Sequoia Park Zoo facts for kids
| Date opened | 1907 |
|---|---|
| Location | Eureka, California, United States |
| Land area | 5 acres (2.0 ha) |
| Coordinates | 40°46′37″N 124°08′42″W / 40.77698°N 124.14496°W |
| No. of animals | Vertebrates: 195 (in 2013) Invertebrates: ~1,700 (in 2013) |
| No. of species | 54 (in 2013) |
| Memberships | AZA |
The Sequoia Park Zoo is a cool place to visit in Eureka, California. The city of Eureka runs this zoo. It's part of a bigger park with 60-acre (24 ha) of tall coast redwood trees. You can also find Eureka's biggest playground and a duck pond here. The park has beautiful gardens with many kinds of rhododendron flowers.
The zoo's main goal is to help people learn about nature. They want to make sure you have fun and understand how animals, humans, and our environment are all connected. The zoo is open every day, except for Mondays in the winter. It is home to about 200 different kinds of vertebrate animals (like mammals and birds). It also has hundreds of invertebrates (like insects and spiders). In total, you can see about 54 different species across 7-acre (2.8 ha) of land.
Contents
Discover the History of Sequoia Park Zoo
The Sequoia Park Zoo first opened its doors in 1907. This makes it the oldest zoo in all of California! The zoo is built on land that belongs to the Wiyot people. This is a Native American tribe that has lived in the Humboldt Bay area for thousands of years.
Since 1907, the zoo has been home to many different animals. These include large hoofed animals, colorful birds, and small mammals. In 1995, the zoo earned a special honor. It became accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). This means the zoo meets high standards for animal care and education.
After getting this accreditation, the zoo started focusing even more on helping animals. They joined programs like the Species Survival Plan. These plans help protect endangered animals by carefully managing their breeding. The zoo also started many fun education programs. For 100 years, it was free to enter the zoo. But in 2008, they began charging a small fee. A special foundation helps support the zoo. This foundation runs the gift shop and cafe. They also host events and raise money to help the zoo.
Meet the Amazing Animals at the Zoo
The Sequoia Park Zoo has many interesting animals to see. You can watch playful brown-headed spider monkeys. The zoo also used to have white-handed gibbons. One gibbon named Joh-leen lived there for many years. She passed away in 2019 because she was very old. Her partner, Bono, moved to another zoo to find a new friend.
The zoo also used to have chimpanzees. One male chimpanzee lived at the zoo for 50 years! He was 62 when he passed away. This made him the oldest male chimpanzee ever recorded.
Visit the Barnyard Buddies
The zoo has a special area called the "Barnyard." This exhibit is a great place to learn where your food comes from. You can also meet and sometimes even pet some friendly farm animals!
Animals you might see in the Barnyard include:
Other animals you can see in the Barnyard, but not touch, are mice, skunks, opossums, a beehive, and spiders.
Birds in the Free-Flight Aviary
Step inside the walk-in free-flight aviary! Here, birds fly freely around you. It's a wonderful way to see them up close.
Some of the birds you might spot include:
- Bright scarlet ibis
- Spotted Whistling ducks
- Band-tailed pigeons
- Green herons
- Funny Guira cuckoos
- Beautiful Nicobar pigeons
- Smart grey parrots
- California quails
- And colorful Golden pheasants
Secrets of the Forest Building
The zoo has an educational building called "Secrets of the Forest." This building teaches you all about the animals and other living things that live in the redwood forest. You can see many different insects, reptiles, and amphibians here.
More Exotic Animals
Beyond the Barnyard and aviary, the zoo is home to many other unique animals from around the world. These include:
- Loud crested screamers
- Fast Patagonian maras (which are like large guinea pigs)
- Elegant Orinoco geese
- Pink flamingos
- Playful bush dogs
- Adorable red pandas
- Shy Indian muntjac deer
- Big, furry yaks
- Wild Chacoan peccaries (like small wild pigs)
- And large rheas (which are big birds like ostriches)
In 2016, the Sequoia Park Zoo won a special award from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). They received top honors for their "Watershed Heroes" exhibit design. This award recognized their great work in creating engaging and educational displays.
