The Zoo In Forest Park facts for kids
| Date opened | 1894 |
|---|---|
| Location | Springfield, Massachusetts, USA |
| Land area | 4 acres (1.6 ha) |
| No. of animals | 200+ (2020) |
| Annual visitors | 55,000 (2018) |
| Memberships | Zoological Association of America (ZAA) |
| Website | www.forestparkzoo.org |
The Zoo In Forest Park and Education Center is a cool place in Springfield, Massachusetts. It's a special kind of zoo, called a nonprofit, which means it focuses on helping animals and teaching people, not just making money. Located inside Forest Park, this zoo covers about four acres. It's home to over 200 animals, including many different kinds of creatures. You can see animals from all over the world, local animals from North America, and even some endangered species that need our help to survive.
Meet the Animals at the Zoo
The Zoo In Forest Park and Education Center has a wide variety of animals. You can discover creatures from tiny insects to large mammals and birds. Here are some of the amazing animals you might meet:
- African bullfrog
- African common toad
- African leopard
- African pygmy hedgehog
- Alpaca
- American alligator
- American beaver
- Anglo-Nubian goat
- Argentine black and white tegu
- Axolotl
- Bald eagle
- Ball python
- Barred owl
- Bennett's wallaby
- Black-capped capuchin
- Black-handed spider monkey
- Blue-and-yellow macaw
- Blue-tongued skink
- Boa constrictor
- Bobcat
- California kingsnake
- Catalina macaw
- Central bearded dragon
- Chinese water dragon
- Chukar partridge
- Common degu
- Common raven
- Corn snake
- Cottontail rabbit
- Coyote
- Dromedary camel
- Dumeril's boa
- Emu
- Ferret
- Flemish giant rabbit
- Gray fox
- Green iguana
- Grey parrot
- Goliath birdeater
- Groundhog
- Huarizo
- Indian peafowl
- Leghorn chicken
- Llama
- Long-tailed chinchilla
- Madagascar hissing cockroach
- Donkey
- Miniature horse
- Miniature rex rabbit
- Moluccan cockatoo
- North American porcupine
- Narragansett Turkey
- Painted turtle
- Pekin duck
- Poitou donkey
- Raccoon
- Red-and-green macaw
- Red-eared slider
- Red-footed tortoise
- Red-tailed hawk
- Red fox
- Rhode Island red chicken
- Ring-tailed lemur
- Russian tortoise
- Scarlet macaw
- Serval
- Severe macaw
- Short-tailed opossum
- Sika deer
- Silkie chicken
- Six-banded armadillo
- Snowy owl
- Southdown sheep
- Striped skunk
- Sulcata tortoise
- Sulphur-crested cockatoo
- Swedish blue duck
- Umbrella cockatoo
- Virginia opossum
- West African dwarf goat
- White-necked raven
- White's tree frog
- Wolf
- Yellow-bellied slider
How to Help: Adopt an Animal
Did you know you can help the animals at the zoo? The Zoo In Forest Park offers a special program called "Adopt an Animal." This program lets you get closer to your favorite animals. It also helps the zoo pay for their food and daily care.
Who Can Adopt an Animal?
Anyone can adopt an animal! It doesn't matter if you are an individual, a family, or a group. School classes, office teams, clubs, businesses, and sports teams can all join in. Most animals are "adopted" by more than one person or group. This means many people work together to support the animals. It's a great way to make a difference!
