Fort Wayne Children's Zoo

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Fort Wayne Children's Zoo


Date opened	1952
Location	Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA
Land area	38 acres (0.15 km²
Accreditations/ Memberships	AZA
Website
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The Fort Wayne Children's Zoo (FWCZ) is a 38 acre (0.15 km²) zoo located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA.

The zoo consists of several self-contained areas, themed as regions of the world. The central zoo includes assorted animals from the Americas and a few from other regions, including prairie dogs, African penguins, wallabys, tortoises, alligators, and macaws. The sea lion tank is a major attraction, and scheduled feedings can be viewed. Monkey Island contains a family of Capuchin monkeys. Peacocks roam freely throughout the zoo. Also located in the Central Zoo are a duckpond and small aviary. Central Zoo rides include the Pony Ride and Zoo Train.

[edit] Exhibits

The African Veldt and African Village feature a savannah landscape and animals, with giraffes, zebras, leopards, an ostrich, African apes and monkeys, and many others. Rides in this area include the Safari Ride, where visitors are transported across open areas of the veldt to the village (and back, if they wish) in safari cars mounted on tracks. The African Veldt closed in 2006 to allow construction of the African Journey, to open in 2009.

The Indonesian Rainforest features orangutans, tigers, assorted birds, mammals, and primates, and a domed area containing birds, fish, reptiles, and, until recently, butterflies. This area contains an Endangered Species Carousel.

The Australian Adventure area opens with the Australia After Dark exhibit, featuring nocturnal animals. Also included is an aquarium which holds the Sharks, Rays, and Jellyfish exhibit, as well as a model coral reef with the appropriate fish. A separate building holds bats, echidnas, and owls. In the Kangaroo Walkabout, a roped path leads through an open area of kangaroos, which may cross the path at their leisure. An aviary features birds native to Australia. There are other assorted exhibits, and a Dugout Canoe Ride where you can view the Australian Adeventure from a different angle.

The recently added Indiana Family Farm expands from the old petting zoo area, which contained only goats, chickens, and deer. Now a model barn and farmhouse, as well as signs from the point of view of children living on a farm, lend atmosphere. Horses, sheep, rabbits, calves, and others are all contained in open stalls and may be touched by visitors. Barn mice and owls can be viewed. Chicks can be handled and lifted from their enclosure. Goats reside in an open paddock which visitors can enter, and can, for a price, be fed goat feed from ice cream cones and milk from bottles, or brushed for free. This area is considered part of the Central Zoo, and is located directly before the exit. The giftshop was recently renovated.

[edit] History

The FWCZ can trace its origins to 1952 when 54 acres (220,000 m²) were added to Franke Park in Fort Wayne, Indiana to establish a nature preserve. Local popularity of the preserve led to Fort Wayne officials deciding to build a full-fledged zoo by 1962. The new zoo was to target educating children about animals.

On July 3, 1965 the new Fort Wayne Children's Zoo opened on 5.5 acres (22,000 m²) with 18 animal exhibits. In 1976, a major expansion of the zoo was the African veldt attraction, where savannah animals grazed in open fields. A domed Indonesian rainforest exhibit opened in 1995. An Enclosed tiger forest exhibit opened in 1996.

In 1990, the zoo sponsored a project in the Mentawai Islands of Indonesia in an attempt to save five species of rare monkeys and apes.

On May 18, 2004 7.5-year-old "Coolah," the only Tasmanian devil to live outside of Australia, died from complications of inoperable cancer. Coolah had drawn international attention to Fort Wayne's zoo after Australia banned the export of Tasmanian devils after the species became endangered. Over the years, FWCZ was the home for 12 Tasmanian devils, the most of any zoo in the United States.

A striped possum, thought to be one of only six known born in captivity, made its debut at the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo on February 23, 2005. Zoo keepers estimate that she was born sometime in the fall of 2004.