118-504: Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo , located in Bridgeport, Connecticut , is the only Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)–accredited zoo in the state of Connecticut . The zoo includes one of the few carousels in the state. The zoo has around 500 animals, from over 100 species, and welcomes about 280,000 visitors a year. In 1878, James W. Beardsley, a wealthy farmer, donated over 100 acres (40 ha) of hilly, rural land bordering on
236-525: A carousel and one of the largest greenhouses in Connecticut. The Victorian Greenhouse is also home to two agave plants that have grown flower stalks, and are expected to bloom soon as of January 2020. The plants are known as "century plants" because they bloom so rarely, roughly once every 30 years. At the entrance, a pair of brick buildings that once served as trolley barns for the city of Bridgeport now hold administrative offices. In continuation of
354-508: A 19-day strike due to deadlocked contract negotiations. A court order, as well as a state law that made strikes by public workers illegal in Connecticut, resulted in 274 teachers being arrested and jailed. In November 1978, a wave of arson passed through the city's East side , with the fire chief calling it as a microcosm of " the Bronx ". The city suffered from overall mismanagement, for which several city officials were convicted, contributing to
472-611: A center of trade, shipbuilding, and whaling. The town was incorporated to subsidize the Housatonic Railroad and rapidly industrialized following the rail line's connection to the New York and New Haven railroad. The town was given its name because of the need for bridges over the Pequonnock River that provided a navigable port at the mouth of the river. Manufacturing was the mainstay of the local economy until
590-589: A city. "Bridgeport grew up without a plan, or in spite of one". In 1800, the village became the Borough of Bridgeport, the first so incorporated in the state. It was named for the Newfield or Lottery Bridge across the Pequonnock, connecting the wharves on its east and west banks. Bridgeport Bank was established in 1806. In 1821, the township of Bridgeport became independent of Stratford. In 1821,
708-481: A cure for many ailments , including scurvy . On Mauritius, the giant tortoise disappeared from the main island by the end of the 17th century and the very last tortoises survived until the 1730s on the islets in the north. Around the late 1800s, large number of tortoise bones were discovered in the Mare aux Songes excavations. These resulted in the description of the two species of giant tortoise endemic to Mauritius,
826-414: A day resting. Their activity level is driven by ambient temperature and food availability. In the cool season, they are active at midday, sleeping in during the morning and afternoon. In the hot season, their active period is early morning and late afternoon, while midday finds them resting and trying to keep cool under the shade of a bush or half-submerged in muddy wallows. Tortoises breed primarily during
944-750: A number of extinct species, as well as two extant species with multiple subspecies formerly common on the islands of the western Indian Ocean and on the Galápagos Islands . As of February 2024, two different species of giant tortoise are found on two remote groups of tropical islands: Aldabra Atoll and Fregate Island in the Seychelles and the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador . These tortoises can weigh as much as 417 kg (919 lb) and can grow to be 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in) long. Giant tortoises originally made their way to islands from
1062-503: A number of other, more accessible islands. During the Pleistocene , and mostly during the last 50,000 years, tortoises of the mainland of southern Asia († Megalochelys atlas ), North America († Hesperotestudo spp.) and South America ( Chelonoidis spp.), Indonesia , Madagascar († Aldabrachelys ) and even the island of Malta all became extinct. Giant tortoises († Titanochelon ) also inhabited mainland Europe until
1180-603: A population of 148,654 in 2020. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnock River on Long Island Sound , it is a port city 60 miles (97 km) from Manhattan and 40 miles (64 km) from The Bronx . It borders the towns of Trumbull to the north, Fairfield to the west, and Stratford to the east. Bridgeport and other towns in Fairfield County make up the Greater Bridgeport Planning Region , as well as
1298-799: A prominent early automobile manufacturer , producing a prototype of the Stanley Steamer and various luxury cars . The town was also the center of America's corset production, responsible for 19.9% of the national total, and became the headquarters of Remington Arms following its 1912 merger with the Union Metallic Cartridge Co. Around the time of the First World War , Bridgeport was also producing steam-fitting and heating apparatuses, brass goods, phonographs , typewriters , milling machines, brassieres , and saddles . Brideport's Italian immigrants settled in
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#17327720328321416-559: A proposal in 1995, Las Vegas developer Steve Wynn was to build a large casino , but that project failed due to traffic concerns. The project was opposed as rival Donald Trump feared a Bridgeport casino would harm his Atlantic City properties and proposed to build a theme park and potential casino on the same site. New waves of migrants from places such as Brazil , Jamaica, Vietnam , Laos , Cambodia, Mexico , and other nations arrived in Bridgeport. Immigrants from Brazil, after
1534-414: A reputation for having an industrial character thanks to the factories located right along both sides of Interstate 95, and the city's lack of urban amities and its reputation as a "blue collar" city simply wasn't the image these companies wanted to identify with in order to attract top executives, Bridgeport was being farther from New York City than Stamford or White Plains with no immediate benefits, and
1652-606: A result, giant tortoises are polyphyletic . For example, the Aldabra Atoll ( Aldabrachelys ) giant tortoises are related to Malagasy tortoises ( Asterochelys ) while the Galapagos giant tortoises are related to South American mainland tortoises, particularly the Chaco tortoise ( Chelonoidis chiliensis ). The recently extinct Mascarene giant tortoises ( Cylindraspis ) are thought to have belonged to their own branch of
1770-648: A settlement in Unconway (today's Fairfield ), probably due to fears of the large Paugussett settlement at Golden Hill, which was a sacred site of theirs, so it is believed that they perhaps instead settled in sparsely populated land surrounding the village. In 1659, the general court in Hartford established the official borders of the Paugussett Reservation. Bridgeport's early years were marked by residents' reliance on fishing and farming . This
1888-555: A ship's hold with tortoises was an easy way to stock up on food, a tradition that was continued by whalers in the centuries that followed. The tortoises also conveniently held water in their necks that could be used as drinking water. These buccaneers stocked giant tortoises not only because of their meat but because of these animals' ability to survive for six months to one year without food or water. Once buccaneers, whalers and fur sealers discovered that they could have fresh meat for their long voyages by storing live giant tortoises in
2006-572: A simple, rural park for the residents to enjoy: [The land donated by Beardsley] is thoroughly rural and just such a countryside as a family of good taste and healthy nature would resort to, if seeking a few hours' complete relief from scenes associated with the wear and tear of ordinary town life... It is a better picnic ground than any possessed by the city of New York, after spending twenty million on parks... The object of any public outlay upon it should be to develop and bring out these distinctive local advantages, and make them available to extensive use in
2124-700: A small community of remaining Golden Hill Pauguasett Natives, along with free blacks and runaway slaves was established in the South End along Main Street known as Little Liberia , with its own churches, schools and hotels, and served as a stop in the underground railroad. Many remaining Paugusset Indians also lived there. The West India trade died down around 1840, but by that time the Bridgeport Steamship Company (1824) and Bridgeport Whaling Company (1833) had been incorporated and
2242-611: A small group of Connecticut business people and officials at the Playhouse on the Green in 2006. President Barack Obama also spoke at the Harbor Yard arena in 2010 to gain support for the campaign of Democratic Governor Dan Malloy . Bridgeport lies along Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Pequonnock River . Giant tortoise Giant tortoises are any of several species of various large land tortoises , which include
2360-500: A temporary summer exhibition of giant tortoises . In September 2014, the zoo received top honors in the 2014 AZA Education Award for their outstanding education program. Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo is divided into nine major exhibits: In addition to these exhibit, the zoo is also home to a pair of Andean condors which can be found by the entrance of the zoo, as well as free-roaming Indian peafowl , West African helmeted guineafowl , and occasionally wild turkeys . The zoo also has
2478-700: A tortoise subspecies once thought to have been extinct since 1906, the Fernandina giant tortoise, was discovered on its namesake island in the Galápagos. It is estimated that 20,000–25,000 wild tortoises live on the islands today. Galápagos tortoises are mainly herbivorous , feeding primarily on cactus pads, grasses, and native fruit but have been recorded eating baby birds in the case of the aldabran species. They drink large quantities of water when available that they can store in their bladders for long periods of time. There are two main types of shell among them,
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#17327720328322596-501: Is in place. In 2017, MGM had announced plans to build a waterfront casino and shopping center in the city, awaiting approval by the state government. If built, the development would have created 2,000 permanent jobs and about 5,779 temporary jobs. After a legal battle with the Mohegan and Pequot tribes on the right to build a casino in Connecticut, the project "appears to be dead", and tenants such as Bridgeport Boatworks now occupy
2714-429: Is known as island gigantism or insular gigantism. This may occur due to factors such as relaxed predation pressure, competitive release, or as an adaptation to increased environmental fluctuations on islands. However, giant tortoises are no longer considered to be classic examples of island gigantism, as similarly massive tortoises are now known to have once been widespread. Giant tortoises were formerly common (prior to
2832-624: Is the shell of an extinct giant tortoise found in a submerged sinkhole in Florida with a wooden spear piercing through it, carbon dated to 12,000 years ago. Today, only one of the subspecies of the Indian Ocean survives in the wild; the Aldabra giant tortoise (two more are claimed to exist in captive or re-released populations, but some genetic studies have cast doubt on the validity of these as separate species) and 10 extant species in
2950-603: The American Revolution , Newfield Harbor was a center of privateering . By the time of the State of Connecticut 's ratification of the Articles of Confederation in 1781, many of the local farmers held shares in vessels trading at Newfield Harbor or had begun trading in their own name. Newfield initially expanded around the coasting trade with Boston , New York , and Baltimore and the international trade with
3068-567: The Bridgeport–Stamford–Norwalk–Danbury metropolitan statistical area , the second largest metropolitan area in Connecticut. The Bridgeport–Stamford–Norwalk–Danbury metropolis forms part of the New York metropolitan area . Inhabited by the Paugussett Native American tribe until English settlement in the 1600s, Bridgeport was incorporated in 1821 as a town, and as a city in 1836. Showman P. T. Barnum
3186-715: The Fijian Archipelago . The identity of the Vanuatu meiolaniid has been controversial, however, with some studies concluding the remains actually belong to a giant tortoise, which are otherwise unknown from this region. Older (Early Miocene ) meiolaniids are also known from the St. Bathans fauna in New Zealand . Although often considered examples of island gigantism , prior to the arrival of Homo sapiens giant tortoises also occurred in non-island locales, as well as on
3304-534: The Galápagos . Giant tortoises are among the world's longest-living animals, with an average lifespan of 100 years or more. The Madagascar radiated tortoise Tu'i Malila was 188 at her death in Tonga in 1965. Harriet (initially thought to be one of the three Galápagos tortoises brought back to England from Charles Darwin 's Beagle voyage, but later shown to be from an island not even visited by Darwin)
3422-552: The Hollow . Having come to the US to escape the famine , they arrived in town during the 1830s to build the railroad. They mostly lived in wooden four to six family tenements , often subdivided homes. In 1842, showman P.T. Barnum spent a night in Bridgeport, and there met Charles Stratton , a local dwarf . He soon became part of Barnum's act and a star under the name " General Tom Thumb ". Barnum moved to Bridgeport and built four houses in
3540-589: The Housatonic Railroad chartered (1836). The HRRC ran upstate along the Housatonic Valley , connecting with Massachusetts 's Berkshire Railroad at the state line. Bridgeport was chartered as Connecticut's fifth city in 1836 in order to enable the town council to secure funding (ultimately $ 150,000) to provide to the HRRC and ensure that it would terminate in Bridgeport. The Naugatuck Railroad —connecting Bridgeport to Waterbury and Winsted along
3658-605: The Naugatuck River —was chartered in 1845 and began operation four years later. The same year, the New York and New Haven Railroad began operation, connecting Bridgeport to New York and the other towns along the north shore of the Long Island Sound . Now a major junction, the city began to industrialize. The city's first immigrants were Irish Catholics who settled in the Sterling Hill section of
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3776-437: The Pequonnock River , with a distant view of Long Island Sound , to the city of Bridgeport on the condition that "the city shall accept and keep the same forever as a public park". In 1881, the city contracted Frederick Law Olmsted , famous for creating New York City 's Central Park , to create a design for Beardsley Park. Olmsted described the existing land as "pastoral, sylvan and idyllic" and, in 1884, delivered his plan for
3894-525: The Polaroid . In 1905, Bridgeport was already "the largest industrial center in the state, $ 49,381,348 was invested in manufacturing and the products being valued at $ 44,586,519." The city was a port of entry with its imports being valued at around $ 656,271 in 1908. The Singer factory joined Wheeler & Wilson in producing sewing machines and the Locomobile Company of America was
4012-634: The Quaternary extinctions ) across the Cenozoic faunas of Eurasia , Africa and the Americas . Giant tortoises are notably absent from Australia and the South Pacific . However, extinct giant horned turtles ( Meiolaniidae ) likely filled a similar niche, with Late Pleistocene - Holocene meiolaniid species being known from Australia , New Caledonia , Lord Howe Island , Vanuatu , and
4130-694: The West Indies . The commercial activity of the village was clustered around the wharves on the west bank of the Pequonnock, while the churches were erected inland on Broad Street. In 1787, the Fairfield County Court ordered the laying out and widening of what is now State Street and Main Street in downtown Bridgeport, along the Pequannock River then Newfield. It was assumed before the Revolution that this land would grow into
4248-468: The state's only zoo . Bridgeport is officially nicknamed "Park City", due to its 35 public parks taking up 1,300 acres, including two large ones. Although none are headquartered within the city itself, more than a dozen Fortune 500 companies are based in its metropolitan area , which it shares with Stamford . Bridgeport by various sites has been consistently ranked as among the 25 most ethnically and culturally diverse American cities. Bridgeport
4366-596: The " Central End ", today's Little Italy, and the city was the 3rd most Italian in the state by 1910. Their newspapers were the weekly La Tribuna de Connecticut (1906–1908) and later La Sentinella (1920–1948) The West End along Wordin Avenue, known as "Hunktown", grew into one of the largest Hungarian communities in the US. It was visited by Hungarian republicans trying to take down the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, in order to garner support. The West Side nearby
4484-629: The 117-unit Citytrust bank building on Main Street. The recession halted, at least temporarily, two major mixed-use projects including a $ 1-billion waterfront development at Steel Point, but other redevelopment projects have proceeded, such as the condominium conversion project in Bijou Square. In 2009, the City Council under Mayor Finch approved a new master plan for development, designed both to promote redevelopment in selected areas and to protect existing residential neighborhoods. The plan
4602-527: The 12-story 855 Main Street (People's Savings Bank building), and 18-floor Park City Plaza , (State National Bank building) built 1972. The plan for three identical towers never materialized, due to the Oil Crisis and corporate vacancies. Bridgeport was largely bypassed by the New York City companies fleeing Manhattan for suburban Fairfield County locations for various reasons; the city developed
4720-468: The 1970s. The first documented European settlement within the present city limits of Bridgeport took place in 1644, centered at Black Rock Harbor and along North Avenue between Park and Briarwood Avenues. The place was called Pequonnock ( Quiripi for "Cleared Land"), after a band of the Paugussett , an Algonquian-speaking Native American people who occupied this area. One of their sacred sites
4838-535: The 52-acre (21 ha) State Street redevelopment project, demolishing 52 acres of State Street, clearing the land for development. Replaced with modern high-rise office buildings, parking, the Route 8/25 expressway towards Waterbury and Newtown , and a shopping mall at its core. Large parts of Main Street were demolished in what was called the Congress Street Renewal project, nothing was built on
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4956-563: The Cuban population continued to decrease. "There has been a big shift in ethnic groups. Just look at the restaurants that have opened in the last few years—Mexican, Brazilian, Chilean and Jamaican." an interviewee, local chamber of council president Paul Timpanelli stated in 2000 according to the Connecticut Post . In 1999, city-owned Sikorsky Memorial Airport ceased its commercial regional flight offerings. In 2003, Mayor Ganim
5074-682: The Early Pleistocene (2.0 Mya). The giant tortoises formerly of Africa died out somewhat earlier, during the Late Pliocene . While the timing of the disappearances of various extinct giant tortoise species seems to correlate with the arrival of humans, direct evidence for human involvement in these extinctions is usually lacking; however, such evidence has been obtained in the case of the distantly-related giant meiolaniid turtle Meiolania damelipi in Vanuatu . One interesting relic
5192-614: The East Side of Bridgeport (occasionally spelled "Eastside"). In 1863, during the Civil War , the Bridgeport Standard ran a series of articles encouraging the creation of a public park in the city. This led wealthy residents P.T. Barnum , William Noble and Nathaniel Wheeler to purchase the land on Long Island Sound and donating the land to the city in 1864. The land on the shore became Seaside Park . A second park
5310-590: The East Side). Built in 1915, it had 13 separate buildings, each of them 5 stories, connected by a long corridor half a mile long. The purpose of the building was to fulfil a company order from the Russian tzar for a million rifles and 100 million rounds of ammunition. The construction site was protected by the National Guard to prevent Bolshevik arson. The factory by 1916 employed 16,000 people and led to
5428-535: The Galápagos. Colonizing the easternmost islands of Española and San Cristóbal first, they then dispersed throughout the archipelago , eventually establishing about 16 separate populations on 10 of the largest of the Galápagos Islands. Currently, there are only 10 subspecies of Galápagos giant tortoises left of the original 16 subspecies. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Galápagos were frequented by buccaneers preying on Spanish treasure ships. Filling
5546-788: The Ráckόczi Hungarian Aid Association in Bridgeport in 1887 and the American Hungarian Immigrant Aid Society in 1892. They established themselves in the West End. In 1894, Bridgeport's Slavic immigrants played a major role in the development of the Orthodox Christian faith in America when they met with Fr Alexis Toth (now Saint Alexis) and founded Holy Ghost Russian Orthodox Church in the city's Eastside. This parish became
5664-601: The Savoy Hotel. The Poli Palace theatre (built by Sylvester Poli ) was the largest theatre in the state of Connecticut, with gilded hand-carved moldings and vaulted ceilings. The Ritz Ballroom was opened in 1923. In 1928, the city bought an 800-acre (320 ha) racetrack and landing field in Lordship to construct Bridgeport Airport . Spanish immigration in 1920 and 1921 brought hundreds of migrants from Spain, particularly from Pedreguer , Valencia , where "practically
5782-474: The beginning of the 21st century, Bridgeport has begun extensive redevelopment of its downtown and other neighborhoods. Bridgeport's crime rate started going down significantly around 2010; by 2018, it had been reduced by almost 50 percent. Bridgeport is home to three museums , the University of Bridgeport , Housatonic Community College , Paier College , and part of Sacred Heart University as well as
5900-535: The city filed for bankruptcy protection but was declared solvent by a federal court. Later that same year, Mayor Mary C. Moran lost the election to Joseph Ganim , at 33 years old, the youngest person to hold that office. and under him the city was able to begin redevelopment with the construction of the Arena at Harbor Yard and the Ballpark at Harbor Yard . Bridgeport made numerous efforts at revitalization. In
6018-589: The city of Bridgeport bought Pleaseure Beach (also known as Steepchase Island) for $ 220,000. Pleasure Beach was an amusement park and beach on an island in the East End next to Stratford . In 1920, the city parks commissioner began the process of creating a zoo in Beardsley Park . Bridgeport a stop became for performances with around 20 theatres. 1922 was the year the elegantly designed Majestic and Poli Palace theatres , were built downtown, along with
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#17327720328326136-443: The city over the course of his life, the first being Iranistan . In 1852, Barnum began an endeavor with William Noble to develop the land (inherited by Noble) on the other side of the Pequonnock River , across the river from Bridgeport to be known as " East Bridgeport " with Washington Park at the center. The new neighborhood had homes, commerce, and factories, centered around East Main Street . The neighborhood eventually became
6254-754: The city was packed, and a crowd formed outside, as well. Lincoln received a standing ovation before taking the 9:07 pm train that night back to Manhattan. A plaque marks the site where Lincoln spoke; later that year, he was elected president. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke three times at the Klein Auditorium during the 1960s, as well as at the University of Bridgeport and the original Central High School (today Bridgeport City Hall )., as well as in Bridgeport City Hall. Additionally, President George W. Bush spoke before
6372-462: The city's population, or 15,000 people, the largest Puerto Rican population in Connecticut, and they would continue to grow. Groups such as the local Young Lords branch organized themselves on East Main Street , leading to activism to advance the Puerto Rican community with increased access to health care, better housing, food and an end to poverty and police brutality. As cities across the country were renovating their central business district after
6490-460: The city. Laotians refugees settled in the West End opening businesses Bridgeport's Mexican population grew gradually, from 24 people counted in 1970, 599 people in 1990, to 2,687 by the 2000 census, becoming at that point the second largest Latino group in the city behind the city's Puerto Ricans (31,117 people), surpassing the Cuban population. Likewise, the population from other Central and South American nations continued to increase while
6608-404: The construction of " Remington City " in the Mill Hill neighborhood, and " Remington Village " in the East End, by Remington Arms . In the summer of 1915, a series of strikes imposed the eight-hour day on the town's factories; rather than moving business elsewhere, the success spread the eight-hour day throughout the Northeast . Due to housing shortages in many US cities during World War I,
6726-464: The construction of a big box retailer in 2013, along with other stores, shops, and a lighthouse with a marina and oyster bar). The plan for high-end mixed use apartments is in place, although concerns about gentrification have been raised. A hotel is also in the works. A new proposed train station in East Bridgeport , meant to be completed in 2021, was postponed in 2019. By 2013 the city and local business owners agreed that work needed to be done in
6844-456: The downtown area north of Fairfield Avenue, nicknamed Downtown North , above. Made up of old empty brick buildings which were neglected for years, the city and developers began their rehabilitation starting in 2015, most of which are now converted apartments or retail. Bridgeport's downtown renovation has resulted in various restaurants, the renovation of the Bishop Arcade Mall , a comedy club , and theatres. A 2022 plan to renovate McLevy Hall
6962-425: The economic and social decline. The once busy Lafayette Shopping Plaza began to lose customers after Gimbel's closed in 1984. Replaced with a Read's store , the mall was later bought by Hi-Ho Industries and renamed "Hi-Ho Mall", until it closed in 1993 and became Housatonic Community College in 1997. Bridgeport remained the state's second city and as Hartford's population continued to shrink, Bridgeport became
7080-508: The entire town migrated" to Bridgeport. During the Great Depression the city elected Socialist party candidate Jasper McLevy as mayor in 1933. McLevy's election made headlines as a New England city had a socialist mayor. Known for cutting costs, he would serve as mayor for 12 terms, finally losing in 1957. The Great Migration led southern African-Americans to Bridgeport around the 1930s (thanks to railroads) along with black foreigners (such as Cape Verdean ), By 1930, Bridgeport had
7198-447: The exodus of manufacturing companies, would result in even higher taxes for residents. The city in 1995 saw a serious reduction in violent crime, notably in its East Side, where crime rate fell by nearly half, homicides dropped, burglaries by 3/4s and stolen car thefts by more than half, among other stats, as the Phoenix Project led to barricading city streets, confusing out of town drug buyers, and preventing sellers to escape. In 1991,
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#17327720328327316-418: The extinct genus Cylindraspis , comprising two species occurring on Mauritius, another two on Rodrigues, and one on Réunion. The tortoises were unique to these islands and had gained a number of special adaptations in the absence of ground predators . They differed from any other giant tortoise species because of their modified jaws, reduced scales on the legs and shells averaging just 1mm thick. The shells of
7434-421: The federal government created the US Housing Corporation . This resulted in 7 USHC housing developments being built in Bridgeport, notably Seaside Village in the South End and Black Rock Gardens in Black Rock . By this point, Remington Arms was producing 50% of America's cartridges during the war, with 17,000 employees, and homes for new workers were needed. The factory became a General Electric plant after
7552-511: The first bank telephone bill service in the US (1981). Inventor Harvey Hubbell II invented the electric plug outlet in Bridgeport in 1912. The Frisbie Pie Company was founded and operated in Bridgeport. The world's first Subway restaurant opened in the city's North End in 1965. After World War II , industrial restructuring and suburbanization caused the loss of many large companies and affluent residents, leaving Bridgeport struggling with issues of poverty and violent crime. Since
7670-466: The former genus Dipsochelys refers to this adaptation . The closest living relative of the Galápagos giant tortoise ( Chelonoidis niger ) is the small Chaco tortoise from South America , although it is not a direct ancestor . Scientists believe the first tortoises arrived to the Galápagos 2–3 million years ago by drifting 600 miles from the South American coast on vegetation rafts or on their own. They were already large animals before arriving in
7788-420: The fund has supported the following programs: The zoo has also sent animals in their collection to be reintroduced into the wild to help boost wild populations. Species the zoo has contributed to the reintroduction of include red wolves, golden lion tamarins, Andean condors, and brook trout. The zoo hopes to soon breed and reintroduce Mexican wolves as well. The zoo also takes in animals orphaned or injured in
7906-405: The future by large numbers of people. Olmsted was the principal architect of the site. Architect Joseph W. Northrup designed Island Bridge, a bridge to an island in the park. In 1909, the city erected a statue created by Charles Henry Niehaus in honor of Beardsley at the park's Noble Avenue entrance. Beardsley Park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. At the time of
8024-449: The giant tortoises were open-ended; the name Cylindraspis actually means "cylinder-shaped". This was a specific adaptation in response to the lack of predators, where thick, heavily armored shells were no longer necessary. They belonged to a far more ancient lineage than the two extant giant tortoises, having diverged from all other tortoises during the Eocene , with divergence between the individual species far greater than that between
8142-410: The higher branches of trees. The males, although not much bigger than the females, weigh nearly 100 kg (220 lbs) more. They move slowly and have small, thick legs and round, almost flat feet that assist them in walking on sand. The Aldabra giant tortoise mainly inhabits grasslands and swamps on Aldabra Atoll's islands, which form a part of the Seychelles island chain in the Indian Ocean. In
8260-411: The holds of their ships, massive exploitation of the species began. Tortoises were also exploited for their oil, which was used to light the lamps of Quito. Two centuries of exploitation resulted in the loss of between 100,000 and 200,000 tortoises. Three subspecies have been extinct since the 19th century, and a fourth subspecies lost its last member, Lonesome George , in June 2012. In February 2019,
8378-409: The hot season from January to May; however, tortoises can be seen mating any month of the year. During the cool season (June to November), female tortoises migrate to nesting zones , which are generally located in low lands of the islands, to lay their eggs. A female can lay from 1–4 nests over a nesting season from June to December. She digs the hole with her hind feet, then lets the eggs drop down into
8496-499: The insular subspecies of the extant tortoises. The divergences between some Cylindraspis species are thought to be even older than the geologic history of the modern Mascarenes themselves, indicating that Cylindraspis originally inhabited several now-submerged island chains of the Mascarene Plateau before colonizing the modern Mascarene islands following their formation. Around the 16th century, with human arrival and
8614-675: The land. Constructed with federal funding, on Lafayette Boulevard and Broad Street, the 450,000 acre, 2 story (with basement) Lafayette Shopping Plaza was erected, a downtown shopping mall with a Sears and a Gimbels department store as anchors connected to it.Military contracts during the 1950s and 1960s enabled the Bridgeport-Lycoming division of AVCO , founded 1951, to employ at times more than 12,000 people, building tanks, helicopters, and other military hardware. Decreased demand led to layoffs, and then closure in 1984. Other examples of urban development include two city landmarks,
8732-479: The largest city in Connecticut in 1974, with a population of 142,546.A 1981 Times article read; "Bridgeport... for years has suffered an image problem when compared with Hartford because of that city's role as state capital and as the site of a number of large corporations." Mayor Mandanici 's response was "Hartford reported state sales taxes of $ 712.7 million, but Bridgeport yielded state sales taxes of $ 890.4 million. That's economic power, right?" In 1985, Bridgeport
8850-506: The mainland via oceanic dispersal . Tortoises are aided in such dispersal by their ability to float with their heads up and to survive for up to six months without food or fresh water. Giant tortoises were once all placed in a single genus (often referred to as Testudo or Geochelone ), but more recent studies have shown that giant tortoises represent several distinct lineages that are not closely related to one another. These lineages appear to have developed large size independently and, as
8968-506: The majority of their incubation will occur at the start of the hot season). After hatching, the young hatchlings remain in the nest for a few weeks before emerging out a small hole adjacent to the nest cap. Usually, the temperature of the nest influences on the sex of the hatchling. Warm temperatures would yield more females, while colder temperatures would yield more males. The Mascarene Islands of Mauritius , Réunion and Rodrigues once harboured five species of giant tortoise belonging to
9086-479: The mid-20th century caused the loss of thousands of jobs and residents. Like other urban centers in Connecticut, Bridgeport suffered during the deindustrialization of the United States in the 1970s and 1980s. Pleasure Beach was sold 5 years after a rollercoaster caught fire. A year later the park closed for good. The old Bridgeport station caught fire in 1978. In September 1978, Bridgeport teachers went on
9204-609: The mother church of all Orthodox Churches in New England. From 1870 to 1910, Bridgeport became the largest industrial center in Connecticut; its population rose from around 25,000 to over 100,000, including thousands of Irish , Slovaks , Hungarians , Germans , English , and Italian immigrants . Jewish migration to the city began in the 1881, with an influx of Polish , Russian , and especially Hungarian Jews calling Bridgeport home. Bridgeport Jew Edwin Land grew up to invent
9322-511: The nation's inflation crisis, established themselves in the city due to the large Portuguese population already present, easing the language barrier. Bridgeport was a common second US destination for Vietnamese refugees "There's already an established community here, so that's why they come," from the New York Times in 1996. Along with them, Thai , Koreans , Chinese , and especially Laotians and Cambodians established themselves in
9440-416: The nest, and finally covers it again with her hind feet. The number of eggs ranges from 2 to 7 for saddle-backed tortoises to sometimes more than 20 to 25 eggs for domed tortoises. The eggs incubate from 110 to 175 days (incubation periods depend on the month the clutch was produced, with eggs laid early in the cool season requiring longer incubation periods than eggs laid at the end of the cool season, when
9558-414: The new 18-story Bridgeport Center overlooking McLevy Square, and was designed by famous architect Richard Meier and was meant to give the city a new icon Bridgeport in 1989 had more homicides per capita than any Northeastern US city over 100,000 people. Bridgeport had a smaller police force than smaller cities like Hartford or New Haven, yet hiring due to city financial issues, having not recovered from
9676-432: The park's creation, the city of Bridgeport was home to Phineas T. Barnum and his world-famous circus. Barnum would exercise his animals through the streets of Bridgeport, and people gathered in Beardsley Park to see zebras and camels walking by. In 1920, Bridgeport Parks Commissioner, Wesley Hayes, began a campaign to create a city zoo within the park. He requested that the citizens of Bridgeport contribute animals to start
9794-686: The past, they shared the islands with multiple other giant tortoise species, but many of them were hunted to extinction in the 1700s and 1800s. Despite the fact that they are usually found in regions of dense low-lying vegetation, they have been known to wander into areas with more sparse vegetation and rocks when food is scarce. They can also be seen resting in shaded areas or shallow pools of water in order to cool themselves on hot days. Aldabra giant tortoises tend to spend their lives grazing , but will cover surprising distances in search of food and have also been observed on bare rock and thin soil. They can drink from very shallow pools through their nostrils ;
9912-428: The proposed space. The construction of Honey Locust Square began on the East End, which when complete will house a supermarket (something the neighborhood lacks), a public library, a health center, and a retail building. On March 10, 1860, Abraham Lincoln spoke in the city's Washington Hall, an auditorium at the old Bridgeport City Hall (now McLevy Hall), at the corner of State and Broad Streets. The largest room in
10030-578: The public, today's Discovery Museam and Planetarium . Known for the newly developed approach of hands on-exhibits, the Museam became science oriented later on. Continued development of new suburban housing outside of Bridgeport in the city's adjacent suburbs such as Fairfield and Milford attracted middle and upper-class residents, leaving the city with a higher proportion of poor. By the 1960s, Puerto Ricans had begun to immigrate to settle to Bridgeport in large numbers, and by about 1970 had made up 10% of
10148-579: The remote Aldabra Atoll , one of the Seychelles group of islands in the Indian Ocean It is the only living species in the genus Aldabrachelys . Two other species in the genus, Aldabrachelys abrupta , and Aldabrachelys grandidieri were formerly endemic to Madagascar, but became extinct after the arrival of people. Aldabra giant tortoises have large dome-shaped shells in order to protect their delicate bodies that lie beneath their shells. They also have long necks in order to eat leaves from
10266-540: The role of zoos in conservation, and help educate zoo visitors. In September 2014, the CDC received top honors in the 2014 AZA Education Award for its outstanding ability to promote conservation knowledge, educate youth, and obtain success in its projects. Bridgeport, Connecticut Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut and the fifth-most populous city in New England , with
10384-427: The saddle-backed shell and the domed shell. They both provide special adaption to different environments. The saddle-backed tortoises are the smallest Galápagos tortoises, but present a very long neck and pairs of legs. They live on arid zone and feed on cactus . The domed tortoises are bigger with shorter neck and legs, they are found in the more vegetated islands and feed on grass. They spend an average of 16 hours
10502-619: The state of Connecticut and the city of Bridgeport. In 2007, the zoo became the first in the Northeast to exhibit Chacoan peccaries . In October 2011, it also became the first zoo in the Northeast to breed the species. On July 25, 2009, the zoo, in partnership with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), held an Exotic Animal Amnesty Day, where people could turn in their exotic pets to
10620-419: The state without fear of prosecution. During the event 135 animals were surrendered, 14 of which were illegal. On March 31, 2012, the zoo and DEEP held another amnesty day, this time only aiming to accept animals which were illegal to own in Connecticut or that were in very bad condition. Seven animals were surrendered, five of them illegal. In January 2010, the oldest Andean condor in the world, Thaao, died at
10738-683: The state. It is retained in the Town of Trumbull .) In 1639, Roger Ludlow , deputy governor of the English Connecticut Colony was ordered by the colony's General Assembly in Hartford to establish two plantations, one at Cupheg the mouth of the Housatonic River (today Stratford), and one at the harbor at the mouth of the Pequonnock River , today's Bridgeport Harbor . Ludlow disobeyed orders and instead established
10856-399: The subsequent introduction of domestic animals, particularly pigs , the tortoises were hunted to extinction . The thin shells were of no protection against these new invaders; rats , cats and pigs devoured the eggs and young and thousands were collected alive for provisioning ships. Sometimes they were even hunted for their oil, which was very valuable around that time because it provided
10974-464: The third largest percentage of African Americans in New England . The Italian population by 1930 had more than doubled, now the city's largest ethnic group. The build-up to World War II helped the city's recovery in the late 1930s. Suburban development made its expansion into the undeveloped North End neighborhood. On Park Avenue in 1962 the Museam of Art, Science and Industry (MASI) was opened to
11092-857: The tortoise family, being sister to all other modern tortoise genera aside from Manouria , Gopherus , and Testudo . Giant tortoises are classified into several distinct genera, including Aldabrachelys , Centrochelys (in part, often excluding the extant African spurred tortoise ( Centrochelys sulcata )), Chelonoidis (in part), † Cylindraspis (extinct c. 1840) , † Hesperotestudo (extinct c. 9,000 years Before Present ) , † Megalochelys , † Solitudo , and † Titanochelon . Both Megalochelys and Titanochelon reached sizes substantially greater than modern giant tortoises, with up to 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) and 2 m (6 ft 7 in) shell lengths respectively. The phenomenon of animal species evolving in cache to unusually large size on islands (in comparison to continental relatives)
11210-530: The town to Long Island . Harvey Hubbell founded Hubbell Incorporated in Bridgeport in 1888. The Holmes & Edwards Silver Co. was founded in 1882, its wares sold nationally, and the company became part of the International Silver Company in 1898. (The H&E brand continued well into the 1950s and was advertised in national magazines such as LIFE and Ladies' Home Journal .) Hungarian immigrants began to arrive, which led to
11328-537: The trend of establishing headquarters outside of major cities in suburban campuses all played a factor. As such, most skyscraper construction models for downtown Bridgeport from the 70s were never built, unlike Hartford (a city already home to major insurance companies) or Stamford . Much of north downtown Bridgeport would end up abandoned, neglected and boarded up as department and discount stores closed, leaving only federal and municipal buildings along now empty lots. Restructuring of heavy industry starting after
11446-593: The war, Bridgeport attempted its own urban renewal projects in its old downtown in the early 1960s during the construction of the highways. Hunktown, with a population of 15,000 and the Irish neighborhood in the South End were demolished and replaced with highways and an industrial park. The Trumbull Shopping Park was built just outside Bridgeport city limits in Trumbull in 1965, Connecticut's first fully enclosed shopping mall. Bridgeport under Mayor Tedesco went under
11564-469: The war. The First World War had continued the city's expansion so that, on the eve of the Great Depression , there were more than 500 factories in Bridgeport, including Columbia Records ' primary pressing plant and a Singer Sewing Machine factory. The 1920s saw the city's population stabilize at 143,555 after the war. The Roaring Twenties brought more leisure and entertainment. In 1919,
11682-553: The wild that cannot be released: The zoo's core education program, the Conservation Discovery Corps (CDC), is a science and conservation-based program for high school students ages 14–18. Participants are trained in both zoo and field research, and are given an inside perspective on the operations of the zoo and gain experience in conservation education, public service, and public speaking. The students also work side by side with licensed field biologists, study
11800-409: The world by 1946, Bridgeport-based ACME Shear closed its Bridgeport plant in 1996 due to mergers and acquisitions. The industrial operations relocated to Fremont, North Carolina . Between 1984 and 1989 the construction of the new $ 75 million headquarters for People's United Bank , the second largest bank in New England . The 10-story Connecticut National Bank building was demolished and replaced with
11918-495: The world. Bridgeport absorbed the West End and the village of Black Rock and its busy harbor in 1870. In 1875, P. T. Barnum was elected mayor of the town, which afterwards served as the winter headquarters of Barnum and Bailey's Circus and Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show . Barnum also helped establish Fairfield County's first hospital (Conn.'s 3rd) and the Bridgeport-Port Jefferson ferry , connecting
12036-547: The zoo after being a resident for 17 years. On January 22, 2011, an endangered Brazilian ocelot kitten was born at the zoo through oviductal artificial insemination marking the first time that this kind of artificial insemination had successfully worked in an exotic wildcat. The achievement was made with the help of the Cincinnati Zoo 's C.R.E.W. In 2012, Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo celebrated its 90th anniversary. The zoo celebrated its birthday with guest promotions and
12154-455: The zoo brought back the camel rides due to popular demand. The pair from 2014 returned with a third animal. The zoo also exhibited several African spurred tortoises in the same temporary yard the giant tortoises had been in. On April 26, 2016, the zoo added four African penguins in a temporary exhibit by the zoo's Peacock Café. They were on exhibit until September 30, 2016. On November 25, 2017, two Amur tigers cubs (two sisters) were born at
12272-496: The zoo hosted the animal rescue organization "Rainforest Reptiles" in a temporary display of several rescued exotic reptiles, including an albino alligator. In 2012, the zoo temporarily exhibited a Galápagos giant tortoise and Aldabra giant tortoise , from the Cameron Park Zoo , outside of the greenhouse for the 90th anniversary. In 2014, the zoo held temporary camel rides from a pair of dromedary camels . In 2015,
12390-567: The zoo's "South American Adventure", the zoo will receive $ 2.5 million in state funding to build "Spirit of the Cloud Forest", featuring a new pair of Andean bears and possibly a new enclosure for their condors. The new exhibit will see the return of the bear species to the zoo since their last male left in 2011. Additionally, the zoo plans to add spider monkeys to the outdoor yard by the Rainforest Building. In August 2011,
12508-873: The zoo. The zoo began a webcam live-streaming of the tiger cubs via a webcam located in their nursery. The zoo takes part in several in-situ and ex-situ conservation programs. Being an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the zoo partakes in multiple captive breeding programs and Species Survival Plans . The zoo works to care for and breed multiple endangered species such as Amur tigers, Amur leopards, Canada lynx, Brazilian ocelots, red wolves, Mexican wolves, maned wolves, giant anteaters, Chacoan peccaries, golden lion tamarins, North American river otters, Andean condors, spotted turtles, and eastern hellbenders. The Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo Conservation Fund, established in 2002, awards up to $ 15,000 in funds to worldwide conservation programs. To date,
12626-537: The zoo. Within the first year, eighteen exotic birds were donated. By 1927, the zoo had acquired a variety of exotic animals, including a camel donated by the Barnum and Bailey Circus . In 1997, the Connecticut Zoological Society, a nonprofit support group for the zoo, purchased the zoo from the city. The society continues to run the zoo as a private, nonprofit institution with assistance from
12744-465: Was Golden Hill, which overlooked the harbor and was the location of natural springs and their planting fields. (It has since been blasted through for construction of an expressway .) The Golden Hill Indians were granted a reservation here by the Colony of Connecticut in 1639; it lasted until 1802. (One of the tribes acquired land for a small reservation in the late 19th century that was recognized by
12862-436: Was a resident of the city and served as the town's mayor (1871). Barnum built four houses in Bridgeport and housed his circus in town during winter. The city in the early 20th century saw an economic and population boom, becoming by all measures Connecticut's chief manufacturing city by 1905. Bridgeport was the site of the world's first mutual telephone exchange (1877), the first dental hygiene school (1949), and
12980-512: Was built near East Main Street, when in 1878, James Beardsley donated more than 100 acres (40 ha) to the city along the Pequonnock River under the condition that the land be "kept the same forever as a public park". Both parks were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted , known for creating Central Park . These two large public parks gave Bridgeport the nickname "The Park City". The county's Catholic seat, St. Augustine Cathedral
13098-743: Was finished in 1869, built by the Irish who had arrived 30 year earlier. Saint James Church , predating the Archdiocese of Hartford , was the first Catholic congregation in Fairfield County, starting with 250 members in 1842. The congregation gave rise to St Augustine's in Sterling Hill , the seat of the Diocese of Bridgeport . Following the Civil War , the town held several iron foundries and factories manufacturing firearms , metallic cartridges , horse harnesses , locks , and blinds . Wheeler & Wilson 's sewing machines were exported throughout
13216-500: Was home to Slovenians , French-Canadians and Swedish immigrants . By 1910 Bridgeport had grown into second largest city in Connecticut at 102,052, behind New Haven . Between 1910 and 1920, during World War I, the city's population exploded from 102,054 to 143,555, due to the city's role in the First World War. Bridgeport had the largest factory in the world at the time, the new Remington Arms plant on Boston Avenue (on
13334-516: Was inhabited by the Paugussett native American tribe during the start of European colonization . The earliest European communal settlement was in the historical Stratfield district , along US Route 1 , known in colonial times as the King's Highway. Close by, Mount Grove Cemetery was laid out on what was a native village that extended past the 1650s. It is also an ancient Paugusett burial ground. The burgeoning farming community grew and became
13452-563: Was involved in a corruption scandal after being investigated by the FBI as he received gifts from developers in exchange for being allowed to build in Bridgeport. He was sentenced to federal prison, and was replaced by John Fabrizi . In the early 21st century, Bridgeport has taken steps toward redevelopment of its downtown and other neighborhoods. In 2004, artists' lofts were developed in the former Read's Department Store on Broad Street. Several other rental conversions have been completed, including
13570-950: Was reported by the Australia Zoo to be 176 years old when she died in 2006. On 23 March 2006, an Aldabra giant tortoise named Adwaita died at the Alipore Zoological Gardens in Kolkata . He was brought to the zoo in the 1870s from the estate of Lord Clive and is thought to have been around 255 years old when he died. Around the time of its discovery, they were caught for food in such large numbers that they became virtually extinct by 1900. Giant tortoises are now protected by strict conservation laws and are categorized as threatened species. Taxonomy of extant and extinct insular giant tortoise species follows Rhodin et al . (2021), unless otherwise noted. The Aldabra giant tortoise ( Aldabrachelys gigantea) lives on
13688-482: Was similar to the economy of the Paugussett, who had cultivated corn , beans, and squash; and fished and gathered shellfish from both the river and sound. A village called Newfield began to develop around the corner of State and Water streets in the 1760s. The area officially became known as Stratfield in 1695 or 1701, due to its location between the already existing towns of Strat ford and Fair field . During
13806-410: Was still Connecticut's chief manufacturing center, its major industries including General Electric , Remington Shaver, Bryant Electric , and Raybestos plants. A New York Times in 1985 stated Bridgeport was the fifth largest banking center in New England, with five of the banks based Bridgeport having assets of more than $ 6 billion. The largest scissors, shear and surgical materials manufacturer in
13924-561: Was updated in April 2019. In 2010, the Bridgeport Housing Authority and a local health center announced plans to build a $ 20 million medical and housing complex at Albion Street, making use of federal stimulus funds and designed to replace some of the housing lost with the demolition of Father Panik Village . The Steel Point (or Steelpointe) project of Bridgeport's on the lower portion of the East Side finally led to
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