Topeka Zoo facts for kids
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| Location | Topeka, Kansas, United States |
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| Coordinates | 39°03′25″N 95°43′33″W / 39.0569°N 95.7259°W |
| No. of animals | 300+ |
| Annual visitors | 250,000 |
| Memberships | AZA WAZA and Elephant Managers Association |
The Topeka Zoo is a fun place to explore in Topeka, Kansas, USA. It's located inside Gage Park. This zoo is home to more than 300 different animals! It even has one of the first indoor tropical rainforest exhibits in the United States. Lots of people visit the Topeka Zoo every year, making it a very popular spot in Topeka.
The Topeka Zoo is a special member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). This means it meets high standards for animal care and education.
Contents
History of the Topeka Zoo
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The land for Gage Park was given to the city of Topeka in 1899 by the Gage Family. They wanted it to be a public park for everyone to enjoy. Over time, the park grew to include playgrounds, a swimming pool, a fishing lake, and even a mini train!
The zoo first opened its doors in 1933. More animal homes and exhibits were built over the years. In 1963, Gary K. Clarke became the zoo's first director. He helped create many of the zoo's popular exhibits, like the Tropical Rainforest.
In 2001, the Topeka Zoo lost its special AZA membership. This happened because of problems with how the zoo was managed and how some animals were cared for. But the zoo worked hard to make things better! They made big changes and added new exhibits. Because of these improvements, the Topeka Zoo got its AZA membership back in 2003.
In 2010, Brendan Wiley became the new zoo director. Since then, visitors have felt even more positive about the zoo.
Amazing Animal Exhibits
The Topeka Zoo has many different areas where you can see animals from all over the world.
Kansas Carnivores
Opened in 2009, this exhibit features animals that are meat-eaters from North America. You can see cougars and playful river otters here. They live in exhibits right next to each other.
Hill's Black Bear Woods
Built in 1997, this area shows animals from North America. You might spot Virginia opossums, eastern screech owls, and red-tailed hawks. There are also tall homes for golden eagles and eagle-owls. Nearby, you can find pronghorns and wild turkeys, plus striped skunks. Four American black bears live in a large space with trees to climb. You can watch them from a high walkway or a window at ground level.
Waterbird Lagoon
This exhibit has three ponds where you can see different kinds of waterfowl. Trumpeter swans live here. Many wild birds also visit these ponds, like mallard ducks, wood ducks, and herons.
Jungle Cats
The Jungle Cats exhibit is home to rare Sumatran tigers. They live in areas with lots of plants and water. Three Sumatran tiger cubs were born here in May 2014!
Tropical Rainforest
The Tropical Rainforest was the first indoor rainforest exhibit in the United States. Birds like scarlet macaws and Bali mynahs fly freely here. You might also see Hoffmann's two-toed sloths and Indian flying foxes moving around. Other exhibits in this building house golden lion tamarins, three-banded armadillos, and greater mouse-deer.
Animals and Man
This building has exhibits for smaller animals, such as black-and-white ruffed lemurs and Cape porcupines. It's also the indoor home for the zoo's hippopotamus named Vision, and their African elephant Tembo and Asian elephant Cora. Both the elephants and hippo also have big outdoor areas to roam.
Camp Cowabunga
This exhibit used to be called Lion's Pride. Now, it has three lions in a large space. You can also see painted dogs and patas monkeys. The monkeys share their home with Kirk's dik-diks, African spurred tortoises, and helmeted guineafowl. The main part of Camp Cowabunga is a central area where visitors can see African artifacts and even sit in a canoe. You can also view the animals from safari tents.
Lianas Forest
In the Lianas Forest building, Bornean orangutans live behind glass in a home that looks like the treetops in Borneo. They also have a big outdoor area. This building also includes the Treetop Conservation Center. A tunnel lets visitors walk through an outdoor area that is now home to Malayan sun bears.
Children's Zoo
The Children's Zoo opened in 1992. Here, you can meet domestic animals like sheep and goats, and you can even feed them! There's also a playground right next to the Children's Zoo.
Adventure Trail
Added in 2015, the Adventure Trail offers many fun experiences for families. The rainbow lorikeet aviary is home to many colorful lorikeets that you can feed for a small fee. There's also a playground with climbing structures, a place to ride tricycles, and a mining sluice. You can buy snacks and drinks at the general store in this area.
Kay's Garden
This exhibit opened in 2020. It's a beautiful Japanese garden with a koi pond. It honors Kansas Chief Justice Kay McFarland.
Giraffe and Friends
Giraffe and Friends was added in 2022. It's a new home for reticulated giraffes, lesser kudu, ostriches, and other animals. This habitat has barns for the giraffes, a training room, and indoor and outdoor platforms where guests can feed the giraffes.
Notable Animal Births
The Topeka Zoo has celebrated many new animal arrivals over the years:
- Reticulated Giraffe, Hope, 2010
- Nile River Hippopotamus, Vision (Tank), 2010
- Three Banded Armadillo, 2010, 2011, 2015
- Bornean Orangutan, Bumi, 2013
- Golden Lion Tamarin, 2013, 2014, 2015
- 3 Sumatran Tigers, Raza, Shanti, and ChloJo, 2014
- Hoffmann's 2-Toed Sloth, 2014, 2015 – The zoo has a good history of breeding sloths.
- Greater Malayan Chevrotain, 2014, 2015 – In 2015, this was one of only nine AZA zoos in the US to have this species.
- Giraffe, Konza, 2018
- Bornean Orangutan, Udara, 2022
- Greater Malayan Chevrotain, 2023
Awards
- Edward H. Bean Award, 1972
Zoo Incidents
Sometimes, unexpected things happen at the zoo.
- In 2003, an orangutan became sick and passed away. Zoo officials believe the animal may have come into contact with a sick rabbit. To prevent this from happening again, the zoo installed a special fence around the orangutan area.
- On May 6, 2010, a bobcat got out of its cage after someone opened it. The bobcat was found safely a few hours later and returned to its home.
- In April 2019, an incident occurred involving a Sumatran tiger and a zookeeper. The zookeeper received medical care.
- In April 2024, Karen, an ostrich at the zoo, passed away after accidentally swallowing a set of keys. Efforts were made to save her, but they were not successful. Karen lived in the Giraffe and Friends habitat.
