Oregon Zoo

The Oregon Zoo, formerly known as the Portland Zoo and later as the Washington Park Zoo, is a zoo in Washington Park, Portland, Oregon, about 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of downtown Portland. It is the oldest zoo west of the Mississippi River, having opened in 1888. The Metro government owns the 64-acre (26-hectare) zoo. It currently houses over 1,800 animals from over 230 different species, including 19 endangered and 9 threatened species.The zoo also has a large plant collection that is displayed in its animal exhibits and specialized gardens. The zoo also operates and maintains the 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge Washington Park & Zoo Railway, which previously connected to the park's International Rose Test Garden but now runs outside.With over 1.6 million visitors in 2016, the Oregon Zoo is the state's largest paid and arguably most popular visitor attraction.  The zoo belongs to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums as well as the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

History

The Oregon Zoo was established in 1888, making it the oldest zoo west of the Mississippi.

Richard Knight started it all with two bears, one brown and one grizzly.  Knight, a former sailor turned pharmacist, began collecting animals from his seafaring friends. His collection was kept in the back of his drug store on Third and Morrison streets. When caring for the animals became too much of a burden, he attempted to sell them to the city of Portland. Instead of purchasing the animals, the city offered Knight two circus cages and permission to keep the caged bears on the grounds of City Park (now called Washington Park). The Knight family and friends were still in charge of the bears' care and feeding. It wasn't long before Knight spoke to the city council again about the bears. Only five months later, he offered to give the bears and their cages to the city. On November 7, 1888, Portland City Council accepted his offer, and the Portland Zoo was born.  It was known as the Washington Park Zoo because it was located in Washington Park.

Africa Rainforest Exhibit

The Africa Rainforest exhibit, which opened in 1991 and covers 1.3 acres (5,300 m2), cost $4.3 million to build. The exhibit includes artwork and the Congo Ranger Station, a mock-up of a safari expedition, in addition to the animals. Rodrigues fruit bats, straw-colored fruit bats, spotted-necked otters, West African slender-snouted crocodiles, and crested porcupines are among the animals on display. The rainforest is divided into three sections: the Bamba Du Jon Swamp, which is home to West African lungfish, African bullfrogs, and reptiles, the rain forest aviary, which is home to lesser flamingos, hadada ibises, and white-faced whistling ducks, and the main rain forest area.

Savanna of Africa

The Africa Savanna exhibit, which is 4 acres (16,000 m2) in size, first opened in April 1989.

 This exhibit features animals native to East Africa, as well as an aviary and areas for large mammals. Black rhinos, bontebok, Speke's gazelle, naked mole-rats, red-tailed monkeys, Masai and reticulated giraffes, and African spurred tortoises are among the species.  Citation, a plains zebra, lived at the zoo until her death in 2013. The zoo also housed a pair of hippos named Poppy and Bubbles until March 2018, when they were transferred to the Fort Worth Zoo to allow the zoo to expand its rhinoceros habitat. Predators of the Serengeti, a $6.8 million exhibit that opened in September 2009, transformed the Africa Savanna into a 2.5-acre (10,000-square-meter) site.

the location of the former Alaska Tundra exhibit, which housed Muskoxen and Grizzly Bears.Among the animals in the exhibit are African predators such as lions, cheetahs, and African wild dogs, as well as common dwarf mongooses, ring-tailed lemurs, northern red-billed horn bills, and a Central African rock python. The zoo previously housed lions, but the exhibit was closed in 1998 to make way for Steller Cove.  The three new lions are from California, Virginia, and Wisconsin zoos. On September 4, 2013, it was announced that five-year-old Neka, one of the zoo's two female lions, was pregnant and would give birth soon. This occurred in late 2013, when she gave birth to three cubs named Kamali, Zalika, and Angalia. In August of this year,Kya, the other lioness, was due to give birth in August of 2014. Kya gave birth to four lion cubs on September 8, 2014. However, due to an untreatable leg injury, one of the cubs had to be humanely euthanized three days later.

Hour

Saturday hours are 9:30AM-4:30PM.

Sunday 9:30AM–4:30PM

Monday 9:30AM–4:30PM

Tuesday 9:30AM–4:30PM

Wednesday 9:30AM–4:30PM

Thursday 9:30AM–4:30PM

Friday 9:30AM–4:30PM