Stone Zoo facts for kids

A flamingo at Stone Zoo

Stone Zoo is a fun place to visit in Stoneham, Massachusetts, United States. It's a medium-sized zoo, covering about 26 acres (11 ha) of land. The zoo first opened its doors in 1905.

Here, you can find many different animals in special areas. Some areas are flat with smaller homes for animals. Other parts are rocky hills with bigger spaces for larger animals. These larger spaces are often part of programs to help save endangered species. Stone Zoo is run by Zoo New England, the same group that manages the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston.

Stone Zoo is also a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. This means it meets high standards for animal care and education.

Discovering Stone Zoo's Past

Stone Zoo started in 1905 as the Middlesex Fells Zoo. It began with a small collection of local animals. Soon, more exciting animals from other parts of the world joined the zoo.

In the 1950s, a new area called the Kiddy Zoo opened. It was inspired by classic Mother Goose stories. The 1960s brought big changes to the zoo. Director Walter D. Stone led many improvements. A large aviary, where birds could fly freely, was built. The zoo also welcomed big animals like elephants, giraffes, zebras, pygmy hippos, and sea lions.

After Walter D. Stone passed away in 1968, the zoo was renamed the Walter D. Stone Memorial Zoo on March 14, 1969.

Challenges and Comebacks

The zoo kept operating through the 1970s and 1980s. It even started breeding endangered animals. These included orangutans, kinkajous, siamangs, and kudus. A polar bear named "Major" arrived in July 1979. He quickly became a favorite attraction at the zoo.

On November 12, 1990, the Stone Zoo had to close. This was due to state budget cuts. But people loved the zoo and wanted it back! So, a private, non-profit group was formed to manage it. With help from fundraising and donations, the zoo reopened on June 6, 1992.

During this time, the zoo faced difficulties. Many of its large animals left, except for Major the polar bear. He stayed until he passed away in 2000. The zoo's quality and visitor numbers went down. Old buildings were given new purposes. For example, the former giraffe house became an animal education center.

New Beginnings and Growth

In the early 2000s, Zoo New England started a campaign to raise money. Their goal was to make both Stone Zoo and the Franklin Park Zoo better.

On September 24, 2005, Stone Zoo celebrated its 100th birthday! The zoo's layout was changed to be more interesting and educational. This was done even though there were fewer large animals. Many new exhibits were created. Existing ones were made bigger or improved. These changes helped more people visit the zoo.

There are also plans to add a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) bus stop. This will make it easier for people to get to the zoo using public transportation.

Exploring Stone Zoo's Animal Habitats

Stone Zoo has many exciting exhibit areas. Each one is designed to look like the animals' natural homes.

• Alfred Huang North American Crane Exhibit (opened around 2012): This area is home to American alligators, different types of ducks like barrow's goldeneyes and hooded mergansers. You can also see beautiful sandhill cranes, tundra swans, and whooping cranes here.
• Animal Discovery Center (opened around 2017): This indoor exhibit features smaller creatures. You might see Arizona blond tarantulas, Blanding's turtles, California king snakes, and colorful dyeing poison dart frogs. There are also honey bees, leopard geckos, and even vinegaroons!
• Barnyard: This area lets you meet farm animals. It has Nigerian dwarf goats, Nubian goats, Southdown sheeps, and various chicken breeds. There's also a fun 'nature playscape' playground for kids.
• Caribbean Coast (opened around 2018): This is a large, 6,000-square-foot (560 m²) walk-through aviary. You can see bright blue and gold macaws, Caribbean flamingos, Chilean flamingos, and scarlet ibises flying around. Nearby, there's a special exhibit for bush dogs. A breeding pair of bush dogs had two pups in November 2018.
• Himalayan Highlands (opened around 1998): This exhibit takes you to the mountains. It's home to black-necked cranes, amazing markhors (a type of wild goat), red-crowned cranes, snow leopards, white-naped cranes, and yaks.
• Mexican Gray Wolf Exhibit (opened around 1998): This habitat was once home to a single Mexican wolf named Roberto. He passed away in October 2019. In early 2020, a group of six young sibling wolves moved into this hillside home.
• Treasures of the Sierra Madre (opened around 2002): This area looks like the Sierra Madre mountains. You can find Chacoan peccaries (like small wild pigs), white-nosed coatis, powerful cougars, and colorful jaguars. Other animals include Gila monsters, peregrine falcons, and ringtails.
• Treetops & Riverbeds (opened around 2008): This open-air environment has exhibits for animals that live in trees and near rivers. You can see black-and-white colobuses, playful North American river otters, and singing northern white-cheeked gibbons.
• Windows to the Wild (opened around 2003): This exhibit features a variety of animals. It's home to barn owls, tiny cotton-top tamarins, quick fennec foxes, and slow-moving Linne's two-toed sloths. In July 2019, a tortoise exhibit opened with three large African spurred tortoises.
• Yukon Creek (opened around 2000): This area feels like the Canadian boreal forest. It's where you can see American black bears, fluffy Arctic foxes, majestic bald eagles, and shy Canada lynxes. You might also spot North American porcupines and reindeers.

Special Seasonal Events

• Birds of Prey (started around 2005): During summer (from Memorial Day to Labor Day), you can watch amazing outdoor demonstrations with wild birds. These shows are put on by the World Bird Sanctuary.
• ZooLights: Every year, from Thanksgiving through Christmastime, the zoo lights up with a beautiful holiday light display. It's a magical way to celebrate the season!