Little Rock Zoo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Little Rock Zoo

Little Rock Zoo Entrance
Date opened	1926
Location	Little Rock, Arkansas, United States
Land area	33 acres (13 ha)
Coordinates	34°44′47″N 92°19′56″W / 34.7464°N 92.3321°W / 34.7464; -92.3321
No. of animals	725
No. of species	200
Annual visitors	307,437
Memberships	AZA
Website	http://www.littlerockzoo.com

The Little Rock Zoo is a fun place to visit in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States. It opened in 1924 and is home to over 400 animals from more than 200 different species. The zoo covers 33 acres, which is about 25 football fields! It's the biggest zoo in Arkansas and is special because it's the only one in the state approved by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). This means it meets high standards for animal care and conservation. A group called the Arkansas Zoological Foundation helps raise money to make the zoo even better.

The Zoo's Exciting History

Little Rock Municipal Zoo, around 1930-1945

The Little Rock Zoo began in 1924 when the mayor at the time, Mayor Brickhouse, decided to create a city zoo. Over the years, it grew from a small start to a home for hundreds of animals.

Many of the first buildings at the zoo were built in the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). This was a special program that helped people find jobs during a tough time in history. These buildings were made of local stone and housed animals like monkeys, reptiles, birds, and big cats. Some of these old buildings are still used today! For example, the old cat house is now a restaurant that looks like an African lodge.

In the 1980s, the zoo added new homes for big cats, great apes, crocodiles, alligators, sloth bears, and river otters. The 1990s brought even more cool additions, like Lemur Island and a new African Lion Exhibit. The zoo also added a children's farm where kids could interact with animals and a train station.

A very special antique carousel called "Over the Jumps" found its new home at the zoo in 2007. Later, in 2011, a fantastic new home for African penguins opened, called Laura P. Nichols Penguin Pointe. The Laura P. Nichols Cheetah Outpost opened in 2012, and the Arkansas Heritage Farm welcomed visitors in 2016. The zoo keeps growing, with a new Conservation Learning Center in 2020 and new homes for colobus monkeys and servals in 2021.

Explore the Amazing Exhibits

The Little Rock Zoo is divided into different areas, making it easy to explore and see animals from all over the world. Each area is designed to feel like the animals' natural homes.

Zoo Entrance Adventures

Right when you enter the zoo, you'll find the "Over-The-Jumps" Carousel, perfect for a fun ride. You can also catch exciting animal shows at the Animal Shows Amphitheater. Don't miss Lorikeet Landing, where you can see and even feed colorful rainbow lorikeets!

Meet the Great Apes

Baby orangutan with mother in January 2020 at Little Rock Zoo

The Great Apes exhibit has a special walkway that lets you look down into the animal homes, almost like a bird's-eye view! On one side, you can see a family of western lowland gorillas. On the other, you'll find chimpanzees and Bornean orangutans, each in their own separate areas. Around this exhibit, there are also special islands for other primates like ring-tailed lemurs, black-and-white ruffed lemurs, blue-eyed black lemurs, and black-handed spider monkeys.

Laura P. Nichols Penguin Pointe

Siamang singing at Little Rock Zoo

At Laura P. Nichols Penguin Pointe, you can watch playful African penguins. Their home looks just like an African shoreline, similar to Boulders Beach. You can see the penguins swimming underwater and waddling around above ground!

Primates, Reptiles, Birds, & More Building

This building was built way back in 1936 and is home to many interesting animals from different parts of the world.

Reptile House Wonders

Here, you can see many types of snakes, including the red spitting cobra and the huge reticulated python. You'll also find other reptiles like the American alligator, blue-tongued skink, and the frilled-neck lizard. Don't forget to look for amphibians like the African bullfrog and colorful dyeing poison dart frogs. You might even spot some invertebrates like the Asian forest scorpion and the Chilean rose tarantula!

Primate House Fun

In the Primate House, you can observe smaller primates like the Geoffrey's marmoset, Goeldi's monkey, and the white-faced saki. You might also see a southern three-banded armadillo.

Tropical Bird House Beauty

This area is filled with beautiful birds from tropical places. Look for the bright roseate spoonbill, the stunning scarlet ibis, and the unique Nicobar pigeon.

Asian Elephants: Gentle Giants

The elephant exhibit is very large, giving the zoo's Asian elephants plenty of space to roam. There's a big window where you can watch these amazing, giant animals up close. You'll also see banners with famous quotes about how wonderful and important elephants are.

Arkansas Heritage Farm: Local Fun

The Arkansas Heritage Farm celebrates animals found in Arkansas and farm life. You can ride the Arkansas' Diamond Express train! In the chicken yard, you'll see different kinds of chickens like the araucana and silkie, plus wild turkeys and geese. Inside the barn, you'll find mammals like donkeys, miniature horses, pygmy goats, and baby doll sheep. This exhibit also has a home for Ringtails, a butterfly garden, and a viewing area for giant tortoises like the Aldabra giant tortoise. Nearby, a pond is home to waterfowl like the Chilean flamingo.

Small Carnivores: Mighty Hunters

The Small Carnivores exhibit features smaller meat-eating animals. You can see the red fox from North America, the speedy caracal from Africa, and the unique fossa from Madagascar. Also look for the ocelot from South America and the clouded leopard from Asia.

Bears and Otters: Playful Pals

At the start of this exhibit, you'll find playful North American river otters and spotted-necked otters. One area is home to a sloth bear. The main highlight is the grizzly bear enclosure, which has a large glass window so you can get a super close look at these powerful bears! At the end, you might spot a bush dog or a Woodchuck.

African Savannah: Wide Open Spaces

Congressman Vic Snyder visiting the zoo, 2005

The African Savannah is a special exhibit where several different animal species live together, just like they would in the wild! Here, you can see elegant grey crowned cranes, tall ostriches, graceful reticulated giraffes, and striped Grant's zebras all sharing their space.

Africa: Diverse Wildlife

The Africa exhibit features the impressive eastern black rhinoceros. You'll also find smaller homes for Angola colobus monkeys and quick servals.

Big Cats: Roaring Wonders

The Big Cats exhibit is where you can see some of the zoo's most powerful predators: majestic lions, striped tigers, and spotted jaguars.

Laura P. Nichols Cheetah Outpost: Speed and Conservation

The Laura P. Nichols Cheetah Outpost teaches visitors about efforts to protect cheetahs and other African wildlife. Besides the fast cheetahs, you can also see tiny Kirk's dik-diks and beautiful blue cranes. Inside the outpost, you might discover interesting creatures like naked mole-rats, Madagascar hissing cockroaches, and Indian crested porcupines.

Overlook Trail: A Journey of Discovery

On the Overlook Trail, you can spot a variety of animals from different parts of the world. Look for the unique maned wolf, large giant forest hogs, and colorful Indian peafowl. You might also see the small Kirk's dik-dik, the shy yellow-backed duiker, the amazing giant anteater, and the agile white-handed gibbon. Keep an eye out for the singing siamang, the impressive Greater Kudu, and the striking Abyssinian ground hornbill and secretarybird.

Helping Animals: Conservation Efforts

The Little Rock Zoo is a proud participant in the AZA Species Survival Plan (SSP). This means the zoo works with other zoos to help protect and save animals that are threatened or endangered in the wild. They play an important role in making sure these amazing species survive for future generations.

Fun Annual Events

The zoo hosts several exciting events throughout the year, including:

• Wild Wines
• Zoo Brew
• GloWILD

Future Plans for the Zoo

The Little Rock Zoo has big plans for the future! They want to create a "zoogeographic" zoo. This means organizing the zoo so that animals are grouped by the continents they come from, helping visitors learn more about different habitats around the world. These plans include:

• An Arkansas Farmstead exhibit with animals native to Arkansas and information about farming.
• A new Asia area (where the Great Apes exhibit is now) with an even bigger home for elephants, orangutans, and other Asian species.
• A new Africa area with a new giraffe barn, a mixed-species African Veldt exhibit, a new cheetah habitat, and an African forest area.
• A brand new entrance complex with a new restaurant, fun carnival-style rides, and an ice cream parlor.
• A New Discovery Center, which will be an education center with new rooms, exhibits, and animals used for learning programs.