The St. Louis Zoo was established in 1904 and has grown significantly over the years. It is now home to over 9,000 animals representing 800 species. Some of the zoo's most prominent areas include the Children's Zoo with animal exhibits and a playground; the Bird Garden with outdoor bird cages; the Reptile House containing reptiles and amphibians; the Insectarium with a butterfly house; and the Primate House housing monkeys and lemurs. The zoo also features exhibits for penguins, bears, great apes, animals along the river's edge, and big cats and hoofed animals.

1. Animals at the St. Louis Zoo
HISTORY ENTRANCE

2. The History of the Zoo
The St. Louis Zoo came to life as a result of the Louisiana Purchase
Exposition in 1904. The first exhibit was a giant elliptical bird cage that was
created for the 1904 World’s Fair. By 1910, the St. Louis Zoological Society was
formed. In 1913, the City of St. Louis set aside 77 acres of Forest Park for the
formation of a full-scale zoological park. State legislation deemed that the zoo
would never charge an admission price, letting millions of people each year
enjoy the exhibits for free. Over time the zoo grew by adding:
•1921 – Bear Pits, Primate House, and Reptile House
•1930 – Bird House, Giant Pandas, and gorillas
•1972 – Big Cat Country
•1983 – Jungle of the Apes
•1989 – Living World
•1998 – New Children’s Zoo
•2000 – River’s Edge, Insectarium
•2003 – Penguin and Puffin Coast
The St. Louis Zoo continues to make improvements to its exhibits while it maintains the
the historical quality of those that have been there for years.
Information obtained from the St. Louis Zoo website: www.stlzoo.org
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3. A Look Inside the Zoo…
The zoo currently has over 9000 animals from over 800 different species.
Click on a picture below to see some of the animals that live in these areas.
Sea Lions
Bird Garden
Children’s Zoo
Insectarium
Reptile House
Primate House
Penguins,
Puffins, Bears,
and Apes
River’s Edge
Big Cats and
Hoofed Animals

4. Sea Lion Feeding
At the bottom of Historic Hill in the very center of the zoo, the sea
lions entertain guests when they are fed three times each day.

5. The Bird Garden
The Bird Garden is located
behind the Bird House on
Historic Hill. This garden used
to consist of four wooden cages
built on the back of the bird
house allowing a few birds
access to the outdoors. In the
late 1990’s, this area was
updated and expanded to a
large area between the Bird
House and 1904 Flight Cage.
There is a landscaped walking
path that winds its way through
many outdoor cages. The
cages hold many different
species of birds, including our
nation’s symbol, the bald eagle.
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6. The Children’s Zoo
The inside part of the Children’s Zoo has some
small animal exhibits like the meerkats and
sand foxes. There is also an exhibit of naked
mole rats. In the center, there is a small area
where you can pet rabbits and guinea pigs. A
large window provides a view of zookeepers
preparing food for the animals.
The outside part of the Children’s Zoo
contains a large otter exhibit and a
playground for the children. Some small
animals are kept in outside cages,
including lorikeets, which are birds you
can feed nectar to. The highlight is an
area where you can enter the goat pen
and pet them.
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7. The Reptile House
The Reptile House, or Herpetarium, on Historic Hill is a beautiful building containing a wide
variety of reptiles and amphibians. The caimans and tortoises are some of the largest
creatures found here, along with alligators, crocodiles, pythons, boa constrictors, and large
lizards. There are also many species of snakes, lizards, frogs, toads, salamanders and other
interesting creatures.
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8. Insectarium
The Insectarium provides
a view of the insect world
that you wouldn’t
otherwise get. The
exhibits are very
interactive, showing you
variations from common
household insects to the
exotic. The main
attraction is the butterfly
house. Around 100
different types of
butterflies live in a dome
that you can walk
through. It is a beautiful
place to see these
delicate creatures.
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9. Primate House
The Primate House sits on Historic Hill and houses the monkeys and lemurs at the zoo.
Several of the species also have access to some outside pens on the side of the building. In
the center of the building is a more natural habitat that is roofed with a skylight. In this area,
some the of the smaller species are allowed to climb and play surrounded by almost invisible
wires for theirs and the guests safety.
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10. The Wild
Penguins, Puffins, Bears, and Great Apes
In 2003, the zoo’s penguins and puffins received a new home. This exhibit allows very close
contact with these amazing animals. If you are there at the right time, you will be able to see
the penguins being fed. On a hot day at the zoo, this is the place to be since the temperature
in this exhibit is kept at a chilly 45 degrees Fahrenheit! It is obvious that these animals enjoy
their new environment as you will see on the next slide, Penguins 2…
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Penguins 1 Penguins 2 Bears Apes

11. The penguins enjoy swimming in their new pools.
They are so close you could reach out and touch them.
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Penguins 1 Penguins 2 Bears Apes

12. The bear pits surround the penguin and puffin exhibit. The bears in this area are spectacled
bears, grizzly bears, black bears and polar bears. In all of the bear areas there are trees and
rocks to climb, toys to play with, and a pool area for cooling off. The polar bear area’s pool is
cooled for them, especially during the summer months. Even some of the rocks in the
exhibit are fakes with cooling systems contained in them.
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Penguins 1 Penguins 2 Bears Apes

13. The Great Apes area in currently closed and under construction. This area was
improved in the 1980’s from areas of huge cages with metal bars to a more natural
habitat. Since that time, the gorillas have had both indoor and outdoor space to roam,
but the chimpanzees and orangutans have been limited to indoor quarters. Now, in
2005, all of the apes will have both indoor and outdoor space.
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Penguins 1 Penguins 2 Bears Apes

14. The River’s Edge
The River’s Edge exhibit was opened in 2000, replacing penned in areas with a more natural
habitat for the animals. You wind your way through dense vegetation on a path and encounter
many animals during your travels, including hyenas, rhinos, cheetahs, hippos, warthogs,
elephants, and some others. You really feel like you are very close to the animals and get a
better understanding of how they actually live. This area stresses conservation of these animals.
On the next slide, River’s Edge 2, you will see some of the largest members of the zoo family…
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River’s Edge 2

15. The Asian elephants have a large area where they eat, sleep, and even play in
a water area that includes a small waterfall.
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River’s Edge 1

16. Red Rocks
Big Cats and Hoofed Animals
Big Cat Country includes many species of cats, including the ones above: Tigers,
Jaguars, Lions, Pumas, and Snow Leopards. Some of the cats are in fenced in
enclosures and others are in large pits. The view of these large predators is
intimidating and fascinating at the same time.
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17. Where Big Cat Country is full of predators, the rest of the Red Rock area is mostly prey. Many
species of antelope reside here, but that’s not all. Zebras, camels, ostriches, giraffes,
kangaroos, bantengs, okapi, and many other animals also call this area home. These exhibits
are mostly outdoor areas, but there is an antelope house for the animals to escape to when
weather conditions get bad.
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