View source for Detroit Zoo

{{short description|Zoo in Oakland County, Michigan, United States}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2013}}
{{Infobox zoo
|zoo_name=Detroit Zoo
|image=FountainDetroitZoo1.jpg
|image_caption=The [[Horace Rackham]] Memorial Fountain by Corrado Parducci, in 2007.
|location=[[Huntington Woods, Michigan|Huntington Woods]]/[[Royal Oak, Michigan]], U.S.
|coordinates={{Coord|42|28|37|N|83|09|25|W|type:landmark_region:US-MI|display=inline,title}}
|date_opened=August 1, 1928
|area={{Convert|125|acre|abbr=on}}<ref name=area/>
|num_species=245+
|num_animals=2,000+
|members=[[Association of Zoos and Aquariums|AZA]],<ref name="aza_list"/> [[American Association of Museums|AAM]],<ref name="aam_list">{{cite web|title=Find a Museum Member|url=http://www.aam-us.org/about-museums/find-a-museum|website=aam_us.org|publisher=AAM|access-date=13 May 2015}}</ref> [[World Association of Zoos and Aquariums|WAZA]]<ref name=waza_list>{{cite web|title=Zoos and Aquariums of the World|url=http://www.waza.org/en/site/zoos-aquariums|website=waza.org|publisher=WAZA|access-date=13 May 2015|archive-date=March 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303215751/http://www.waza.org/en/site/zoos-aquariums|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|exhibits= Arctic Ring of Life, Australian Outback Adventure, Cotton Family Wolf Wilderness, Great Apes of Harambee, Holden Reptile Conservation Center, National Amphibian Conservation Center, Polk Penguin Conservation Center, Matilda Wilson Free-Flight Aviary
|annual_visitors=1.5+ million<ref>{{Cite web|last=Nagl|first=Kurt|date=January 4, 2018|title=More Than 1.5 million Visit Detroit Zoo in 2017, Down Slightly from Record 2016|url=http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20180104/news/649241/more-than-15-million-visit-detroit-zoo-in-2017-down-slightly-from|publisher=[[Crain Communications]]|access-date=May 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180105005429/http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20180104/news/649241/more-than-15-million-visit-detroit-zoo-in-2017-down-slightly-from|archive-date=January 5, 2018}}</ref>
|publictransit= {{rint|bus|1}} [[Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation|SMART]]
|website={{URL|https://www.detroitzoo.org/}}
{{Infobox NRHP
 | name = Detroit Zoological Park
 | embed = yes
 | nrhp_type = hd
 | nocat = yes
 | image = 
 | caption = 
 | location = 8450 West Ten Mile Road,<br/>[[Huntington Woods, Michigan|Huntington Woods]]/[[Royal Oak, Michigan]]
 | locmapin = Michigan#USA
 | architect = Arthur A. Shurtleff, Heinrich Hagenbeck
 | architecture =
 | added = August 24, 1990
 <!-- | area = {{convert|97|acre}} -->
 | refnum = 90001226<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>
 }}
}}

The '''Detroit Zoo''' is a zoo located in the cities of [[Huntington Woods, Michigan|Huntington Woods]] and [[Royal Oak, Michigan|Royal Oak]] in the U.S. state of [[Michigan]].  Spanning {{convert|125|acres|ha|1}}, it houses more than 2,000 animals and more than 200 different species. The zoo was the first U.S. zoo to feature bar-less habitats,<ref name="zoo">{{cite web |title=Wayne County – A Brief History |url=http://www.waynecounty.com/about/history.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070826160928/http://www.waynecounty.com/about/history.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=August 26, 2007 |access-date=2007-10-07}}</ref>  and is regarded to be an international leader in animal welfare, conservation and sustainability by the Detroit Zoological Society.

==History==
The original Detroit Zoo opened in 1883, on Michigan and Trumbull Avenues, across from [[Tiger Stadium (Detroit)|Tiger Stadium]]. [[William Cameron Coup]]'s [[circus]] had arrived in town, only to be forfeited and put up for auction due to financial difficulties. Luther Beecher, a local businessman, financed the purchase of the circus’s animals and erected a building for their display which he called the Detroit Zoological Garden. This iteration of the Zoo closed the following year, with the building converted into a horse auction site (the Michigan Avenue Horse Exchange).<ref name=":0">Austin, William (1974). The First Fifty Years. ''Detroit Zoological Society.''</ref>

The Detroit Zoological Society was founded several years later, in 1911, but the Zoo's official opening did not occur until August 1, 1928. During the opening ceremony, acting Mayor John C. Nagel was to speak; he arrived late, and (unknowingly) parked his car behind the bear exhibits. Upon exiting his vehicle, a [[polar bear]], kept in one of the original “barrier-less” enclosures, attempted to lunge at the mayor, nearly crossing the protective moat around its exhibit. Nagel stuck out his hand and walked toward the polar bear joking, "He's the reception committee." The keepers rushed to the bear and forced him back into the exhibit, leaving the mayor uninjured.<ref name="HoustonKay">{{Cite web|url=https://www.loststory.net/history/how-detroit-zoos-first-day-was-almost-its-last|title=How the Detroit Zoo's first day was almost its last|last=Houston|first=Kay|work=losthistory.net|date=February 24, 1999|access-date=August 14, 2024}}</ref>

[[File:Children's pet zoo exhibit, Zoological Park, Detroit, Mich (75343).jpg|left|thumb|Children's pet zoo exhibit, c. 1930-1945.]]
By 1930, the zoo included the Bear Dens, Sheep Rocks, the Bird House, an [[Cervus canadensis|elk]] exhibit, [[Baboon]] Rock, and Primate and Reptile Houses. The [[Great Depression]] brought a halt to additional expansion, until the 1940s, and expansion has continued ever since. During the Depression, one of the more popular animals was ‘Jo Mendi’, a four-year-old [[Common chimpanzee|chimpanzee]] purchased by the zoo director with his own funds. A veteran of [[Broadway musicals]] and motion pictures, the chimp performed for the crowds. One press account stated, "he enjoys every minute of the act...He counts his fingers, dresses, laces his shoes, straps up his overalls; pours tea and drinks it; eats with a spoon, dances and waves farewell to his admirers."<ref>{{Cite news |date=1958-04-13 |title=Jo Mendi II |pages=3 |work=Detroit Free Press |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/83741537/jo-mendi-ii/ |access-date=2022-05-04}}</ref>  When the chimpanzee fell ill in late 1932, after eating a guest-thrown [[penny]], surgeons from area hospitals came to assess his condition. During his recovery, visitors brought toys, peanuts and more than $500 worth of flowers, along with several thousand cards and letters. Jo died two years later, in 1934, from [[hoof and mouth disease]].<ref name="HoustonKay"/>

In 1939, funded by a donation from Mary Rackham, the sculptor [[Corrado Parducci]] created the [[Horace Rackham]] Memorial Fountain, known as "the Bear Fountain." During the summer, the fountain is a [[splash pad]] and in winter it becomes an [[ice rink]].

From the 1950s through the early 1970s, local weatherman [[Sonny Eliot]] hosted a program called ''At The Zoo'', shown on Saturdays on Detroit television station [[WDIV]].<ref name="tv">{{cite web |url=http://www.wwj.com/pages/6684.php |title=WWJ Newsradio 950 Our Staff |access-date=2007-10-07 |archive-date=November 21, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071121095349/http://www.wwj.com/pages/6684.php |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[File:Thomas_Fred_Roberts_Dahlia_Garden_Detroit_Zoo_1963.jpg|alt=large garden of dahlia flowers in warm tones|left|thumb|Dahlia Garden to the west of Rackham Memorial Fountain in 1963, cultivated and maintained by Thomas Fred Roberts.]]
In 1950, the zoo hired senior [[floriculturist]] Thomas (Fred) Roberts. Roberts was a recognized expert on [[dahlias]]; his gardens at the zoo, particularly the dahlia exhibit to the west of the Rackham Memorial Fountain, attracted visitors from across the country.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 11, 1958 |title=Giant Dahlias Take Show Away from Zoo Actors |pages=1–2 |work=The Daily Tribune |url=http://www.ropltribune.org/}}</ref> Throughout the mid-century era, and into the 1980s, the zoo's gardens were elaborate displays of [[perennials]], flowers, and tropical [[houseplants]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hay |first=Patricia |date=April 12, 1966 |title=Zoo Greenhouse Has a Headstart on Spring |pages=7 |work=The Daily Tribune |url=http://www.ropltribune.org/}}</ref> Sonny Eliot interviewed Roberts for one of his episodes of ''At The Zoo''. Fred Roberts remained at the zoo until 1978. His garden designs were maintained through the 1980s.

Until 1982, trained [[Common chimpanzee|chimpanzees]] performed for visitors, but the act was discontinued at the insistence of [[animal rights activists]]. In 1982, the zoo began to charge an admission fee.<ref>{{cite book|title=Wonders Among Us: Celebrating 75 Years of the Detroit Zoo|year=2003|publisher=Detroit Zoological Society|location=Royal Oak, MI|isbn=0-615-12418-6|pages=[https://archive.org/details/wondersamongusce0000detr/page/91 91]|url=https://archive.org/details/wondersamongusce0000detr/page/91}}</ref>

The Arctic Ring of Life, one of North America's largest [[polar bear]] habitats, opened in 2001.<ref>PR NEWS WIRE (October 20, 2001). The World's Largest Polar Bear Exhibit Opens at the Detroit Zoo. ''United Business Media''.</ref><ref>Detroit Zoological Society (2001).</ref> Centered around a 300,000 gallon [[aquarium]], it allows visitors to view polar bears from a 70-foot underwater tunnel made of clear acrylic.<ref name="ARLpage1">{{cite web|url=http://www.detroitzoo.org/Attractions/ARL/Arctic_Ring_of_Life/ |title=Arctic Ring of Life page 1 |access-date=2007-07-05 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20070630090200/http://www.detroitzoo.org/Attractions/ARL/Arctic_Ring_of_Life/ <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = June 30, 2007}}</ref><ref name="ARLpage2">{{cite web|url=http://www.detroitzoo.org/Attractions/ARL/Arctic_Ring_of_Life/1/ |title=Arctic Ring of Life page 2|access-date=2007-07-05 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20070708132208/http://www.detroitzoo.org/Attractions/ARL/Arctic_Ring_of_Life/1/ <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = July 8, 2007}}</ref>  Other new buildings include the Ruth Roby Glancy Animal Health Complex (2004) and the  Ford Education Center (2005), which offers school and youth group programs as well as having a theater and exhibit space.

[[File:DetroitZoo.jpg|left|thumb|Detroit Zoo entrance and water tower.]]
In 2005 the Zoo became the first in the U.S. to no longer keep elephants for ethical reasons,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20041214083321/http://www.hsus.org/wildlife/wildlife_news/detroit_zoo_sends_its_elephants_packing_should_others_follow_suit.html Zoo sends its elephants packing] ''Detroit Zoo.'' Retrieved on July 9, 2007.</ref> claiming the [[Michigan]] winters were too harsh for the animals and that confining them was stressful. The elephants, Wanda and Winky, were relocated to the [[Performing Animal Welfare Society]]'s (PAWS) sanctuary in [[San Andreas, California]].<ref>[http://www.elephants.com/media/DetroitFreePress_4_8_05.htm Elephants (April 8, 2005)].''Detroit Free Press.''</ref>  Winky died in April 2008;  Wanda died in February 2015.<ref>[http://www.detroitzoo.org/Newsflashes/2008_Press_Releases/Former_Detroit_Zoo_Elephant_Winky_Dies/Former Detroit Zoo Elephant Winky Dies]{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Detroit Zoo, April 7, 2008.</ref> The former elephant exhibit was renovated and is now home to two [[white rhinoceros]], Jasiri and Tamba.<ref>[http://www.detroitzoo.org/Attractions/Other_Exhibits/Rhinos/ Rhinos]. Detroit Zoological Society. Retrieved on July 9, 2007.</ref>

The Australian Outback Adventure, opened in 2006, allows visitors to walk through a simulated [[Outback]] containing [[red kangaroo]]s and [[red-necked wallaby|red-necked wallab]]ies. Nothing separates visitors from the [[marsupial]]s, allowing the animals to hop freely onto the walking path.<ref name="Outback Adventure">[http://www.detroitzoo.org/Attractions/Attractions/Australian_Outback_Adventure/ Outback Adventure] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070427225135/http://www.detroitzoo.org/Attractions/Attractions/Australian_Outback_Adventure/ |date=April 27, 2007 }}''Detroit Zoological Society''. Retrieved on July 9, 2007.</ref>

On February 18, 2006, the [[Detroit City Council]] voted to shut down the Zoo as part of budget cuts, being unable to reach an agreement with the Society to take over the park and a legislative grant having expired that day.  An uproar ensued and the Council, on March 1, 2006, voted to transfer operations to the Society with a promised $4 million grant from the [[Michigan Legislature]]. The city retained ownership of the assets, including the Zoo in [[Royal Oak, Michigan|Royal Oak]] and the Belle Isle Nature Center in Detroit.  The Society is responsible for governance, management and operations, including creating a plan to raise funds for long-term operations.  On August 5, 2008, voters in [[Macomb County, Michigan|Macomb]], [[Oakland County, Michigan|Oakland]], and [[Wayne County, Michigan|Wayne]] counties overwhelmingly passed a zoo tax that provides sustainable funding to supplement earned revenue and philanthropic support.

The Penguinarium was temporarily renamed the "Winguinarium" in 2009 while the Detroit Red Wings played the Pittsburgh Penguins in the [[2009 Stanley Cup Finals]].

[[File:Detroit Zoo Tauber Family Railroad pulling into station (5653).webm|thumb|Video of the Tauber Family Railroad.]]
In 2011, the [[Lion|lions']] enclosure was remodeled, providing animals more than double the room, new landscaping, and a glass wall to allow closer encounters with visitors. The Zoo also has the [[Simulator ride|Simulator Ride]], a [[4D film|4-D]] Theater, the Tauber Family Railroad and a [[carousel]].

In 2013, the Zoo celebrated its single largest donation ever ($10 million) by announcing plans for the Polk Penguin Conservation Center (PPCC), which opened in 2016.<ref name="detroitzoo.org">Polk Penguin Conservation Center http://www.detroitzoo.org/press-releases-2013/10-million-to-support-detroit-zoo-penguin-conservation-center {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130925184739/http://www.detroitzoo.org/press-releases-2013/10-million-to-support-detroit-zoo-penguin-conservation-center |date=September 25, 2013 }}</ref> The Center replaces the Penguinarium (which itself was revolutionary when built in 1968) and became the world's largest facility dedicated to the study of penguins. The Penguinarium will be converted into event space.<ref>Bat Conservation Center reference http://www.hourdetroit.com/Hour-Detroit/June-2013/A-Really-Cool-Plan/</ref>

In 2017, a [[Anaerobic digestion|biodigester]] was installed to convert [[manure]] and [[food waste]] into [[Atmospheric methane|methane]], which is then used to power the zoo's animal hospital.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2020/01/detroit-zoo-turns-poo-into-electricity/|title=Detroit Zoo turns poo into electricity|last=Manuzak|first=Stephanie|date=2020-01-07|website=Yale Climate Connections|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-08}}</ref>

On July 6, 2019, the Zoo celebrated the birth of Keti, a [[red panda]] cub, born after a 4-month gestation period.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.candgnews.com/news/red-panda-cub-keti-makes-her-debut-at-detroit-zoo-116716|title=Red panda cub Keti makes her debut at Detroit Zoo|website=candgnews.com|language=en|access-date=2020-01-30}}</ref>

In September 2019, the Penguin Center was closed for waterproofing repairs. The penguins were moved back to the original Penguinarium (their home from 1968 to 2015) until the Polk Center reopened. The center reopened on February 14, 2022 after delays due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://detroitzoo.org/press-release/detroit-zoos-polk-penguin-conservation-center-to-close-temporarily-beginning-september-9-for-repairs-due-to-faulty-waterproofing-by-construction-contractor/?_ga=2.170519656.938482884.1609266156-397808103.1609266156|title=Detroit Zoo's Polk Penguin Conservation Center to Close Temporarily Beginning September 9 for Repairs Due to Faulty Waterproofing by Construction Contractor |work=detroitzoo.org}}</ref> It contains 5 species of penguins; King, Macaroni, Gentoo, Chinstrap and Rockhopper.

==Habitats==

===National Amphibian Conservation Center===
The National Amphibian Conservation Center is a $7 million, 12,000-square-foot facility situated on a two-acre Michigan wetland area and pond called "Amphibiville".  The Center, which opened in June 2000, has a diverse range of [[frog]]s, [[toad]]s, [[salamander]]s, [[newt]]s and [[caecilian]]s.  [[The Wall Street Journal|The ''Wall Street Journal'']] dubbed the attraction "Disneyland for toads".<ref name="The National Amphibian Conservation Center">{{cite web |url=http://detroitzoo.org/habitats/national-amphibian-conservation-center |title=National Amphibian Conservation Center |access-date=2012-06-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120503110034/http://detroitzoo.org/habitats/national-amphibian-conservation-center |archive-date=May 3, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Center participates in research and conservation efforts for species including the [[Panamanian golden frog]], [[Puerto Rican crested toad]], and [[Wyoming toad]].

In 2002, the Zoo was awarded the AZA National Exhibit Award for Amphibiville.<ref name=AZAawards>{{cite web|title=Exhibit Award|url=https://www.aza.org/exhibit-award/|website=AZA.org|publisher=Association of Zoos and Aquariums|access-date=19 May 2015}}</ref>

===The Arctic Ring of Life===
[[File:Polar Bear at DZ.jpg|thumb|Tunnel through the polar bear exhibit.]]
The 4-acre Arctic Ring of Life, opened in October 2001, is home to three [[polar bear]]s and two [[sea otter|southern sea otter]]s. It is among the largest polar bear habitats in North American zoos. In 2003, the Zoo was awarded the AZA Significant Achievement Award for the Arctic Ring of Life.<ref name="AZAawards"/>

===Cotton Family Wetlands and Boardwalk===
Mimicking a Michigan ecosystem, the 1.7-acre pond and [[Wetland|wetlands area]] and accompanying 7,200-square-foot [[boardwalk]] is home to native fish, frogs, [[turtle]]s and birds as well as [[trumpeter swan]]s. The boardwalk is made from 95-percent recycled material composed primarily of plastic grocery bags and reclaimed [[hardwood]]. The Wetlands and Boardwalk are bounded by Amphibiville, the Warchol Beaver Habitat, the Edward Mardigian Sr. River Otter Habitat, and the Holden Reptile Conservation Center.

Due to a $102,350 grant from [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]], the Wetlands are also used as professional development and outdoor classroom for teachers and students underrepresented in science fields.<ref name=Wetlands>{{cite web|title=Under the Boardwalk, a World of Wildlife Awaits|url=http://www.detroitzoo.org/Zmail/under-the-boardwalk-a-world-of-wildlife-awaits?highlight=WyJ3ZXRsYW5kcyIsIndldGxhbmQiXQ==|website=DetroitZoo.org|publisher=Detroit Zoological Society|access-date=19 May 2015}}{{Dead link|date=November 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

===Cotton Family Wolf Wilderness===
The Cotton Family Wolf Wilderness is a $1.4 million two-acre sanctuary that features native meadows and trees, a flowing stream and pond, dens, and elevated rock outcroppings, for two [[wolf|gray wolves]]. The habitat also incorporates a renovated historic [[log cabin]] which had existed on the property.<ref>{{cite web|title=Detroit Zoo Opens Cotton Family Wolf Wilderness|url=http://www.detroitzoo.org/Press-Releases-2015/detroit-zoo-opens-cotton-family-wolf-wilderness|website=detroitzoo.org|publisher=Detroit Zoological Society|access-date=24 July 2015}}</ref>

===Giraffe Encounter===
[[File:Giraffes at Detroit Zoo.jpg|thumb|Giraffes at the Giraffe Encounter.]]
The guests feed [[reticulated giraffe]]s from an 18-foot-tall platform that extends into their habitat in the Giraffe Encounter. This experience, which started in July 2007, runs Tuesday through Sunday from spring through fall. This is an added fee.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-07-23 |title=3 Awesome Zoos In Michigan To Feed Giraffes - All Natural Adventures |url=https://allnaturaladventures.com/3-awesome-zoos-in-michigan-to-feed-giraffes/ |access-date=2022-07-04 |language=en-US}}</ref>

===The Great Apes of Harambee===
The Great Apes of Harambee is a 4-acre indoor/outdoor habitat home to [[chimpanzee]]s and [[western lowland gorilla]]s.  The animals may be rotated into each other's habitat spaces,  simulating nomadic movement similar to wild behavior.<ref name="The Great Apes of Harambee">{{cite web |url=http://detroitzoo.org/habitats/african-forest |title=African Forest |access-date=2012-06-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120604015315/http://www.detroitzoo.org/habitats/african-forest |archive-date=June 4, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Holden Reptile Conservation Center===
Opened as the Holden Museum of Living Reptiles in 1960, the Holden Reptile Conservation Center is home to 150 [[reptile]]s representing 70 species, 45 percent of which are considered threatened or endangered in the wild.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Austin |first=William A. |title=Holden Museum of Living Reptiles |date=January 1965 |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1748-1090.1965.tb01667.x |journal=International Zoo Yearbook |language=en |volume=5 |issue=1 |pages=247–251 |doi=10.1111/j.1748-1090.1965.tb01667.x |issn=0074-9664|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

===Edward Mardigian Sr. River Otter Habitat===
The Edward Mardigian Sr. River Otter Habitat provides a habitat for [[North American river otter]]s and features a 9,000-gallon pool with a waterfall and waterslide. The pool is enclosed on one side by a glass wall, on the other side of which is an observation building. The habitat affords visitors – including small children – an eye-level view of the otters as they swim.<ref name="2014otterbirths">{{cite web|title=You Otter See What's New at the Detroit Zoo|url=http://www.detroitzoo.org/Press-Releases-2014/you-otter-see-what-s-new-at-the-detroit-zoo|website=DetroitZoo.org|publisher=Detroit Zoo|access-date=19 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150416033629/http://www.detroitzoo.org/Press-Releases-2014/you-otter-see-what-s-new-at-the-detroit-zoo|archive-date=April 16, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Polk Penguin Conservation Center===
[[File:Detroit Zoo-PPCC.jpg|thumb|Inside viewing area of the Polk Penguin Conservation Center.]]
The Polk Penguin Conservation Center (PPCC), opened in April 2016,  is the largest center for penguins in the world and was awarded the 2017 Exhibit Award by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums for excellence in exhibit design. The PPCC was closed for waterproofing repairs from September 2019 to February 14, 2022.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Robinson |first1=Elissa |title=Detroit Zoo to close penguin center for 9 months due to 'faulty waterproofing' |url=https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/oakland/2019/06/20/detroit-zoo-penguin-conservation-center-closed/1512397001/ |website=Freep.Com |publisher=Detroit Free Press |access-date=21 June 2019}}</ref><ref name="MLive Media Group">{{cite web |last1=Raven |first1=Benjamin |title=Penguins at Detroit Zoo to move for 9-month project to fix 'faulty waterproofing' |url=https://www.mlive.com/news/2019/06/penguins-at-detroit-zoo-to-move-for-9-month-project-to-fix-'faulty-waterproofing' |access-date=21 June 2019 |website=Mlive.com |publisher=MLive Media Group }}{{Dead link|date=January 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

===Jane and Frank Warchol Beaver Habitat===
Opened in 2013, the Jane and Frank Warchol Beaver Habitat abuts the Cotton Family Wetlands, and is home to nine [[North American beaver]]s. As beavers are nocturnal, their night-time activities are recorded and played throughout the day on televisions in the exhibit. This is the first time beavers have been on display at the Zoo since 1969.

===The Wildlife Interpretive Gallery===
The Wildlife Interpretive Gallery is home to the Butterfly Garden, Matilda Wilson Free-Flight Aviary, Science On a Sphere, as well as the Society's permanent fine art collection.<ref name="Wildlife Interpretive Gallery">{{cite web |url=http://detroitzoo.org/habitats/wildlife-interpretive-gallery |title=The Wildlife Interpretive Gallery |access-date=2012-06-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120604015349/http://www.detroitzoo.org/habitats/wildlife-interpretive-gallery |archive-date=June 4, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The Shelle Isle exhibit is dedicated to the [[Partula (gastropod)|partula snail]].

==Detroit Zoological Society==
The Detroit Zoological Society is a non-profit organization that operates the Zoo and the Belle Isle Nature Center. The $44.5 million annual operating budget of the organization is supported by earned revenue, philanthropic support, and tri-county ([[Macomb County, Michigan|Macomb]], [[Oakland County, Michigan|Oakland]], and [[Wayne County, Michigan|Wayne]]) millage. The organization has 260 full and part-time employees, more than 52,000 member households, and more than 1,000 volunteers.<ref name="Facts About the Detroit Zoo">{{cite web |title=Facts About the Detroit Zoo |url=http://detroitzoo.org/legal/zoo-facts |access-date=2012-06-26}}</ref>

The mission of the organization is "Celebrating and Saving Wildlife", the Society claims to be a leader in animal [[Conservation biology|conservation]] and welfare. In collaboration with the [[Michigan Department of Natural Resources|DNR]] and [[USFWS]], the Society continues to release Zoo-reared federally endangered [[Karner blue|Karner blue butterflies]] in their natural habitats in Michigan. Each summer, Society bird keepers assist with conservation efforts in northern Michigan for the federally endangered Great Lakes [[piping plover]] by artificially incubating abandoned piping plover eggs. Most recently, the Society, in collaboration with the [[Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge]] and the [[Detroit Water and Sewerage Department]], established of a [[common tern]] nesting site on [[Belle Isle Park|Belle Isle]].<ref name="Detroit Zoo Prices">{{cite web |url=http://detroitzoo.org/plan/prices |title=Prices |access-date=2012-06-26}}</ref>

The Society assists with the rescue of [[Exotic pet|exotic animals]] from private owners, pseudo-sanctuaries, roadside zoos, and circuses. Among its rescues are more than 1,000 exotic animals confiscated from an animal wholesaler in Texas, a polar bear confiscated from a circus in [[Puerto Rico]], a lioness used to guard a crack house, and retired racehorses. In addition, the Society and the Michigan Humane Society, in collaboration with dozens of local animal welfare organizations, host Meet Your Best Friend at the Zoo, the nation's largest offsite companion animal adoption program. Since the event's inception in 1993, more than 25,000 dogs, cats, and rabbits have been placed into new homes at the spring and fall events.<ref name="Meet Your Best Friend at the Zoo">{{cite web |url=http://www.detroitzoo.org/events/meet-your-best-friend |title=Meet Your Best Friend at the Zoo |access-date=2012-06-26 |archive-date=June 14, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120614072505/http://www.detroitzoo.org/events/meet-your-best-friend |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[File:River otter.jpg|thumb|One of the research projects of the Center for Zoo and Aquarium Animal Welfare and Ethics involves the study of a river otter habitat expansion, both before and after the expanded habitat.]]
The Center for Zoo and Aquarium Animal Welfare and Ethics (CZAAWE) was created in 2009 as a resource center for captive exotic animal welfare knowledge and best practices. The center provides a much-needed forum for exotic animal welfare policy discussion/debate and recognizes captive exotic animal welfare initiatives through awards.<ref name=CZAW>{{cite web |url=http://czaw.org/ |title=CZAW |access-date=2012-06-26}}</ref>

The Society provides educational experiences to nearly 70,000 teachers and students annually through camps, curriculum-based field trips, family and youth programs and professional development opportunities. The Society also supports students and teachers through conservation education in rural rainforest communities through the Adopt-A-School program. The Berman Academy for Humane Education offers a broad range of programs that help people help animals. The academy uses a variety of teaching strategies – from traditional instruction to storytelling, role-playing, theater, and virtual technology – to educate audiences about the need to treat other living creatures with empathy, respect and gentleness.<ref name="Detroit Zoo Education">{{cite web |url=http://detroitzoo.org/education |title=Detroit Zoo Education |access-date=2012-06-26}}</ref>

Accredited by the [[Association of Zoos & Aquariums]],<ref name="aza_list"/> the Zoo features many award-winning habitats including the Wildlife Interpretive Gallery, National Amphibian Conservation Center, Great Apes of Harambee and Arctic Ring of Life,<ref name="Facts About the Detroit Zoo"/> which was named the number-two best zoo exhibit in the U.S. by the Intrepid Traveler's guide to "America's Best Zoos".

The Simulator Ride offers an educational experience from a motion-simulated theater seat.  The 126-seat 4-D Theater, the only of its kind at any Michigan zoo, features special effects such as blasts of wind, mist and scents.<ref name="Wild Adventure Ride">{{cite web |url=http://detroitzoo.org/attractions/wild-adventure-ride-simulator-ford-education-center |title=Wild Adventure Ride |access-date=2012-06-26 |archive-date=June 23, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120623134411/http://www.detroitzoo.org/attractions/wild-adventure-ride-simulator-ford-education-center |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Detroit Zoo Prices"/>

===Belle Isle Nature Center===
The '''Belle Isle Nature Center''' sits on a five-acre site surrounded by undisturbed forested wetlands on [[Belle Isle Park (Michigan)|Belle Isle State Park]] in Detroit. The facility features indoor animal habitats, a bee exhibit, bird observation window, an outdoor native butterfly garden, outdoor classrooms, nature play area and the Blue Heron Lagoon Nature Trail. It provides year-round educational, recreational and environmental conservation opportunities for the community.

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed">
Main Gate Detroit Zoo.jpg|Main gate to the zoo.
Butterfly at DZ.jpg|Butterfly at the Butterfly Garden.
Pink-backed Pelican (30).jpg|[[Pink-backed pelican]]s (''Pelecanus rufescens'').
Detroit Zoo zebra (5786227033).jpg|Zebra habitat.
Kisa the Tiger.jpg|Kisa the Tiger.
底特律動物園的企鵝館.jpg|Penguin Center
38191oRhino.jpg|Rhinoceros.
Lion roaring in the sun.jpg|Lion roaring in the sun.
Drill and Gorilla .jpg|[[Mandrill]] and gorilla.
Wazi - Howl - Winter - Roy Lewis.jpg|Wolf howling in winter at the Wolf Wilderness exhibit.
Baldeagle detroitzoo.jpg|[[Bald eagle]] (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'').
</gallery>

==See also==
{{Portal|Michigan|Animals}}
*[[Architecture of metropolitan Detroit]]
*[[Tourism in metropolitan Detroit]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name=area>{{cite web |url=http://www.detroitzoo.org/about/zoo-facts |title=Zoo Facts |access-date=2015-02-21 |publisher= Detroit Zoo}}</ref>

<ref name="aza_list">{{ZooOrg|aza|zoos|accessdate=February 18, 2011}}</ref>
}}

==References and further reading==
*Austin, William (1974). ''The First Fifty Years''. The Detroit Zoological Society.
*{{Cite book | author= Detroit Zoological | year= 2003 | title= Wonders Among Us: Celebrating 75 Years of the Detroit Zoo | publisher= Detroit Zoological Society | isbn= 0-615-12410-0 | url-access= registration | url= https://archive.org/details/wondersamongusce0000detr }}
*{{Cite book|author=Fisher, Dale|title=Building Michigan: A Tribute to Michigan's Construction Industry|year=2003|publisher=Grass Lake, MI: Eyry of the Eagle Publishing|isbn=1-891143-24-7}}
* Landry, Michael. (July/Aug. 2023). "Lions, Tigers, and Bears&mdash;Oh My! A History of the Detroit Zoo". ''Michigan History'' 107(4), pp.19++. Lansing, Michigan: [[Historical Society of Michigan]]. Accessed [https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A755030502/SPJ.SP01?u=lom_accessmich&sid=bookmark-SPJ.SP01&xid=cd3fdaf9 via Gale OneFile]
*{{Cite book | author= Rodriguez, Michael and Thomas Featherstone| title=Detroit's Belle Isle Island Park Gem (Images of America)| publisher=Arcadia Publishing| year=2003| isbn=0-7385-2315-1}}
*Kvaran, Einar Einarsson. ''Shadowing Parducci'', unpublished manuscript, Detroit.

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{Official website|http://www.detroitzoo.org}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110124234002/http://detroitzoo.org/Newsflashes/2008_Press_Releases/Detroit_Zoo_Looks_Back_on_80_Years_of_History Timeline of Zoo history]
*[https://belleislenaturecenter.detroitzoo.org/ Belle Isle Nature Center]

{{Zoos of Michigan}}
{{Royal Oak, Michigan}}
{{Metro Detroit}}
{{Parks in metropolitan Detroit}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Zoos in Michigan]]
[[Category:Culture of Detroit]]
[[Category:Metro Detroit]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Oakland County, Michigan]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Oakland County, Michigan]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Metro Detroit]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Oakland County, Michigan]]
[[Category:Royal Oak, Michigan]]
[[Category:Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan]]
[[Category:1928 establishments in Michigan]]
[[Category:Zoos on the National Register of Historic Places]]
[[Category:Zoos established in the 1920s]]