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In 1887,
Richard Knight, a local pharmacist who collected animals as a hobby,
officially presented his menagerie to the city and the oldest zoo west
of the Mississippi was created. The Oregon Zoo is home to animals from
all corners of the world, including Asian elephants, Peruvian penguins
and Arctic polar bears. From the mist-filled Africa Rain Forest to the
majestic Great Northwest exhibits, the zoo encourages visitors to
understand and experience the natural world. Committed to conservation
of endangered species and their habitats—both locally and around the
globe—the zoo is a center for wildlife preservation and field research.
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The Oregon Zoo’s award-winning education programs serve nearly 700,000
people both at the zoo and at schools, senior and community centers
around the region. A summer concert series, seasonal events and the zoo
railway help this popular Oregon attraction draw more than one million
visitors each year. The Oregon Zoo is all of this, but it is also a safe
place for families to share moments of discovery and fun. |
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| The
Washington Park Zoo, as it was then called, celebrated its 100th
birthday in 1987. From its humble beginnings in the back of a
pharmacy in downtown Portland to its prominence as the leading paid
attraction in the state of Oregon, the zoo has seen a multitude of
changes. |
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Born
out of his love for animals, Richard Knight, a former seaman turned
pharmacist, began collecting animals from his seafaring friends.
Knight kept his collection in the back of his drug store on Third &
Morrison streets. |
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| In 1887, Knight
officially presented his collection to the city. The collection was
moved to City Park (present water reservoir site at
Washington Park) and Portland's
first zoo was created. Park keeper Charles Meyers constructed the
first sunken, barless cage in the world to house grizzly and Alaskan
bears. |
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| The zoo
collection grew to 300 specimens, mostly from North America. |
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| Today
as a landmark and a apart of history the Oregon Zoo welcomes you
it's friends and family to discover the Zoo as a tourist and you
will be amazed at thw knowledge you gain from one visit.
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"Inspiring our
community to create a better future for wildlife"
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| Earth Friendly Operations |
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| Because we care so much about animals and their
habitats, we try to serve as a model for earth-friendly operations. Each
year, the Oregon Zoo's Green Team assembles new sustainability
resolutions using suggestions from staff members. The Green Team is a
committee comprised of employees and volunteers representing many of the
zoo's departments. With the goal of making the zoo a great environmental
ambassador, we areconstantly looking for ways to improve our practices. |
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Energy Efficiency -
- Sub-meters have been installed throughout the zoo to determine
where the consumption of water, natural gas and electricity is low and
where it needs to improve.
- Timers and sensors have been installed in service areas and we
switched to compact fluorescent lights to help lower our energy usage.
- We also started a “Power Down” campaign in our administrative
buildings. The reminders are simple but effective: stickers that say
“Power Down” on light switches in areas with infrequent use, like
bathrooms, that remind people to shut off the lights when they are
done.
- Also, our administrative computers have been placed on an automatic
shutoff system, so that they are on only during business hours.
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| Memberships are available |
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| The Oregon Zoo Foundation is a
nonprofit membership organization that offers special benefits,
including free admission to the zoo and 125 reciprocal zoos across the
country. The Foundation supports the zoo through membership drives,
fundraising activities, promotions, the ZooParent sponsor program, and
the annual ZooLaLa gala.
Zoo members hail from
towns, cities and villages throughout Oregon, from Klamath Falls to
Astoria and from Pendleton to North Bend.
Become a
member |
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The zoo is committed to providing the best possible facility for its
animals as well as the community. A comprehensive plan, "A Great Zoo:
Framework for the Future," examines the entire zoo, and incorporates the
vision, "Caring Now for the Future of Life," into each department's
goals for the next 25 years and beyond. The building master plan
balances animals, natural habitats, native culture, technology,
plantings, and innovative architecture. As always, the zoo will continue
to be a source of discovery and fun that allows visitors to understand
and experience the natural world and our place in it. |
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