Riverbanks Zoo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Riverbanks Zoo and Garden

Entrance to Riverbanks Zoo and Garden
Date opened	April 25, 1974; 51 years ago (April 25, 1974)
Location	Columbia and West Columbia, South Carolina United States
Land area	170 acres (69 ha)
Coordinates	34°00′35″N 81°04′21″W / 34.009651°N 81.072436°W / 34.009651; -81.072436
Annual visitors	1,000,000+
Memberships	AZA
Major exhibits	African Plains, Aquarium, Sea Lion Lagoon, Reptile Complex, Riverbanks Farm

The Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is a huge place in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. It's about 170 acres and sits right by the Saluda River. This amazing spot is not just a zoo; it's also an aquarium and a beautiful botanical garden. A small part of it even reaches into the nearby city of West Columbia. It's run by a special group called the Rich-Lex Riverbanks Park Special Purpose District. This group works with the city of Columbia and Richland and Lexington counties to make sure the zoo is awesome.

Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is a proud member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). This means it meets high standards for animal care and education.

Discovering Riverbanks: A Look at Its History

In the early 1960s, some business people in Columbia had a great idea: to build a zoo! But it wasn't until 1969 that the state created a special group to make it happen. This group was called the Rich-Lex Riverbanks Park Special Purpose District.

The zoo officially opened its doors on April 25, 1974, after five years of planning. Soon after, people realized the zoo needed more help to grow. So, the Riverbanks Zoological Society was created to raise money. At the same time, Palmer "Satch" Krantz became the executive director. The first zoo had cool designs, like exhibits with mountains and moats for big cats and bears.

Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is now the biggest paid attraction in South Carolina. More than one million people visit it every year! That's a lot of visitors for a city the size of Columbia. The zoo has won many awards, including the Southeastern Tourism Society's Shining Example Award four times. It has also won the SC Parks Recreation and Tourism Governor's Cup Award twice. These awards show it's one of the best tourist spots in the Southeast and South Carolina.

Meet the Animals: Exploring Exhibits

A giraffe being fed at an overlook in 'Africa Plains'.

A male lion resting at Riverbanks.

The zoo is home to over 2,000 animals! You can see all kinds of creatures, including mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish. In 2002, new exhibits were added for African elephants, gorillas, and koalas.

The Birdhouse at Riverbanks, which opened in 2001, won a special award. It was named one of the best new zoo exhibits in the United States! Here, you can see amazing king penguins, rockhopper penguins, and gentoo penguins.

African Plains: Giants of the Savanna

The African Plains exhibit is a large area, about 2 acres, that looks like the African savanna. Here, you can see tall giraffes, speedy Grant's zebras, and big ostriches. In the 1990s, the zoo also had hippos and rhinos in this area.

Aquarium Reptile Complex: Underwater Worlds and Scaly Friends

The Aquarium Reptile Complex opened in 1989. It's a huge building, about 20,000 square feet! Inside, there's a giant 50,000-gallon tank filled with colorful Pacific coral reef fish. You can also see amazing creatures like Galapagos tortoises, false gharials, and Komodo dragons. There's even a cool sculpture of a Galapagos tortoise outside!

Ndoki Forest: Home to Primates and More

Opened in 2002, Ndoki Forest was designed for larger African animals. It used to house African elephants and western lowland gorillas. You can also find de Brazza's monkeys, slender-tailed meerkats, and various birds here. The elephants once had a large yard with a huge pool. In 2019, the last elephant moved to another zoo. This made space for a new White Southern Rhino exhibit, which opened in the summer of 2020.

Riverbanks Farm: Get Close to Farm Animals

Riverbanks Farm opened in 1988. It's a fun place where you can meet domestic animals. Guests can even feed the zoo's goats and llamas!

Lemur Island and Conservation Outpost

Lemur Island is an exhibit where you can see playful ring-tailed lemurs and red ruffed lemurs. The Conservation Outpost features animals that are threatened in the wild. These include howler monkeys, fishing cats, and tree kangaroos. The Education Center, which opened in 1983, is where Zoo Camp takes place.

Kangaroo Walkabout: A Path Through the Outback

Kangaroo Walkabout is a newer exhibit. It has a path that goes right into the animal area! This means visitors can see wallabies and red kangaroos without a barrier between them. Just remember to stay on the path!

New Arrivals and Exciting Additions

The Riverbanks Zoo welcomed a Malayan tapir in 2013. They also got a breeding pair of babirusas in 2012. These babirusas have had babies and can be found in the area where the warthogs used to be.

In June 2016, a brand new Sea lion exhibit opened. It looks like Pier 39 in San Francisco! Around the same time, the zoo also opened a newly updated entrance, a renovated otter exhibit, and a new grizzly bear exhibit. All these changes were part of the zoo's big $36 million "Destination Riverbanks" plan.

Other cool exhibits include hamadryas baboons, lions, Siberian tigers, meerkats, alligators, and siamangs.

The Birmingham Zoo sent its western lowland gorilla, Cenzoo, to Riverbanks Zoo in 2015. He joined female gorillas from the North Carolina Zoo and Zoo Atlanta. This was part of a special plan to help these gorillas have babies and keep their species strong.

Riverbanks Botanical Garden: A World of Plants

Riverbanks also has a huge botanical garden! It opened in 1995 and covers about 70 acres. You can find more than 4,200 different kinds of plants here, both native and from other parts of the world. There are also some cool sculptures to discover.

A system of trails lets you explore many kilometers of forests. You can look for native wildlife that lives right there in the Zoo and Garden.

Waterfall Junction: Fun for All Ages

Waterfall Junction opened in April 2016 and is part of the Riverbanks Botanical Garden. It's a fantastic place for families and kids of all ages to get outside and explore nature!

This 3-acre wonderland is full of imagination. You can pop in and out of a rabbit hole or dig up a life-size model of a T-Rex! There are giant tree houses and kid-sized playhouses to explore. You can splash around under a 25-foot waterfall and run or relax on a grassy meadow. If you get thirsty, cool drinks are waiting at The Oasis concession stand.