Magnetic Hill Zoo facts for kids
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Magnetic Hill Zoo's logo, featuring its mascot, Tomar the Siberian tiger.
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A bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) at the Magnetic Hill Zoo.
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| Date opened | 1953 |
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| Location | 125 Magic Mountain Road Moncton, New Brunswick E1G 4V7 |
| Land area | 16 hectares (40 acres) |
| Coordinates | 46°08′15″N 64°53′05″W / 46.137441°N 64.884825°W |
| No. of animals | 400+ |
| No. of species | 100+ |
| Annual visitors | 132,000 (2009) |
| Memberships | CAZA |
| Major exhibits | Insectarium, Reptile House |
The Magnetic Hill Zoo is a fun place to visit in Moncton, New Brunswick. It's also known as le Zoo de Magnetic Hill in French. This zoo is huge, covering about 16 hectares (that's like 40 football fields!). It's right next to the famous Magnetic Hill and Magic Mountain amusement park.
The zoo is home to over 400 animals, making it the biggest zoo in Atlantic Canada. You can see more than 100 different kinds of animals here! In 2008, it was even ranked as one of Canada's top ten zoos. Since 1993, the Magnetic Hill Zoo has been a special member of the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA). This means the zoo meets high standards for animal care and education.
Contents
History of the Zoo
Early Beginnings (1953-1979)
The Magnetic Hill Zoo started way back in 1953. It was first called the Magnetic Hill Game Farm. Back then, it mostly cared for local animals that were hurt or orphaned. These included animals like owls, bears, and deer.
Becoming a Modern Zoo (1979-1998)
In 1979, the city of Moncton took over the game farm. They started bringing in more exciting and exotic animals from around the world. This change led to the farm being renamed the Magnetic Hill Zoo.
In 1995, the zoo grew even bigger with a 10-acre expansion called the African Oasis. They also added new areas like the Primate Conservation Centre, a frog bog, a koi pond, and a bird garden. A Camel-Zebra exhibit and a children's playground were also built.
More improvements came in 1997 and 1998. The zoo opened an Insectarium exhibit, a new entrance building, and new places to buy food. The bears got a much better home, allowing them to live in a more natural space. The zoo's education programs also won an award from CAZA for being so good!
New Exhibits and Learning (2003-2009)
A cool new reptile house called the Ecodome opened in 2003. It was built where the old bear "pit" used to be. The Ecodome won an award from CAZA for its great design that helps animals feel at home. New exhibits for barbary sheep and bison were also finished.
In 2003, the zoo also added a new Education Centre. This center has three classrooms, washrooms, an office, a kitchen, a first aid room, and a Discovery Centre. It's a great place for kids to learn about animals.
Between 2003 and 2004, many animal homes were made bigger or improved. This included habitats for otters, wolves, watusi cattle, and eland. A special area where visitors could get closer to deer was also built.
In 2005, work began on the Pridelands exhibit, a new home for lions and ostriches. This exhibit opened in July 2006 and also won a CAZA award for its animal-friendly design. The zoo also updated a food stand and was named a "New Brunswick Top Attraction."
In 2006, the walking paths and signs around the zoo were greatly improved. This made it easier for everyone to explore the zoo.
A new Cougar Country Exhibit was built in 2008. This exhibit won the zoo's third CAZA Environmental Enrichment Award. In 2009, a new Jaguar Exhibit was built, similar to the cougar exhibit. The zoo also welcomed new animals like mandrills, a colobus monkey, and two African lion cubs. A new home was started for the black and white ruffed lemurs because the zoo's breeding program for them was so successful. The old Insectarium was updated and reopened as "The Container."
Friends of the Zoo
The zoo gets a lot of help from a group called Friends of the Zoo. This group started in 1989. Its main goal is to raise money to make the animal habitats at the zoo even better.
Animals at the Zoo
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The Magnetic Hill Zoo is home to over 400 animals! You can see more than 100 different kinds of birds, mammals, insects, reptiles, and fish. Here are some of the amazing animals you might find there:
See also
In Spanish: Zoológico de Magnetic Hill para niños
