showed one female to be pregnant, the herd was moved to the zoo where, on June 20, 2012, the calf was born. The herd is kept in an off-exhibit section of the zoo and the goal is to eventually create a breeding herd of genetically pure bison through embryo transfers with the surrogate hybrid bison.[152]
In 1981, the zoo successfully implanted agaur embryo into aHolstein cow in an attempt toclone the endangered species.[5][153]
In 1990, the zoo experienced a pest problem with theCanada goose. The park had become so over-crowded with the geese, that the zoo had to take action to decrease their numbers. Apart from their presence, the geese were very aggressive towards other birds and occasionally carried diseases into the park. To cope with the problem, the zoo hired asharpshooter, who killed 19 geese. Zoo workers also destroyed 144 eggs found on the property. In 1991, the zoo employed a gentler method of sterilizing the birds.[154]
In 2005, the zoo sent the frozen sperm of a maleIndian rhinoceros to theCincinnati Zoo where, four years later in 2009, it was thawed out and used in the first successfulartificial insemination of the species when a calf was born in late 2010.[155] The calf did not survive long-term.
In August 2006, the zoo adopted an orphanedsnow leopard cub, named Leo. The 13-month-old cub was found stuck in mud following a landslide inNaltar Valley inPakistan. The landslide had killed the cub's mother. A Pakistani shepherd in the area found the cub with its female sibling, but the female had died a week later due to malnutrition. He then handed over the male cub to Pakistani authorities to care for him. Since there are no captive breeding programs orrehabilitation centers for snow leopards in Pakistan, the authorities decided to send the cub to the Bronx Zoo. The cat will be returned to its place of birth following construction of a rehab facility in the Naltar Valley with cooperation from the United States.[6][156][157][158] On April 9, 2013, Leo sired a cub. He was the first cub of Leo.[159]
In 2007, the zoo successfully reintroduced threeChinese alligators into the wild. In July 2009, the zoo announced that the reintroduced alligators had begun breeding naturally in the wild, producing 15 hatchlings. The breeding was a milestone in the zoo's 10-year effort toreintroduce the species to theYangtze River in China.[160]
In January 2010, the zoo adopted four abandonedbrown bear cubs. Three of the bears, two males and one female, were siblings born in 2009 and rescued from theABC Islands in Alaska. The cubs were named Kootz, Denali, and Sitka. The fourth cub, agrizzly bear born in 2008, was rescued fromGlacier National Park inMontana and named Glacier after the park.[51] In 2015, two other rescued grizzly bears, who had been at the zoo since 1995, were sent to one of the zoo's partner institutions, theCentral Park Zoo.[52]
The next month, an "assurance colony" ofKihansi spray toads was placed in the zoo. The species disappeared in their nativeTanzania home.[161]
In February 2011, the zoo took in twobald eagles that were rescued inWyoming. The 5-year-old male was found in 2008 and was believed to have been hit by a car. The 3-year-old female was believed to have been injured during a storm. The birds were taken in by theU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and sent to the Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge inNew Jersey for evaluation and care, where it was decided they were unable to survive in the wild.[85]
In December 2012, five Chineseyellow-headed box turtles, a critically endangered species, were born.[162]
In December 2015, the zoo rescued a juvenileIndian cobra which had stowed away on a cargo ship destined for New Jersey. The snake was found in poor condition beingdehydrated, cold, and exposed to oil residue. The animal was brought to the zoo for recovery. It's unclear how the snake got onto the ship since it set out from Singapore, which is outside of the species' natural range.[163]
On July 29, 1985, two female Siberian tigers killed 24-year-old animal keeper Robin Silverman after she entered their enclosure with a volunteer aide.[164] It was unclear why Silverman entered the enclosure; the zoo's general curator suspected a lapse in Silverman's concentration, while her family suspected a failure on the part of the zoo. It was the first and only human fatality in the zoo's history.[165]
In 2001, the zoo added a troop ofJavan langurs to JungleWorld, sharing an enclosure withAsian small-clawed otters.[166] Since the addition of the langurs, they were sighted taunting and provoking the otters.[167] In June 2007, a romp of otters grabbed a langur near the water and proceeded to maul and drown it in full view of visitors. A zookeeper on the viewing deck attempted to break up the fight by whistling at the otters. To no avail of the keeper, the otters killed the langur. Part of the incident was recorded and uploaded to YouTube.[168]
In 2010, the otters were relocated into two exhibits, one at the Children's Zoo[169] and another in JungleWorld.[170]
In 1902, a seven-month-old malejaguar broke out of his cage and escaped.[5]
In July 1957, a platypus namedPenelope who had recently made headlines for faking a pregnancy disappeared, abandoning her mate, Cecil. Zookeepers searched the premises but found no evidence of her.[171]
In February 1995, the zoo's De Jur Aviary collapsed during a snowstorm with about 100 seabirds, includingInca terns andgulls, inside. During the collapse, some of the residents flew off and escaped. In total, about 30 birds were lost.[68]
On March 26, 2011, the Bronx Zoo announced that World of Reptiles was closed after a venomous adolescentcobra was discovered missing from its off-exhibit enclosure on March 25. Zoo officials were confident the missing cobra would be found in the building and not outside, since the species is known to be uncomfortable in open areas.[172] The missing snake quickly sparked a popularTwitter parody account, @BronxZoosCobra,[173] which narrated the daily hijinks of the cobra.[174] On March 31, zoo authorities found the snake in a non-public area of the reptile house.[175]
On May 9, 2011, a femalegreen peafowl escaped from the zoo before being caught on May 11.[176]
On September 11, 2011, alesser kudu escaped from its enclosure for about half an hour and then returned to its enclosure once a zoo worker opened the gate.[177]
On April 26, 2023, anIndian peafowl given the nickname Raul escaped from the zoo and reportedly bit a man, although those reports were never confirmed. Raul flew back into the zoo at 11:17 a.m. the next day.[178]
In the early 1970s, sevenIndian elephants, named after the Seven Dwarfs fromSnow White, were captured as calves inThailand and dispersed among multiple U.S. zoos andcircuses. Two of those calves, Grumpy and Happy, both females, were brought to the zoo in 1977. Over the next 25 years, the pair lived together, separated from the zoo's other elephants. In July 2002, the zoo attempted to mix the pair with two other females, Patty and Maxine. However, the introduction failed when Patty and Maxine attacked the pair and injured Grumpy. Over the next several months, the elephant's injuries worsened and, in October of that year, the zoo was forced toeuthanize her. With her lifelong companion gone, Happy was paired with the zoo's younger female, Sammy, whose companion, Tus, had also died in 2002. The two got along very well until Sammy developed severeliver disease and was also euthanized in early 2006. This left Patty, Maxine, and Happy as the zoo's only remaining elephants.[179]
Despite the fact that elephants are highly social animals, the zoo decided that making a second attempt at introducing Happy to the others was too risky, with there being too high a chance that she would be attacked. She has since lived without the company of other elephants. Due to this, the zoo has been criticized by multipleanimal rights organizations for supposedly mistreating Happy.People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) filed a formal complaint against the zoo with theAssociation of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), calling for them to strip the zoo of its accreditation. In Defense of Animals (IDA) has named the zoo the "Hall of Shame Winner" on their 2015, 2016, and 2017 'Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants'.[180] IDA listed the zoo fourth on their 2012 list,[181] fifth on their 2013 and 2014 lists,[182][183] and eighth on their 2009 list.[184] These organizations, as well as manyonline petitions (some of which gain up to 200,000 supporters), have called on the zoo to send Happy to anelephant sanctuary. However, the zoo said that moving her at this stage in her life might be potentially traumatizing for her, and that she has very strong bonds with her keepers and is well-adjusted to the zoo, where she has spent well over thirty years of her life.[179][185]
In 2012, a reporter for theNew York Post wrote that she is kept inside all year and insolitary confinement. The zoo claims that she and the other two elephants have equal access to outdoor yards, and that the three elephants have limited interactions with each other and extensive interactions with zoo keepers. All three animals share the same barn, but Happy lives in separate stalls and yards.[185] In late 2018, one of the zoo's other elephants, Maxine, was euthanized due to complications with her liver and kidneys.[186]
A lawsuit against the Bronx Zoo, stating that Happy was legally "a person with a right to be free", was dismissed in February 2020 by a judge of the Bronx County Supreme Court.[187] However, in May 2021, theNew York Court of Appeals agreed to hear the appeal, filed on behalf of Happy by theNonhuman Rights Project.[188] In June 2022, the Court of Appeals also ruled in favor of the zoo, saying in a 5–2 decision that thewrit of habeas corpus did not apply to nonhuman animals.[189][190]
In 1906,Ota Benga, a man from theMbutipygmy ethnic group, was brought to the zoo by the American businessman and explorerSamuel Phillips Verner, and displayed there as an exhibit, though he was allowed to roam the grounds freely. He became fond of anorangutan named Dohong, "the presiding genius of the Monkey House", who had been taught to perform tricks and imitate human behavior.[191]: 172–174 The events leading to his "exhibition" alongside Dohong were gradual. Benga spent some of his time in the Monkey House exhibit, where the zoo encouraged him to hang hishammock and to shoot his bow and arrow at a target. On the first day of the exhibit, September 8, 1906, visitors found Benga in the Monkey House.[192] Soon, a sign on the exhibit read:
The African Pigmy, "Ota Benga."
Age, 23 years. Height, 4 feet 11 inches.
Weight, 103 pounds. Brought from the
Kasai River, Congo Free State, South
Central Africa, by Dr. Samuel P. Verner.
Exhibited each afternoon during September.[193]
Hornaday considered the exhibit a valuable spectacle for visitors; he was supported byMadison Grant, secretary of theNew York Zoological Society, who lobbied to put Benga on-display alongsideapes at the zoo. A decade later, Grant became prominent nationally as aracial anthropologist andeugenicist.[191]: 173–175
African-American clergymen immediately protested to zoo officials about the exhibit. James H. Gordon said, "Our race, we think, is depressed enough, without exhibiting one of us with the apes ... We think we are worthy of being considered human beings, with souls."[192] Gordon also thought the exhibit was hostile to Christianity and a promotion ofDarwinism: "The Darwinian theory is absolutely opposed to Christianity, and a public demonstration in its favor should not be permitted."[192] A number of clergymen backed Gordon.[194]: 47 In defense of the depiction of Benga as a lesser human, an editorial inThe New York Times suggested:
We do not quite understand all the emotion which others are expressing in the matter ... It is absurd to make moan over the imagined humiliation and degradation Benga is suffering. The pygmies ... are very low in the human scale, and the suggestion that Benga should be in a school instead of a cage ignores the high probability that school would be a place ... from which he could draw no advantage whatever. The idea that men are all much alike except as they have had or lacked opportunities for getting an education out of books is now far out of date.[194]: 48
Benga was allowed to roam the grounds of the zoo. In response to the situation, as well as verbal and physical prods from the crowds, he became more mischievous and somewhat violent.[195]: Chapter on Ota Benga Around this time, Rev. Dr. R. MacArthur of Calvary Baptist Church, was quoted inThe New York Times saying: "It is too bad that there is not some society like the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. We send our missionaries to Africa to Christianize the people, and then we bring one here to brutalize him." Soon, the zoo removed Benga from the grounds.[196] Toward the end of 1906, Benga was released into Reverend Gordon's custody.[197] Gordon placed Benga in theHoward Colored Orphan Asylum, a church-sponsoredorphanage inBrooklyn that Gordon supervised. As the unwelcome press attention continued, in January 1910, Gordon arranged for Benga's relocation toLynchburg, Virginia, where he lived with the family ofGregory W. Hayes.[198] While there, Benga received tutoring from Lynchburg-basedHarlem Renaissance poetAnne Spencer.[199]
Benga committed suicide in 1916 at the age of 32.[200] In 2020, WCS apologized for the zoo's treatment of Benga and promotion of eugenics.[201]
During the 1980s, some well known celebrities including British naturalistDavid Attenborough,Superman actorChristopher Reeve, andMuppets creatorJim Henson visited the Bronx Zoo for special programs, mostly dedicated to helping teenagers and children alike learn about animals.[citation needed]
In 2013, So What? Press published an issue of its comic seriesTales of the Night Watchman, entitled "The Night Collector", about a coven of vampires that takes over the bat exhibit at the Bronx Zoo. A zookeeper who specializes in bats is put at odds with his co-worker when it is discovered that the woman of their mutual affection has been turned into a vampire. It was written by Dave Kelly and illustrated byLee Knox Ostertag.[202]
In March 2016,Animal Planet announced plans to produce adocu-series about the zoo, titledThe Zoo. The series premiered on February 18, 2017[203] and gained a second season in March 2018.[204]
The antelope house at the Bronx Zoological Park was opened to the public yesterday.
President Taft paid a two-hour visit to the Bronx Zoological Gardens yesterday afternoon, as the guest of the New York Zoological Society.
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