Scovill Zoo in Decatur,

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

, is one of 210

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 ...

s 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 ...

with 96

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

spanning six continents and around 500

animal Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the Kingdom (biology), biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals Heterotroph, consume organic material, Cellular respiration#Aerobic respiration, breathe oxygen, are Motilit ...

s in residence. The zoo originally started out as a farm in 1967 when the

Kiwanis Club Kiwanis International ( ) is an international service club founded in 1915 in Detroit, Michigan. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, and is found in more than 80 nations and geographic areas. Since 1987, the organizatio ...

donated money for its construction. Scovill Zoo has its own chapter of the AAZK or American Association of Zoo Keepers. The zoo participates in a large number of conservation projects and education.

History

In 1947, Guy Norman and Rose Scovill donated the property for Scovill Gardens (which now include the Scovill Zoo) to the Decatur Park District. The zoo first opened to the public in Decatur, Illinois in 1967 under the name of Scovill Farm. The Kiwanis Club had donated $14,000 to begin building the farm; initially it housed

pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus '' Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus ...

chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...

goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the a ...

s, and other

farm A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used fo ...

animals. Additional donations were obtained to cover construction costs, which totaled $56,000. Scovill Zoo, as it is now called, houses hundreds of animals from nearly one hundred species including

cheetah The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, estimated to be capable of running at with the fastest reliably recorded speeds being , and as such has evolved specialized ...

gray wolves The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly u ...

zebra Zebras (, ) (subgenus ''Hippotigris'') are African equines with distinctive black-and-white striped coats. There are three living species: the Grévy's zebra (''Equus grevyi''), plains zebra (''E. quagga''), and the mountain zebra (''E. zeb ...

s, and

alligator An alligator is a large reptile in the Crocodilia order in the genus ''Alligator'' of the family Alligatoridae. The two extant species are the American alligator (''A. mississippiensis'') and the Chinese alligator (''A. sinensis''). Additiona ...

s, along with the original farm animals. On September 25, 2006, Scovill Zoo became one of 210

s recognized by the

. In the spring of 2007, Scovill Zoo created a local chapter of the AAZK or American Association of Zoo Keepers to further education. Scovill Zoo director, Mike Borders, retired in 2008 after serving at Scovill for many years. The current director, Dave Webster has been at the Scovill Zoo for 20 years. Assistant Director Ken Frye came on board in 2009.

Conservation projects

Scovill Zoo places great emphasis on conservation through education and donation of funds to support organizations working to conserve both animal populations as well as the environment.

AAZK chapter

The American Association of Zoo Keepers was formed in 1967 in

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. It serves as an educational opportunity for zookeepers to learn from one another and continue education. Scovill Zoo formed its own chapter in 2007. The chapter aids in conservation projects such as Bowling for

Rhino A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...

golden lion tamarin The golden lion tamarin (''Leontopithecus rosalia'', pt, mico-leão-dourado , ), also known as the golden marmoset, is a small New World monkey of the family Callitrichidae. Native to the Atlantic coastal forests of Brazil, the golden lion tam ...

of Brazil conservation, De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Trust, and the Snow Leopard Trust.

Cheetah conservation

Scovill Zoo's two African cheetahs, Jafari and Runako, were born in Africa before coming to live at Scovill Zoo. Due to threats to their habitat as well as other factors, cheetahs have been placed on the list of threatened species. Scovill Zoo is doing its part to help cheetahs survive by donating five cents of each paid zoo admission. The money collected goes to the De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Conservation Centre.
The money raised by admissions goes to the organization's census study of free-roaming cheetahs in South Africa. The organization uses radio collars and survey farmers to try to gain a better grasp on the number of cheetahs still roaming Africa. With more information, the organization hopes to be able to learn more about where the cheetahs are and help cheetahs and humans coexist more peacefully.

Save a Rainforest

By donating to the Conservation Parking Meter, set up by the Center for Ecosystem Survival, at Scovill Zoo, guests are able to give money to the Rincon Rainforest, which is along the north edge of the eastern part of the Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, in

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

Children's education

"Scovill Zoo’s education programs offer opportunities designed to help animal lovers of all ages explore and discover the animal kingdom through unique and innovative experiences. From our Zoo Academy to our Mobile Zoo, our education programs provide fun, hands-on connections to the animal world", states the Scovill Zoo website. Classes and programs are as follows:Critter Chatter Spring 2009
http://www.decatur-parks.org/zoo/pdf/21.pdf, scovillzoo.com, accessed October 19, 2009.

Features

The Z.O. & O. Express Train The Z.O. & O. Express Train travels a path through the zoo. The passengers receive a guided tour and behind-the-scenes look at some of the animals residing at Scovill Zoo. Originally added in 1984, the train is a modeled after an 1863 C. P. Huntington steam train.

The Endangered Species Carousel The

Endangered Species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

Carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (List of sovereign states, international), roundabout (British English), or hurdy-gurdy (an old term in Australian English, in South Australia, SA) is a type of amusement ...

consists of 30 hand-carved wooden animals, each representing species protected and

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...

. The carousel was designed especially for Scovill Zoo and has proved to be one of the zoo's most popular attractions.

Exhibits

Seasonal adjustments

Because of Illinois' changing

climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologic ...

, Scovill Zoo must make special accommodations for some of the animals in residence.

Summer

Scovill Zoo responds to high rises in temperature during the summer months by using fans, pools, and a variety of frozen treats for their animals. Though each animal is supplied with shade in their habitat, animals with thick fur coats like the wolves can still overheat. Zookeepers often prepare "frozen blood balls" for the wolves out of the drippings of their meat diet. Other animals, such as the pelicans, are misted by keepers or provided with fans and pools.Hot time at the zoo: Shade, water, frozen treats keep animals cool
herald-review.com, August 5, 2007, accessed October 6, 2009.

Winter

The zoo, which closes to the public during the winter months, has made several adjustments to existing habitats and has added new buildings to house animals that are not equipped for the drop in temperature. Acclimated animals such as wolves and cheetahs are allowed to remain in their exhibits all year long; animals from non-acclimated species, such as tropical birds, alligators, and primates, are moved to heated buildings.
scovillzoo.com, November 20, 2007, accessed October 6, 2009. Scovill Zoo is typically open from the start of April until the end of October. Following is a list of animals that can be found at Scovill Zoo:

= Birds

= *

Chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...

* Crane, East African crowned * Conure, sun * Dove, ringed turtle * Duck, call * Duck, crested * Eagle, bald * Egret, cattle *

Emu The emu () (''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is the second-tallest living bird after its ratite relative the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the genus ''Dromaius''. The emu' ...

* Flamingo, Chilean * Fowl, guinea * Gull, ring-billed * Hawk, red-tailed * Kookaburra, laughing * Macaw, blue-and-yellow * Macaw, red-and-green * Owl, barn * Owl, great horned * Owl, screech *

Peafowl Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera '' Pavo'' and ''Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female peafowl are refe ...

* Pelican, American white * Pheasant, golden *

Pigeon Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...

* Teal, ringed * Toucan, red billed * Vulture, turkey * Turaco, Lady Ross’ * Penguin, Humboldt

= Fish

= *

Goldfish The goldfish (''Carassius auratus'') is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It is commonly kept as a pet in indoor aquariums, and is one of the most popular aquarium fish. Goldfish released into the wild have ...

= Insects and spiders

= * Cockroach, Madagascar hissing * Scorpion, emperor * Scorpion, plains stripeless *

Tarantula Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,040 species have been identified, with 156 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although ...

= Mammals

= * Bat, Egyptian fruit *

Binturong The binturong (''Arctictis binturong'') (, ), also known as the bearcat, is a viverrid native to South and Southeast Asia. It is uncommon in much of its range, and has been assessed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because of a declining popu ...

* Camel, Bactrian *

Capybara The capybaraAlso called capivara (in Brazil), capiguara (in Bolivia), chigüire, chigüiro, or fercho (in Colombia and Venezuela), carpincho (in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay) and ronsoco (in Peru). or greater capybara (''Hydrochoerus hydro ...

Cheetah The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, estimated to be capable of running at with the fastest reliably recorded speeds being , and as such has evolved specialized ...

Chinchilla Chinchillas are either of two species (''Chinchilla chinchilla'' and ''Chinchilla lanigera'') of crepuscular rodents of the parvorder Caviomorpha. They are slightly larger and more robust than ground squirrels, and are native to the Andes mount ...

* Coati, white-nosed *

Cow Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ma ...

* Deer, tufted * Deer, white-tailed * Degu, common *

Ferret The ferret (''Mustela furo'') is a small, Domestication, domesticated species belonging to the family Mustelidae. The ferret is most likely a domesticated form of the wild European polecat (''Mustela putorius''), evidenced by their Hybrid (biol ...

* Goat, African pygmy * Goat, Nubian * Guinea hog *

Guinea pig The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig (''Cavia porcellus''), also known as the cavy or domestic cavy (), is a species of rodent belonging to the genus ''Cavia'' in the family Caviidae. Breeders tend to use the word ''cavy'' to describe the ani ...

* Hedgehog, African pygmy * Lemur, ring-tailed *

Llama The llama (; ) (''Lama glama'') is a domesticated South American camelid, widely used as a List of meat animals, meat and pack animal by Inca empire, Andean cultures since the Pre-Columbian era. Llamas are social animals and live with othe ...

Meerkat MeerKAT, originally the Karoo Array Telescope, is a radio telescope consisting of 64 antennas in the Meerkat National Park, in the Northern Cape of South Africa. In 2003, South Africa submitted an expression of interest to host the Square Kilom ...

* Monkey, spider * Panda, red * Prairie dog, black-tailed *

Rabbit Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit speci ...

* Tamarin, cotton-top * Tamarin, Geoffroy's * Tamarin, golden lion * Tenrec, lesser hedgehog * Wallaby, red-necked * Wolf, gray * Zebra, Grant's *

Zebu The zebu (; ''Bos indicus'' or ''Bos taurus indicus''), sometimes known in the plural as indicine cattle or humped cattle, is a species or subspecies of domestic cattle originating in the Indian sub-continent. Zebu are characterised by a fatty ...

, dwarf

= Reptiles and amphibians

= * Alligator, American *

Axolotl The axolotl (; from nci, āxōlōtl ), ''Ambystoma mexicanum'', is a paedomorphic salamander closely related to the tiger salamander. Axolotls are unusual among amphibians in that they reach adulthood without undergoing metamorphosis. Instea ...

Central bearded dragon The central bearded dragon (''Pogona vitticeps''), also known as the inland bearded dragon, is a species of agamid lizard found in a wide range of arid to semiarid regions of eastern and central Australia. Taxonomy ''Pogona vitticeps'' was fi ...

Boa constrictor The boa constrictor (scientific name also ''Boa constrictor''), also called the red-tailed boa, is a species of large, non-venomous, heavy-bodied snake that is frequently kept and bred in captivity. The boa constrictor is a member of the family B ...

* Desert rosy boa * Boa, smooth sand * Frog, African clawed * Argentine horned frog (PacMan frog) * Frog, poison arrow * Gecko, leopard * Iguana, green * Iguana, rhinoceros * Lizard, glass * Milksnake, Pueblan * Toad, giant marine * Tortoise, Galapagos * Tortoise, leopard * Tortoise, red-footed * Turtle, box * Turtle, map * Turtle, painted *Turtle,

red-eared slider The red-eared slider or red-eared terrapin (''Trachemys scripta elegans'') is a subspecies of the pond slider (''Trachemys scripta''), a semiaquatic turtle belonging to the family Emydidae. It is the most popular pet turtle in the United States, ...

* Monitor, Argus * Monitor, green tree * Monitor, savannah * Python, Burmese * Python, green tree * Skink, blue-tongued * Snake, corn * Snake, black rat * Snake, yellow rat * Tegu, black and yellow

Notes

External links

* {{authority control Zoos in Illinois Zoos established in 1967 Decatur, Illinois Buildings and structures in Macon County, Illinois Tourist attractions in Macon County, Illinois 1967 establishments in Illinois