Fun facts about zoos as today is national zoo lovers’ day

Thursday, 8 April, is national Zoo Lovers’ Day.

South Africa’s largest zoo, the only one with national status, is the National Zoological Garden in Pretoria.

The 85-hectare zoo houses 3 117 specimens of 209 mammal species, 1 358 specimens of 202 bird species, 3 871 specimens of 190 fish species, 388 specimens of four invertebrate species, 309 specimens of 93 reptile species, and 44 specimens of seven amphibian species.

These facilities are relied upon when species are endangered or at risk of becoming endangered, according to environmental and agriculture management MMC Dana Wannenburg.

“They also provide education to the public about a broad variety of animals and their habitats,” said Wannenburg.

More than 600 000 people visit the zoo annually.

The total length of the walkways in the Pretoria zoo is about 6km.

An aquarium and reptile park also form part of the zoo.

It is the largest inland marine aquarium in the country and the third-largest collection of exotic trees.

The zoo was founded in 1899 by JWB Gunning.

The earliest “modern” public zoo was first opened in Paris, France, in 1793.

During the French Revolution, revolutionary leaders took the menageries of French aristocrats and royalty and relocated them to the Ménagerie du Jardin des Plante.

This zoo is still in operation to this day.

Fun facts about zoos:

– There are more than 2 800 zoos and aquariums all over the world.
– Every year, more than a hundred million people visit zoos. This number exceeds the total attendance of all big-league basketball, football and baseball games.
– There are 350 zoos in the US.
– Insurance populations are set up by zoos to protect species that are likely to go extinct.
– There are a total of 39 animals that are extinct in the wild and exist only in zoos.
– The first public zoo in the US was opened in 1874 in New York and was called the Central Park Zoo.

Which animals are rarely seen at zoos?

Even though there are lots of animals that can’t be kept at zoos, there are some that are kept rarely. These include ones like the red panda, the common sawfish, hairy-nosed wombat, four-eyed turtles and twin Vervet monkeys.

What is the rarest animal alive?

With only ten of its kind alive now, the vaquita (marine mammal) is considered to be among the rarest of the animals alive and can be found on the Gulf of California, Mexico only.

What is the most expensive zoo animal?

Found in the zoos of China only, the giant pandas are the most expensive zoo animals in the world. The expenses to house such a panda are around a million dollars per year.

*Source: https://www.greetingcardpoet.com/national-zoo-lovers-day/

WATCH: Photos of the animals from The National Zoological Gardens 

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