Micke Grove Zoo facts for kids
| Date opened | 1957 |
|---|---|
| Location | Lodi, California, United States |
| Land area | 5 acres (2.0 ha) |
| Coordinates | 38°04′45″N 121°16′19″W / 38.07917°N 121.27194°W |
Micke Grove Zoo is a fun, small zoo located in Lodi, California. It opened its doors in 1957. The zoo is part of the larger Micke Grove Regional Park. This park also has a beautiful Japanese garden, a history museum, an amusement park, and places for picnics.
History of Micke Grove Zoo
The land for Micke Grove Park was given to San Joaquin County in 1938. The Micke family donated this large, 258-acre oak tree park. The zoo itself opened in 1957. Ronald Theodore Reuther was the first person in charge of the zoo.
The zoo is home to many animals. Some are native to the area, and others are exotic species. Some of these animals are endangered. The zoo was once the smallest to be approved by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. However, it lost this approval in 2006. This was because some animal homes were old, and the vet space was too small.
Since then, the vet area has been made bigger. The University of California at Davis Veterinary Teaching Hospital helps the zoo's animal care. Many animal habitats still need to be made larger and updated.
Animals at Micke Grove Zoo
The zoo has many different animals for you to see. You can find birds of prey that cannot be released into the wild. There are also various tortoises and lemurs. Many parrots and tortoises from Madagascar live here. These include many endangered primates and birds.
In 2014, a snow leopard joined the zoo family. There were plans to add Oriental small-clawed otters. They also wanted to make the snow leopard habitat bigger. However, this construction was stopped. It will continue when more money is found.
Micke Grove Zoo helps protect wildlife. It takes part in the Species Survival Plan (SSP Program). This is an international program. It helps make sure that endangered animals survive. The zoo has helped a lot with this program. They have successfully bred Golden Lion Tamarins, Chilean Pudus, and Waldrapp Ibises.
Education Programs
The Micke Grove Zoological Society helps fund the zoo's education programs. These programs teach people about animals and conservation.
Some important programs for schools include:
- Six weeks of private zoo camp for students in San Joaquin County.
- Five weeks of public zoo camp for everyone.
- Animal Discovery Tours.
- Off-site Zoo Mobile programs that visit schools.
The zoo also has popular events for families and kids. These include Zoo After Dark, Zoo Tots, Toys for Critters, and HalloWILD.
- Micke Grove Zoo at the Roller Coaster DataBase
