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Louisville Zoo

Louisville Zoo
Louisville Zoo Entrance.jpg
Zoo Entrance
Date opened 1969
Location Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Coordinates 38°12′19″N 85°42′19″W / 38.20528°N 85.70528°W / 38.20528; -85.70528Coordinates: 38°12′19″N 85°42′19″W / 38.20528°N 85.70528°W / 38.20528; -85.70528
Land area 134 acres (54 ha)
Number of animals 1,700
Annual visitors 900,000+
Memberships AZA,AAM
Major exhibits Gorilla Forest, Islands
Website www.louisvillezoo.com

Founded in 1969, the Louisville Zoo, or the Louisville Zoological Garden, is a 134-acre (54 ha) zoo in Louisville, Kentucky, situated in the city's Poplar Level neighborhood. The "State Zoo of Kentucky" currently exhibits over 1,700 animals in naturalistic and mixed animal settings representing both geographical areas and biomes or habitats.

The Louisville Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). During the 2006-07 season, the zoo set an all-time yearly attendance record with 810,546 visitors.

The Louisville Zoo's mission is "To better the bond between the people and our planet."

The Louisville Zoo was founded in 1969, on land acquired by the City of Louisville in the 1960s from the estate of Ben Collins. Much of the initial funding was donated by local philanthropist James Graham Brown.

In December 2009, the chief restorer of the Louisville Clock Adam Burckle came to an agreement with Louisville Metro mayor Jerry Abramson to install the clock in a new landscaped plaza at the entrance of the Louisville Zoo in Spring 2010, where it would be viewed by about 800,000 zoo visitors a year.

In December 2010, zoo officials decided the cost, to be as much as $200,000 or more, to create a centerpiece and a stand for the clock is too much, and is therefore unaffordable for now.

The Louisville Zoo has six zones within the zoo: The Islands, Africa, Glacier Run, Australia, South America and HerpAquarium

The zoo was awarded the 2003 Association of Zoos and Aquariums Exhibit Award for its 4-acre (16,000 m2) exhibit "Gorilla Forest". The exhibit currently houses eleven western lowland gorillas, five patas monkeys, and two pygmy hippopotamus.

Inside the circular Gorilla Sanctuary, visitors are separated only by glass and can get nose to nose with the gorillas. And there are several different outdoor vantage points from which to see the gorillas playing and relaxing.


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