![]() ![]() In 2006, the Pittsburgh Zoo completed Water's Edge, a marine exhibit that allows guests to have close encounters with polar bears, sea otters, and sand tiger sharks. This was the first instance of a human fatality at the zoo, although there had been injuries. She butted him with her head, crushing him against the ground and killing him instantly. ![]() Gatti, 46, was killed while attempting to encourage the elephant to move to a different part of her enclosure. On November 19, 2002, elephant keeper Mike Gatti was killed by one of the zoo's elephants. This expansion was made possible by the Scaife Charitable Foundation and by donations from senator Rick Santorum. In 2002, the Education Complex was expanded to include a second story, providing more classrooms, teacher resource areas, and an animal holding area. This new aquarium is twice the size of the original AquaZoo. In 2000, the AquaZoo underwent a $17.4 million renovation, and was renamed the PPG Aquarium. The construction of this building was an important part of the zoo's history because it signified the zoo's dedication to conservation and education. ![]() This new building contained five classrooms, a library, and a 300-seat lecture hall. That same year, the Education Complex was built. In 1994, the Pittsburgh Zoo became a private nonprofit organization, still owned by the City of Pittsburgh, but managed and operated by the Zoological Society of Pittsburgh. Three petting zoos were built in Children's Farm where children could pet kangaroos, deer, and domesticated animals such as sheep and goats. That same year, the Children's Zoo was renovated and renamed the Children's Farm. 1991 marked the opening of the Tropical Forest, a five-acre indoor rain forest showcasing about 16 species of primate and 150 tropical plant species. The African Savanna was the next area to obtain naturalistic exhibits when it was completed in 1987. The Asian Forest, which opened in 1983, was the first area of the zoo that utilized this new philosophy of naturalistic exhibits. This plan called for extensive renovations and the construction of more naturalistic exhibits. In 1980, the zoo's Master Plan was put into effect. At the time of its completion, the AquaZoo was the only aquarium in Pennsylvania and the second largest aquarium in the United States. In 1967, the AquaZoo, a large aquarium, opened to the public. The Children's Zoo contained interactive exhibits and play areas for children, including a simulated large chunk of cheese that was inhabited by dozens of live mice. In 1949, the Children's Zoo opened with a grant from the Sarah Mellon Scaife Foundation. These exhibits were the zoo's first attempt at constructing more naturalistic exhibits instead of simply displaying animals in cages. In 1937, the bear exhibits were built under the Works Progress Administration. However, as time progressed, the animal exhibits eventually became more naturalistic, and the zoo's goal became more focused on conservation. Like most other zoos of the time, the Pittsburgh Zoo more closely resembled a menagerie than an actual zoo. The Pittsburgh Zoo opened on June 14, 1898, as Highland Park Zoo, after Christopher Lyman Magee donated $125,000 (about four million dollars when adjusted for inflation) for the construction of a zoological garden in Pittsburgh's Highland Park. The zoo's accredited membership of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) was dropped in 2015. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's Highland Park, the zoo sits on 77 acres (31 ha) of park land where it exhibits more than 4,000 animals representing 475 species, including 20 threatened or endangered species. The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium is one of only six major zoo and aquarium combinations in the United States. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States (in Highland Park)įorest Passage, African Savanna, Tropical Forest, The Islands, Jungle Odyssey, Aquarium, Water's Edge, Kid's Kingdom ![]()
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