Cameron Park Zoo is a natural habitat zoo located within Cameron Park in the city of

Waco, Texas Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the ...

, United States, next to the

Brazos River The Brazos River ( , ), called the ''Río de los Brazos de Dios'' (translated as "The River of the Arms of God") by early Spanish explorers, is the 11th-longest river in the United States at from its headwater source at the head of Blackwater Dr ...

. Established in July 1993, Cameron Park Zoo has lush native vegetation that surrounds splashing waterfalls, a picturesque lake, and ponds. And in the midst of all this beauty, visitors see that the wild ones not only survive in their natural habitat, but they also flourish. The zoo features a diverse collection that includes over 1731 animals, representing 300 species from around the world. The Cameron Park Zoo is accredited by the

Association of Zoos and Aquariums The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), originally the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums, is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1924 and dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aquariums in ...

(AZA) and is a member of the

World Association of Zoos and Aquariums The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) is the "umbrella" organization for the world zoo and aquarium community. Its mission is to provide leadership and support for zoos, aquariums, and partner organizations of the world in animal ca ...

(WAZA).

History

Initially established in 1955 as the Central Texas Zoological Park by a group of wildlife enthusiasts who wanted to create an area for recreation and education opportunities. In 1981, a master plan was established to expand the zoo, and in 1989 a countywide bond was issued to redevelop a area of Cameron Park, into the Cameron Park Zoo. The project was completed, the old zoo was closed, and the new zoo was opened to the public on July 18, 1993. The Cameron Park Zoo features species from

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

and

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

and

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

. Including a large

reptile Reptiles, as most commonly defined are the animals in the class Reptilia ( ), a paraphyletic grouping comprising all sauropsids except birds. Living reptiles comprise turtles, crocodilians, squamates (lizards and snakes) and rhynchocephalians ( ...

house, an African

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...

display, and Lemur Island, a large open

lemur Lemurs ( ) (from Latin ''lemures'' – ghosts or spirits) are Strepsirrhini, wet-nosed primates of the Superfamily (biology), superfamily Lemuroidea (), divided into 8 Family (biology), families and consisting of 15 genera and around 100 exist ...

habitat. In 2005, a large new area was opened called the

Country, featuring a saltwater

reef A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral or similar relatively stable material, lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic processes— deposition of sand, wave erosion planing down rock out ...

aquarium, a large swampland habitat, and many other native Texas type habitats, featuring numerous species found within the state. The exhibit is so large, it nearly doubled both the animal population and the overall size of the zoo. In 2009, the zoo added the Asian Forest, expanding its collection to include endangered species such as

orangutans Orangutans are great apes native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia. They are now found only in parts of Borneo and Sumatra, but during the Pleistocene they ranged throughout Southeast Asia and South China. Classified in the genus ' ...

and

Komodo dragons The Komodo dragon (''Varanus komodoensis''), also known as the Komodo monitor, is a member of the monitor lizard family Varanidae that is endemic to the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, and Gili Motang. It is the largest extant s ...

. These species joined the Sumatran tigers in the Asian Forest.

Cameron Park

Cameron Park Zoo is located with Cameron Park. Cameron Park covers , and is one of the largest undeveloped municipal parks in

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. It is located at the intersection of the

Bosque River The Bosque River ( ) is a long river in Central Texas fed by four primary branches. The longest branch, the North Bosque, forms near Stephenville, and flows toward Waco through Hamilton, Bosque and McLennan counties. It is subsequently joined ...

and

. Situated in Waco's Cameron Park, the zoo enjoys lush native vegetation and adjoins nearby

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

cliffs, which provide an excellent view of Waco.

Gallery

File:Sumatran Tiger - Cameron Park Zoo.JPG, Sumatran tiger featured in the zoo's Asian Forest exhibit. File:Jaguar - Cameron Park Zoo - Waco, Texas.jpg, Adult jaguar in Waco, Texas' Cameron Park Zoo. File:Jaguar - Cameron Park Zoo.jpg, Adult jaguar in Waco, Texas' Cameron Park Zoo. File:Giraffe - Cameron Park Zoo.jpg, Giraffe featured at Cameron Park Zoo in Waco, Texas. File:Lemur - Cameron Park Zoo.jpg, Meerkat featured at Cameron Park Zoo. File:Lemur - Cameron Park Zoo - Waco, Texas.JPG, A meerkat poses for the camera at Cameron Park Zoo. File:Orangutan - Cameron Park Zoo.jpg, Orangutan featured in Cameron Park Zoo's Asian Forest exhibit. File:Cameron Park Zoo Bird.jpg, Pelican at Cameron Park Zoo in Waco, Texas. File:Cameron Park Zoo Landscaping.jpg, Decor at Asian Forest exhibit in Waco, Texas' Cameron Park. File:Aratinga solstitialis -Cameron Park Zoo-8a.jpg, Aratinga solstitialis at Cameron Park Zoo.

Notes

External links

* {{authority control Buildings and structures in Waco, Texas Zoos in Texas 1955 establishments in Texas Tourist attractions in Waco, Texas Protected areas of McLennan County, Texas Zoos established in 1955