Alameda Park Zoo, located in

Alamogordo, New Mexico Alamogordo () is the seat of Otero County, New Mexico, United States. A city in the Tularosa Basin of the Chihuahuan Desert, it is bordered on the east by the Sacramento Mountains and to the west by Holloman Air Force Base. The population was ...

, was founded in 1898 and claims to be the oldest

zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for Conservation biology, conservation purposes. The term ''zoological g ...

in the

Southwestern United States The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent portions of California, Colorado, Ne ...

. It participates in the

Species Survival Plan The American Species Survival Plan or SSP program was developed in 1981 by the (American) Association of Zoos and Aquariums to help ensure the survival of selected species in zoos and aquariums, most of which are threatened or endangered in the wi ...

for the Mexican wolf.

Features

Notable species at the zoo include the White Sands pupfish, the Mexican wolf, the Hawaiian goose, and the Ring-tailed Lemurs. The zoo is a

Captive Facility for the Mexican gray wolf, and in 2006 there were two wolves resident in the zoo. Three Mexican gray wolf pups were born at the zoo in 1994, and seven in 1995. The zoo receives birds of prey that have been injured and are non-releasable. Some special exhibits include a lemur exhibit, a birds of prey exhibit, and a butterfly garden. Several programs operate in the Educational Center, including an Eco-Ranger Junior Zookeeper program. The center is also open to the public for viewing videos and reading books from the collection. Some animals are housed in the center.

History

The zoo was created in 1898 at its present location at the south end of Alameda Park to entertain train passengers while they waited for the train to refuel. In the early days the zoo received gifts of exotic pets such as raccoons, skunks and birds from local residents. Cages in the early days were made of chain-link fencing, and these were gradually replaced beginning in the 1970s and 1980s. The zoo went into decline in the 1970s, and in a 1987 interview the zoo director said that in the mid-70s "the zoo was a dilapidated menagerie". The zoo had become a hangout for loiterers and drug dealers, and the city was faced with a decision to either shut down the zoo or upgrade it. They chose to upgrade, and a perimeter fence was added in 1986 to control access. The zoo is sometimes claimed to be the "oldest zoo west of the Mississippi". However, there are several older zoos, including * Oregon Zoo (founded 1887) * Dallas Zoo (founded 1888), *

Henry Doorly Zoo Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is a zoo in Omaha, Nebraska. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Its mission is conservation, research, recreation, and educ ...

(

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...

, founded 1894) * Denver Zoo (founded 1896) Even the more modest claim that Alameda Park Zoo is the oldest zoo in the

depends on the definition of Southwest, as

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

and

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

are sometimes considered to be in the Southwest.

Gallery

Image:Alameda Park Zoo Ruwayn Dennig Memorial Fountain.jpg, Memorial Fountain Image:Alameda Park Zoo puma asleep on steps.jpg, Puma sleeping on steps Image:Alameda Park Zoo North American River Otter.jpg, River otter Image:Alameda Park Zoo Buford the African Spurred Tortoise.JPG, Buford, about long

Notes

External links

{{authority control Zoos in New Mexico Alamogordo, New Mexico Parks in Otero County, New Mexico 1898 establishments in New Mexico Territory Zoos established in 1898 Tourist attractions in Alamogordo, New Mexico