Lehigh Valley Zoo facts for kids
Entrance to the Lehigh Valley Zoo. June 2013.
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| Date opened | 1974 |
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| Location | Schnecksville, Pennsylvania |
| Land area | 29 acres (11.7 ha) |
| Coordinates | 40°39′30″N 75°37′33″W / 40.658251°N 75.625956°W |
| No. of animals | 275 |
| No. of species | 70 |
| Annual visitors | 100,000 + 30,000 students (2011) |
| Memberships | AZA |
The Lehigh Valley Zoo is a 29-acre (11.7 ha) zoo located in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, United States, inside the 1,100-acre (445 ha) Trexler Nature Preserve. The zoo is open year round.
The Lehigh Valley Zoo has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) since March 2006.
Contents
History
In 1906, Harry Clay Trexler started purchasing farms in the Lowhill and North Whitehall townships of Pennsylvania to create a preserve to help protect bison, elk, and white-tailed deer. In all, he purchased 36 farms totaling 1,108 acres (448 ha) before he died, and then bequeathed the land to Lehigh County. In 1935, the area officially became the Trexler-Lehigh County Game Preserve.
Construction on the children's zoo within the park began in 1974. When it opened, the zoo included petting and feeding exhibits as well as exotic animals from Africa, Asia, and Australia.
In 2004, since the original purpose of saving native species had been accomplished, the county opened the entire preserve to the public. At the same time, the Lehigh Valley Zoological Society took over management of the zoo within the park.
Conservation
In 2009, the zoo was participating in three Species Survival Plans (SSP): African penguin, mongoose lemur, and scimitar-horned oryx.
Gallery
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Grant's zebra
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Dromedary camel
Images for kids
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Christmas lights at Lehigh Valley Zoo in Schnecksville, December 2020
