Honolulu Zoo facts for kids
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Main Entrance
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| Location | Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, United States |
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| Land area | 42 acres (17 ha) |
| Coordinates | 21°16′15″N 157°49′09″W / 21.2709°N 157.8192°W |
| No. of animals | 1,230 |
| Annual visitors | 750,000+ |
| Memberships | Association of Zoos and Aquariums |
The Honolulu Zoo is a fun place to visit in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. It covers about 42 acres of land inside Queen Kapiʻolani Park. This zoo is special because it's the only one in the United States started by a king! It's built on land that was once part of the royal Queen Kapiʻolani Park.
The Honolulu Zoo is home to over 1,230 animals. These animals live in special habitats designed just for them. More than 750,000 people visit the zoo every year. The City & County of Honolulu manages the zoo. The Honolulu Zoo Society (HZS) also helps by providing many programs and services. The zoo is a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), which means it meets high standards for animal care.
Contents
The Zoo's Story
How Queen Kapiʻolani Park Started
In 1876, King Kalākaua wanted to create a big public park for the people of his kingdom. He set aside royal lands near Lē‘ahi for this purpose. Many people helped by joining the Kapiʻolani Park Association.
By 1877, the wet, marshy areas were made beautiful. The park officially opened as Queen Kapiʻolani Park. It was named in honor of Queen Kapiʻolani, who was King Kalākaua's wife. Even after it became a public park, King Kalākaua kept his own collection of cool birds and horses there. The park also hosted events like Kamehameha Day celebrations and fun fairs, bringing in even more exotic animals. In 1896, the City & County of Honolulu took over the park.
The Honolulu Zoo Begins
In 1915, Ben Hollinger became the Administrator of Parks and Recreation for Honolulu. He loved animals and started collecting them to show at the park in Waikīkī. Soon, the park had a monkey, a sun bear, and several lion cubs.
A big moment happened in 1916. A steamship carrying an African elephant named Daisy stopped in Honolulu Harbor. Mr. Hollinger convinced the City & County of Honolulu to buy Daisy. With Daisy's arrival, Honolulu officially had a zoo! Daisy entertained visitors until 1933. Sadly, she was involved in a tragic accident and had to be put down.
During the Great Depression, the zoo almost closed because it didn't have enough money. But it kept going! In 1949, the zoo bought more animals. These included another elephant, a Bactrian camel, sea lions, many birds, spider monkeys, and a tortoise.
In 1974, the zoo received donations of a camel, an elephant, chimpanzees, and deer. These new animals made people excited about the zoo again. The City & County of Honolulu approved a plan for the zoo's current 42-acre size. New homes were built for the animals, and some of these still form the basis for today's exhibits. The designs were inspired by the San Diego Zoo in California. The Honolulu Zoo got another boost in the 1990s. Its exhibits were redesigned to look more like the animals' natural homes.
Art at the Zoo
The Honolulu Zoo isn't just about animals; it also has cool art! You can find sculptures and murals all around the zoo, like:
- Giraffe, a metal sculpture from 1959 by Charles W. Watson
- Hawaiian Porpoises, a sculpture from 1976 by Ken Shutt
- Hippopotami, a sculpture from 1976 by Jack Throp
- Elephant's Child, a bronze sculpture from 1988 by Tom Tischler
- Gecko's Delight, a wood carving from 1978 by John Nippolt
- Hawaiian Pigs, a stone sculpture from 1976 by Gregory Clurman
- Giraffe, a fiberglass sculpture from 1998 by Jim de la Torre
- Whooping Cranes, two metal sculptures from 1998 by Paul Saviskas
- Maasai Tribesman, a metal sculpture from 1999 by Paul Saviskas
- The Evolution of an Island, a metal mural from 1991 by Amanda Opsahl
Helping Animals and Nature
The Honolulu Zoo works hard to protect animals and their homes. They focus on saving native Hawaiian species. They also team up with other groups that care about conservation.
Some of the animals they've helped include the Kamehameha butterfly, crocodile monitor lizards, birds-of-paradise, African wild dogs, sloths, and the nene. The nene is the state bird of Hawaii! In 2015, only one Amastra cylindrica snail was found in the wild. The zoo worked to increase their numbers, and over 140 snails have now been released back into nature.
Gallery
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American flamingos featured at the entrance to the zoo
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Asian elephant (Elephas maximus)
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Children playing on a giraffe statue at the zoo
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Southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum)
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Lion
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Greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros)
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Violet-backed starling (Cinnyricinclus leucogaster)
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Radiated tortoise (Astrochelys radiata)
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One of the many flowering plants at the zoo
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