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Sedgwick County Zoo

Coordinates: 37°42′57″N 97°24′37″W / 37.7158°N 97.4104°W / 37.7158; -97.4104
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Sedgwick County Zoo
Map
37°42′57″N 97°24′37″W / 37.7158°N 97.4104°W / 37.7158; -97.4104
Date openedAugust 25, 1971; 53 years ago (August 25, 1971)[2]
LocationWichita, Kansas, US
Land area247 acres (100 ha)[1]
No. of animals3,000
No. of species400
Annual visitors654,494 (2009)[2]
MembershipsAZA[3]
Public transit accessBus interchange Wichita Transit
Websitescz.org

The Sedgwick County Zoo is an AZA-accredited wildlife park and major attraction in Wichita, Kansas, United States. Founded in 1971, with the help of the Sedgwick County Zoological Society, the zoo has quickly become recognized both nationally and internationally for its support of conservation programs and successful breeding of rare and endangered species. Having over 3,000 animals of nearly 400 species, the zoo has slowly increased its visitors and now ranks as the number one outdoor tourist attraction in the state.[4]

Exhibits

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African village-themed area at the entrance to Downing Gorilla Forest

Downing Gorilla Forest

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Opening in 2004, the Downing Gorilla Forest starts out in a recreation of a small Congo village with exhibits for colobus monkeys and white pelicans. Across a bridge is an exhibit for saddle-billed storks, as well as one for black crowned cranes and okapis. The main attraction is a large gorilla exhibit. They can be viewed in their indoor home, outside through large viewing windows or across a moat.[5][6]

Lioness with (imitated) zebra kill

Pride of the Plains

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Opened May 29, 2000, A path winds around exhibits of lions, red river hogs, and two exhibits of meerkats. Each exhibit has several views from all sides. The whole area has a kopje theme with giant boulders. At the end is an exhibit for African painted dogs.

Penguin Cove

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Opened in 2007, Penguin Cove is the zoo's first marine exhibit, and home to a colony of Humboldt penguins. The $1.5 million exhibit features a 42,000-US-gallon (159,000 L) pool with rocky areas and coves on each side.[7]

African Veldt

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This exhibit features reticulated giraffes, African bush elephants, grévy's zebras, and a black rhinoceros. On March 11, 2016, six African elephants arrived at the zoo from Eswatini's Hlane Royal National Park to survive a drought.[8][9] A new elephant exhibit named "The Reed Family Elephants of the Zambezi River Valley" opened in May of that year, housing all of the elephants.[10]

Later, a male African elephant, Ajani, from Alabama's Birmingham Zoo, joined the six female elephants for breeding purposes in May 2018.[11] In May 2023, Callee was introduced to the herd from Omaha, Nebraska's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium.[12] A few months later, Ajani transferred to the Toledo Zoo to breed with its two female elephants.[13]

Asian Big Cat Trek

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This $3 million Asian themed naturalistic exhibit was opened in 2009 as the Slawson Family Tiger Trek, and housed Amur tigers, Malayan tigers, red pandas, and brow-antlered deer. In 2021, the exhibit was added on to an reopened as the Slawson Family Asian Big Cat Trek, and added amur leopards, snow leopards, and an area where they can be seen above guests' heads.[14]

List of animals

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Animals of Sedgwick County Zoo
Entrance
Children's Farm
Cessna Penguin Cove


Amphibians and reptiles
Tropics
Stingray Cove
Africa

African Veldt

Pride of the Plains

The Reed Family Elephants of the Zambezi River Valley

The Downing Gorilla Forest

Asia

The Slawson Family Asian Big Cat Trek

North America
Australia
South America
KOCH Orangutan and Chimpanzee Habitat
Cessna Penguin Cove

Future

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As of June 2021, the zoo is currently making a new elephant management complex, as well as some new additions to the Amphibians and Reptiles building. On April 16, 2022, they are expected to open a Shark and Stingray exhibit. They also have been expanding and moving the majority of exhibits, and planning on adding a lodge, water park, and savannah exhibit.[2][15] A new entrance for the zoo opened on May 27, 2021.[16]

Incidents

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  • In June 2005, two flamingos escaped from the zoo during a stormy night. Since then, one of the flamingos, identified as No. 492, has been spotted in Wisconsin, Louisiana, and Texas.[17]
  • On May 6, 2011, a first-grade student on a class field trip climbed over a four-foot fence then crossed the eight-foot gap of the Amur leopard exhibit. The boy was attacked. He suffered lacerations and puncture wounds to his head and neck before a bystander kicked the leopard in the head. The injuries were not considered life-threatening, and the zoo did not euthanize the endangered animal.[18]

References

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  1. ^ Plumlee, Rick (June 1, 2012). "Sedgwick County Zoo ranks 7th among U.S. zoos on TripAdvisor". The Wichita Eagle. Archived from the original on May 2, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "A Zoo to be Proud Of". scz.org. Sedgwick County Zoo. Archived from the original on October 7, 2010. Retrieved September 11, 2010.
  3. ^ "Currently Accredited Zoos and Aquariums". aza.org. AZA. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
  4. ^ "About SCZ". Sedgwick County Zoo. Archived from the original on April 7, 2019. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
  5. ^ "Africa". scz.org. March 16, 2018. Archived from the original on January 18, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  6. ^ "Downing Gorilla Forest". scz.org. March 20, 2018. Archived from the original on March 3, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  7. ^ Stokes, Keith. "Sedgwick County Zoo". kansastravel.org. Kansas Travel and Tourism. Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
  8. ^ Brown, Zoe (March 11, 2016). "Elephants arrive at Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita". KSNT. Archived from the original on May 2, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  9. ^ Vidal, John (February 26, 2016). "18 elephants to be flown to US zoos as drought puts pressure on Swaziland wildlife". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  10. ^ "ZooLex Exhibit - The Reed Family Elephants of the Zambezi River Valley". www.zoolex.org. ZooLex Zoo Design Organization. Archived from the original on May 15, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  11. ^ "Sedgwick County Zoo welcomes new elephant". KWCH. May 10, 2018. Archived from the original on May 2, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  12. ^ "Sedgwick County Zoo welcomes African elephant Callee". KSN-TV. May 26, 2023. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  13. ^ "Toledo Zoo welcomes 23-year-old African bull elephant Ajani". WXYZ 7 Action News Detroit. September 15, 2023. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  14. ^ "Amur tiger dies at Sedgwick County Zoo". kwch.com. November 20, 2019. Archived from the original on November 21, 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  15. ^ "Your Future Zoo". scz.org. November 30, 2018. Archived from the original on January 18, 2021. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  16. ^ "Sedgwick County Zoo celebrates 50th birthday with opening of new entrance". KWCH. May 27, 2021. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  17. ^ "A flamingo that escaped a Kansas zoo during a storm 17 years ago has been spotted in Texas". www.cbsnews.com. Archived from the original on March 30, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  18. ^ Finger, Stan. "Sedgwick County Zoo leopard attacks boy through cage". kansas.com. The Wichita Eagle. Archived from the original on December 30, 2014. Retrieved May 24, 2011.
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