Assiniboine Park Zoo

Assiniboine Park Zoo is an zoo at the west end of Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It has been best known for decades for its polar bear exhibit, of which the old enclosure was replaced in 2013 with Journey to Churchill.

Established in 1904, it is managed by the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, and accredited by the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA) and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

History

Early years

In 1904, the City of Winnipeg Parks Board purchased some native animals including deer, bison, and elk to start the zoo. In 1908, the bear enclosure was built, and by 1909, the zoo had 116 animals of 19 species.

In 1916, the zoo budget was $8,000 ($1,800 for food, $4,200 for labour, and $1,158 for new construction). Two decades later, the zoo got its first lion, a female, in 1935; and its first polar bear, a wild, orphaned cub named Carmichael, in 1939. Carmichael got a partner in February 1940—a female named Clementine.

The Zoological Society of Manitoba was formed in 1956 to provide the vision and funding for the zoo. In 1957, the zoo helped develop "Aunt Sally's Farm", a children's petting zoo named after Sally Warnock. A scale model had been presented in February 1958, and the petting zoo officially opened on Friday, 7 August 1959. At first, an admission fee was charged: 10 cents for children over 5 years old, and 25 cents for adults. The fee was dropped years later.

1960s–1990s

In 1959, the zoo was officially named Assiniboine Park Zoo.

In the 1960s, the gibbon/monkey house was built, another orphan polar bear cub arrived at the zoo, and a snow leopard was added to the zoo. The polar bear enclosure was renovated in 1967, adding an upper story, and two more orphaned cubs arrived. Subsequently, in 1968 and 1969, the Tropical House, Native Animal Exhibit, and a new south gate were added.

In the 1980s, the Zoological Society of Manitoba, which had not been active for a while, began to provide money for new signage, exhibits, and infrastructure. The main entrance was reconstructed to include a new gift store operated by the Zoological Society, and the Carousel Restaurant was renovated.

New enclosures for the camels, yaks, and zebras, as well as the "Camel Oasis" Interpretive Playground, opened in the northwest end of the zoo in 1995. This was also the first year for "Lights of the Wild," featuring animal light sculptures presented by the Zoo and the Society for 3 weeks in the winter.

In 1997, the "Saturn Playground" was constructed and the main restaurant facilities were renovated. The Saturn Shuttle and Kiosk information booth projects were established in 1998, as well as an upgrade to the electrical infrastructure of the Zoo. By 1998, the Zoo's animal collection had increased to include 77 different mammal species (390 animals), 151 different birds (700 specimens), and 14 reptiles (34 specimens), with the total collection including about 1,193 individuals of 271 species; the zoo budget was $2,497,173 ($161,800 for food and supplies, and $1,952,707 for labour).

2000s

As late as 2000, the Zoo was open from 9am till sunset (or 9pm). However, later the Zoo's hours were significantly reduced. In July 2015, the Zoo extended visiting hours every Wednesday till 8pm as a trial, because there were many requests from zoo visitors that the earlier closing was not convenient for people who work during the day.

In 2000, the Zoological Society of Manitoba and the Zoo started work on a new Master Plan Development Proposal (the first since 1960) for the Zoo. Initial proposals were for the redesign of the existing Polar Bear enclosure, but this eventually grew into a much larger Master Plan Development project. In 2008, the Assiniboine Park Conservancy was created to develop, govern, and manage Assiniboine Park, including the Zoo. In June 2009, the Assiniboine Park Conservancy unveiled a comprehensive $200-million redevelopment plan for Assiniboine Park & Zoo that was to be completed over 10 years.

In 2001, a grant from the DeFehr Foundation funded the renovation of the unused Bison Restaurant Kiosk into the Palliser Interpretive Center, the headquarters for ICE Camp. An alliance with the University of Manitoba

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