"Opening day at Denver Zoo
In 1896, a small, orphaned black bear named Billy Bryan became the first resident of Denver Zoo. A gift to the mayor of Denver, Billy's adventurous and sometimes mischievous spirit helped mold the Zoo into what it is today
Denver Zoological Foundation
A cooperative agreement between the city and county of Denver and the Denver Zoological Foundation in the 1950s changed the face of the Zoo forever. Through the help of generous donors and support from the six-county Denver metro area's cultural tax, Denver Zoo has evolved into an impressive 80-acre wonderland in Denver's beautiful City Park.
What is the Denver Zoo like today?
In one word - extraordinary. Visitors can view 3,500 different animals, representing over 650 species. That means a rare look at exotic animals like amur leopards, king cobras, black rhinos, coral reef fish, elephants, zebras, vampire bats, gorillas and more.
Updated habitats
Modern zoo exhibitry has improved the lives of animals and created a richer experience for Denver Zoo visitors. With naturalistic habitats like the new Predator Ridge as well as Tropical Discovery, Primate Panorama and the Dragons of Komodo exhibit, the Zoo is working to enhance the lives of some of the world's most endangered species.
Preservation for the future
Not only are some current exhibits unique to Denver Zoo, but unique in the wild as well - 188 zoo species are considered threatened or endangered, and three species are actually extinct in the wild. That's why Denver Zoo continues to foster an education-based approach to the appreciation of wildlife and conservation of our precious natural resources.
At Denver Zoo our goal is to operate in the most environmentally, socially and economically friendly manner possible. Through the prevention of pollution, continuous improvement of our operations to ensure sustainability and meeting or exceeding all environmental regulations, Denver Zoo is taking positive action to secure a healthy planet for both animals and humans.
To achieve our environmental goals, Denver Zoo has created our Sustainable Management System (SMS). This system allows the zoo to identify, evaluate, manage and improve the zoo's sustainability performance. Our awarded Workplace Conservation Committee is responsible for implementing our Sustainable Management System throughout the zoo and encourages all employees to contribute to improving and expanding our SMS. " (excerpted from (
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