The Dakota Zoo is a zoo in Bismarck, North Dakota located on the banks of the Missouri River . It is the third zoo built in North Dakota . The Dakota Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
59-482: The Dakota Zoo began on a 67-acre (27 ha) farm owned by Marc and Betty Christianson on the northern edge of Bismarck. At first, the farm boarded domestic animals such as dogs, cats, and horses. At one point, the farm was used to raise mink for profit. Over time, people who knew of the Christiansons' love for animals began dropping off strays and injured animals, knowing that they would be well taken care of. As
118-464: A 1:1 scale wood carving of Clyde, created by artist Dave Ely. In 1987, the Bismarck Tribune challenged the zoo to develop a master plan to outline the future course of the zoo. The zoo board developed a plan which is reviewed and updated regularly, with the last review having been in 2005. There have been three major capital campaigns since the master plan was initiated, to raise money for
177-552: A clade that is closely related to the perissodactyls. The desmostylians were large amphibious quadrupeds with massive limbs and a short tail. They grew to 1.8 metres (6 ft) in length and were thought to have weighed more than 200 kilograms (440 lb). Their fossils were known from the northern Pacific Rim , from southern Japan through Russia , the Aleutian Islands and the Pacific coast of North America to
236-693: A conference in September, one of the largest zoo and aquarium professionals' events in the US. AZA also manages the citizen science program FrogWatch USA . In the United States, any public animal exhibit must be licensed and inspected by the United States Department of Agriculture , United States Environmental Protection Agency , Drug Enforcement Administration , Occupational Safety and Health Administration , and others. Depending on
295-404: A token collection and, under the direction of a professional staff, provides its collection with appropriate care and exhibits them in an aesthetic manner to the public on a regularly scheduled basis. They shall further be defined as having as their primary business the exhibition, conservation and preservation of the earth's fauna in an educational and scientific manner." To achieve accreditation,
354-408: A zoo must pass an application and inspection process and meet or exceed AZA's standards for animal health and welfare, fundraising, zoo staffing, and involvement in global conservation efforts. Inspection is performed by three experts (typically one veterinarian, one expert in animal care, and one expert in zoo management and operations) and then reviewed by a panel of twelve experts before accreditation
413-458: Is a cladistic (evolution-based) group, or merely a phenetic group ( form taxon ) or folk taxon (similar, but not necessarily related). Some studies have indeed found the mesaxonian ungulates and paraxonian ungulates to form a monophyletic lineage, closely related to either the Ferae (the carnivorans and the pangolins ) in the clade Fereuungulata or to the bats . Other studies found
472-452: Is active in institution accreditation , animal care initiatives, education and conservation programs, collaborative research and advocacy. AZA serves as an accrediting body for zoos and aquariums and ensures accredited facilities meet higher standards of animal care than required by law. Institutions are evaluated every five years in order to ensure standards are met and to maintain accreditation. As of 2019 AZA had 238 accredited facilities in
531-710: Is awarded. This accreditation process is repeated once every five years. AZA estimates that there are approximately 2,800 animal exhibits operating under USDA license as of 2019; fewer than 10% are accredited. Certification is possible for facilities that hold animals, but are not regularly open to the public. AZA's Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) program prioritizes collaboration between zoos and aquariums to support highly vulnerable species. SAFE builds on existing recovery plans to implement strategic conservation and public engagement activities. In 2017, AZA member zoos and aquariums invested $ 15.6 million towards SAFE program species. The SAFE program signature species include
590-627: Is inside the zoo from the entrance gate, and contains reptiles, small mammals, fish, a honeybee colony, and educational areas for children. The zoo also features a gift shop, concession stand, ice cream parlor, two playgrounds, and a petting zoo. Two trains are used to provide tours of the zoo. The zoo participates in the AZA Species Survival Plan (SSP). In 2013, the Dakota Zoo created a Conservation Fund, with 50¢ from each admission and $ 5 from each membership being added to
649-441: Is not tax supported. Ungulates are mostly housed in the southern part of the zoo in large, open enclosures. Animals in this area include goats , pigs , miniature horses , miniature donkeys , Highland cattle , bison , pronghorn , Przewalski's horse , Bactrian camel , Dall sheep , bighorn sheep , mountain goats , moose , reindeer , longhorn cattle , Clydesdale horses , and elk . Llama , mouflon , and aoudad are in
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#1732782778974708-460: The African lion , African species of vultures , Asian elephant , Atlantic Acropora coral, black-footed ferret , black rhinoceros , cheetah , eastern indigo snake , giraffe , gorilla , sea turtles , orangutan , radiated tortoise , red wolf , sharks , and sting rays , vaquita , western pond turtle , and whooping crane . There were more than 20 species or taxonomic groups included in
767-624: The Great American Interchange . Perissodactyls were the dominant group of large terrestrial browsers right through the Oligocene. However, the rise of grasses in the Miocene (about 20 Mya) saw a major change: the artiodactyl species with their more complex stomachs were better able to adapt to a coarse, low-nutrition diet, and soon rose to prominence. Nevertheless, many perissodactyl species survived and prospered until
826-583: The Oglebay Park Good Zoo . In 1994, the shorter name American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) was adopted. In early 2018, AZA acquired the Wildlife Trafficking Alliance to help grow public awareness about the purchase and sale of illegal wildlife products in the United States. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums reported 195 million visitors to its 236 accredited member facilities in 2017. The organization
885-519: The mesonychians and the artiodactyls. The first artiodactyls looked like today's chevrotains or pigs: small, short-legged creatures that ate leaves and the soft parts of plants . By the Late Eocene (46 million years ago), the three modern suborders had already developed: Suina (the pig group); Tylopoda (the camel group); and Ruminantia (the goat and cattle group). Nevertheless, artiodactyls were far from dominant at that time:
944-464: The AZA community's research. To be a member, a facility must either be accredited or certified. Accredited facilities maintain a professional staff and appropriate animal care, and are open to the public on a predictable basis. The following list is from 2013. Pier 39 Pier 3, Inner Harbor Pier 59 Certified facilities maintain a professional staff and appropriate animal care, but are not open to
1003-723: The American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums became a professional branch affiliate of the newly formed National Recreation and Park Association , which absorbed the American Institute of Park Executives. In the fall of 1971, the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums membership voted to become an independent association. On January 19, 1972, it was chartered as the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums with its executive office located in Wheeling, West Virginia , within
1062-507: The Endangered Species Act. In 2017, member institutions reported participating in field conservation projects benefiting over 860 species in 128 countries. AZA zoos and aquariums spent $ 25 million on research and published 170 books, book chapters, journal articles, conference proceeding papers, posters and theses or dissertations. Animal care, health and welfare, followed by species and habitat conservation, describe 68% of
1121-470: The Monkey Barn near the center of the zoo and include cotton-top tamarins , Goeldi’s monkey , golden-headed lion tamarin , pygmy marmoset , red ruffed lemurs , squirrel monkeys , white-fronted marmosets , and spider monkeys . The zoo also includes an exhibit of reptiles and small mammals , a butterfly house , a prairie dog town, and a monkey barn. The Bismarck Tribune Discovery Center
1180-620: The US and eleven other countries: Canada , Mexico , Bermuda , The Bahamas , the Dominican Republic , Colombia , Argentina , Spain , Hong Kong , Singapore , and South Korea . Approximately 800,000 animals representing 6,000 species are in the care of AZA-accredited facilities, including 1,000 threatened or endangered species. The association also facilitates both species survival plans and population management plans, which serve to sustainably manage genetically diverse captive populations of various animal species. AZA holds
1239-788: The animals they exhibit, the activities of zoos are regulated by laws including the Endangered Species Act , the Animal Welfare Act , the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 and others. Additionally, zoos in North America may choose to pursue accreditation by AZA. The American association has developed a definition for zoological gardens and aquariums as part of its accreditation standards: "A permanent cultural institution which owns and maintains captive wild animals that represent more than
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#17327827789741298-513: The anthracotheres, except that which evolved into Hippopotamidae , became extinct during the Pliocene without leaving any descendants. The family Raoellidae is said to be the closest artiodactyl family to the cetaceans. Consequentially, new theories in cetacean evolution hypothesize that whales and their ancestors escaped predation, not competition, by slowly adapting to the ocean. Mesonychians were depicted as "wolves on hooves" and were
1357-472: The areas of conservation , education, science, and recreation. AZA is headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland , and accredits zoos. There were 238 accredited facilities as of 2019, primarily in the US, and also a handful in eleven other countries. In October 1924 the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums was formed as an affiliate of the American Institute of Park Executives. In 1966,
1416-1153: The case with the relationship between the pecoran families and the baleen whale families. See each family for the relationships of the species as well as the controversies in their respective articles. Below is the general consensus of the phylogeny of the ungulate families. Equidae [REDACTED] Tapiridae [REDACTED] Rhinocerotidae [REDACTED] Camelidae [REDACTED] Tayassuidae [REDACTED] Suidae [REDACTED] Tragulidae [REDACTED] Antilocapridae [REDACTED] Giraffidae [REDACTED] Cervidae [REDACTED] Moschidae [REDACTED] Bovidae [REDACTED] Hippopotamidae [REDACTED] Balaenidae [REDACTED] Cetotheriidae [REDACTED] Balaenopteridae [REDACTED] Physeteridae [REDACTED] Kogiidae [REDACTED] Platanistidae [REDACTED] Ziphiidae [REDACTED] † Lipotidae [REDACTED] Pontoporiidae [REDACTED] Iniidae [REDACTED] Delphinidae [REDACTED] Phocoenidae [REDACTED] Monodontidae [REDACTED] Perissodactyla and Artiodactyla include
1475-782: The clade "Ungulata" along with the clade Paenungulata , "Ungulata" has since been determined to be a polyphyletic and thereby invalid clade based on molecular data. As a result, true ungulates had since been reclassified to the newer clade Euungulata in 2001 within the clade Laurasiatheria while Paenungulata has been reclassified to a distant clade Afrotheria . Living ungulates are divided into two orders: Perissodactyla including equines , rhinoceroses , and tapirs ; and Artiodactyla including cattle , antelope , pigs , giraffes , camels , sheep , deer , and hippopotamuses , among others. Cetaceans such as whales , dolphins , and porpoises are also classified as artiodactyls, although they do not have hooves. Most terrestrial ungulates use
1534-683: The close of the Eocene epoch, with only one genus, Mongolestes , surviving into the Early Oligocene epoch, as the climate changed and fierce competition arose from the better adapted creodonts . Ungulates were in high diversity in response to sexual selection and ecological events; most ungulates lack a collar bone . Terrestrial ungulates were for the most part herbivores, with some of them being grazers . However, there were exceptions to this as pigs, peccaries, hippos and duikers were known to have an omnivorous diet. Some cetaceans were
1593-579: The early Eocene. They appeared very similar to modern forms, but were about half the size, and lacked the proboscis. The first true tapirs appeared in the Oligocene . By the Miocene , such genera as Miotapirus were almost indistinguishable from the extant species. Asian and American tapirs were believed to have diverged around 20 to 30 million years ago; and tapirs migrated from North America to South America around 3 million years ago, as part of
1652-525: The early Eocene. Fossils of Hyrachyus eximus found in North America date to this period. This small hornless ancestor resembled a tapir or small horse more than a rhino. Three families, sometimes grouped together as the superfamily Rhinocerotoidea, evolved in the late Eocene: Hyracodontidae , Amynodontidae and Rhinocerotidae , thus creating an explosion of diversity unmatched for a while until environmental changes drastically eliminated several species. The first tapirids, such as Heptodon , appeared in
1711-437: The enormous brontotheres and the bizarre chalicotheres . The largest perissodactyl, an Asian rhinoceros called Paraceratherium , reached 15 tonnes (17 tons), more than twice the weight of an elephant . It has been found in a cladistic study that the anthracobunids and the desmostylians – two lineages that have been previously classified as Afrotherians (more specifically closer to elephants) – have been classified as
1770-642: The extinct mesonychians are carnivorous. Ungulate is from the Late Latin adjective ungulatus ' hoofed ' . Ungulatus is a diminutive form of Latin unguis ' nail ' (finger nail; toe nail). Euungulata is a clade (or in some taxonomies, a grand order) of mammals. The two extant orders of ungulates are the Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates) and Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates) . Hyracoidea (hyraxes) , Sirenia (sea cows, dugongs and manatees) and Proboscidea (elephants) were in
1829-565: The first major mammalian predators, appearing in the Paleocene. Early mesonychians had five digits on their feet, which probably rested flat on the ground during walking ( plantigrade locomotion), but later mesonychians had four digits that ended in tiny hooves on all of their toes and were increasingly well adapted to running. Like running members of the even-toed ungulates, mesonychians ( Pachyaena , for example) walked on their digits ( digitigrade locomotion). Mesonychians fared very poorly at
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1888-498: The fund. The Fund has contributed over $ 250,000 to various conservation efforts, including 16 Species Survival Plans, 9 Population Management Plans, and the AZA Conservation Grants Fund. The Zoo operates a Raptor Rehabilitation program, assisting an average of 40 to 60 injured and orphaned birds of prey each year. The Dakota Zoo was home to Clyde, the largest captive Kodiak brown bear ever recorded. Clyde
1947-413: The hind feet, and four on the front feet. They were herbivorous browsers on relatively soft plants, and were already adapted for running. The complexity of their brains suggest that they already were alert and intelligent animals. Later species reduced the number of toes, and developed teeth more suited for grinding up grass and other tough plant food. Rhinocerotoids diverged from other perissodactyls by
2006-464: The hoofed tips of their toes to support their body weight while standing or moving. Two other orders of ungulates, Notoungulata and Litopterna , both native to South America, became extinct at the end of the Pleistocene, around 12,000 years ago. The term means, roughly, "being hoofed" or "hoofed animal". As a descriptive term, "ungulate" normally excludes cetaceans as they do not possess most of
2065-869: The late Pleistocene (about 10,000 years ago) when they faced the pressure of human hunting and habitat change. The artiodactyls were thought to have evolved from a small group of condylarths, Arctocyonidae , which were unspecialized, superficially raccoon-like to bear-like omnivores from the Early Paleocene (about 65 to 60 million years ago). They had relatively short limbs lacking specializations associated with their relatives (e.g. reduced side digits, fused bones, and hooves), and long, heavy tails. Their primitive anatomy makes it unlikely that they were able to run down prey, but with their powerful proportions, claws, and long canines, they may have been able to overpower smaller animals in surprise attacks. Evidently these mammals soon evolved into two separate lineages:
2124-400: The majority of large land mammals. These two groups first appeared during the late Paleocene , rapidly spreading to a wide variety of species on numerous continents, and have developed in parallel since that time. Some scientists believed that modern ungulates were descended from an evolutionary grade of mammals known as the condylarths . The earliest known member of this group may have been
2183-591: The most recent study recovers them as within the true ungulate assemblage, closest to Carodnia . In Australia, the recently-extinct marsupial Chaeropus ("pig-footed bandicoot") also developed hooves similar to those of artiodactyls, an example of convergent evolution . Perissodactyls were thought to have evolved from the Phenacodontidae , small, sheep-sized animals that were already showing signs of anatomical features that their descendants would inherit (the reduction of digit I and V for example). By
2242-507: The northeast section of the zoo. Predators are housed in the northern part of the zoo, and include tigers , snow leopards , wolves , bears , Canada lynx , bobcats , cougars , coyotes , foxes , badgers , and servals . Birds are housed in a variety of smaller enclosures and aviaries, mostly in the center of the zoo, and include eagles , emus , many South American birds, turkey vultures , wild turkeys , owls , penguins , and various water birds . Monkeys are mostly housed in
2301-437: The notoungulates were closely related to the perissodactyls. The oldest known fossils assigned to Equidae date from the early Eocene , 54 million years ago. They had been assigned to the genus Hyracotherium , but the type species of that genus is now considered not a member of this family, but the other species have been split off into different genera. These early Equidae were fox-sized animals with three toes on
2360-688: The number of animals increased, word got out and more and more people came to see them. After some publicity from a local TV station, petitions were signed by 780 people supporting the idea of a community zoo in Bismarck. Marc Christianson took these to the Bismarck Park Board to present the concept of a self-supporting community zoo. In 1958, the Park Board made 88 acres (36 ha) of Park District land in Sertoma Park available to
2419-403: The only modern ungulates that were carnivores; baleen whales consume significantly smaller animals in relation to their body size, such as small species of fish and krill ; toothed whales, depending on the species, can consume a wide range of species: squid , fish, sharks , and other species of mammals such as seals and other whales. In terms of ecosystem ungulates have colonized all corners of
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2478-589: The past grouped within the clade "Ungulata", later found to be a polyphyletic and now invalid clade. The three orders of Paenungulata are now considered a clade and grouped in the Afrotheria clade, while Euungulata is now grouped under the Laurasiatheria clade. In 2009, morphological and molecular work found that aardvarks, hyraxes, sea cows, and elephants were more closely related to each other and to sengis , tenrecs , and golden moles than to
2537-413: The perissodactyls and artiodactyls, and form the clade Afrotheria . Elephants, sea cows, and hyraxes were grouped together in the clade Paenungulata , while the aardvark has been considered as either a close relative to them or a close relative to sengis in the clade Afroinsectiphilia . This is a striking example of convergent evolution . There is now some dispute as to whether this smaller Euungulata
2596-437: The perissodactyls were much more successful and far more numerous. Artiodactyls survived in niche roles, usually occupying marginal habitats , and it is presumably at that time that they developed their complex digestive systems , which allowed them to survive on lower-grade food. While most artiodactyls were taking over the niches left behind by several extinct perissodactyls, one lineage of artiodactyls began to venture out into
2655-498: The planet, from mountains to the ocean depths ; grasslands to deserts and some have been domesticated by humans . Association of Zoos and Aquariums The Association of Zoos and Aquariums ( AZA ), originally the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums , is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1924 and dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aquariums in
2714-467: The program as of 2019. The association has a computerized database called the Annual Report on Conservation and Science . This helps track AZA research projects worldwide. AZA member zoos and aquariums contribute $ 220 million to conservation projects each year. They participate in 115 reintroduction programs, including more than 40 programs for species listed as threatened or endangered under
2773-419: The proto-whale Pakicetus and other early cetacean ancestors collectively known as Archaeoceti , which eventually underwent aquatic adaptation into the completely aquatic cetaceans . The other branch became the anthracotheres , a large family of four-legged beasts, the earliest of whom in the late Eocene would have resembled skinny hippopotamuses with comparatively small and narrow heads. All branches of
2832-587: The seas. The traditional theory of cetacean evolution was that cetaceans were related to the mesonychian . These animals had unusual triangular teeth very similar to those of primitive cetaceans. This is why scientists long believed that cetaceans evolved from a form of mesonychian. Today, many scientists believe cetaceans evolved from the same stock that gave rise to hippopotamuses. This hypothesized ancestral group likely split into two branches around 54 million years ago . One branch would evolve into cetaceans , possibly beginning about 52 million years ago with
2891-625: The somewhat tapir-like pyrotheres and astrapotheres , the mesaxonic litopterns and the diverse notoungulates . As a whole, meridiungulates were said to have evolved from animals like Hyopsodus . For a while their relationships with other ungulates were a mystery. Some paleontologists have even challenged the monophyly of Meridiungulata by suggesting that the pyrotheres may be more closely related to other mammals, such as Embrithopoda (an African order that were related to elephants ) than to other South American ungulates. A recent study based on bone collagen has found that at least litopterns and
2950-469: The southern tip of Baja California . Their dental and skeletal form suggests desmostylians were aquatic herbivores dependent on littoral habitats. Their name refers to their highly distinctive molars, in which each cusp was modified into hollow columns, so that a typical molar would have resembled a cluster of pipes, or in the case of worn molars, volcanoes. They were the only marine mammals to have gone extinct. The South American meridiungulates contain
3009-645: The start of the Eocene , 55 million years ago (Mya), they had diversified and spread out to occupy several continents. Horses and tapirs both evolved in North America; rhinoceroses appear to have developed in Asia from tapir-like animals and then colonised the Americas during the middle Eocene (about 45 Mya). Of the approximately 15 families, only three survive (McKenna and Bell, 1997; Hooker, 2005). These families were very diverse in form and size; they included
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#17327827789743068-447: The tiny Protungulatum , a mammal that co-existed with the last of non-avian dinosaurs 66 million years ago. However, many authorities do not consider it a true placental, let alone an ungulate. The enigmatic dinoceratans were among the first large herbivorous mammals, although their exact relationship with other mammals is still debated with one of the theories being that they might just be distant relatives to living ungulates;
3127-472: The two orders not that closely related, as some place the perissodactyls as close relatives to bats and Ferae in Pegasoferae and others place the artiodactyls as close relatives to bats. Below is a simplified taxonomy (assuming that ungulates do indeed form a natural grouping) with the extant families, in order of the relationships. Keep in mind that there were still some grey areas of conflict, such as
3186-403: The typical morphological characteristics of other ungulates, but recent discoveries indicate that they were also descended from early artiodactyls . Ungulates are typically herbivorous and many employ specialized gut bacteria to enable them to digest cellulose, though some members may deviate from this: several species of pigs and the extinct entelodonts are omnivorous, while cetaceans and
3245-497: The zoo had grown to over 90 acres in size and averaged over 150,000 annual visitors. The Dakota Zoo has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) since 1991. It is unlike many nationwide zoos in that it is self-supportive and operates solely on funds raised through admissions, concession sales, adopt an animal programs, memberships, and donations. The zoo is supported by its visitors and community sponsors and
3304-608: The zoo. The "Beyond the Bear Necessities" capital campaign started in 1988 and raised money for exhibits such as the bear habitat, river otter exhibit, canine, and small animal exhibits. The second campaign, called "Discovery 2000 - Turning Dollars Into Senses," raised $ 1.5 million for exhibits including moose, mountain goat, mountain lion, bobcat, lynx and the Discovery Zoo. in 2002, "Make the Big Cats Roar"
3363-423: The zoo. The majority of construction was initially done by Marc and his crew with donated materials. The zoo opened on June 3, 1961, with 75 mammals, 23 birds, and about 15 acres (61,000 m) of developed land. In the first year, 40,000 people paid ten cents each to visit the zoo. By 2007, there were about 3,400 zoo members, and more than 100,000 visitors per year to view 125 species of animals and birds. By 2020,
3422-505: Was believed to have been born in January 1965. The Federal government originally studied Clyde as a research animal to determine the effect of the radioactive isotope Strontium-90 on wildlife. He was 180 pounds (81 kilograms), still a cub, when brought to Bismarck later that year. He grew to weigh in excess of 2,130 pounds (960 kilograms), stood over 9 feet tall (2.7 meters), and lived until 1987. The Bismarck Tribune Discovery Center features
3481-445: Was launched to raise $ 1.9 million. This goal was reached in late 2005, and an extended goal of $ 2.3 million was added. Ungulate Ungulates ( / ˈ ʌ ŋ ɡ j ʊ l eɪ t s , - ɡ j ə -, - l ɪ t s , - l ə t s / UNG -gyuu-layts, -gyə-, -lits, -ləts ) are members of the diverse clade Euungulata ("true ungulates"), which primarily consists of large mammals with hooves . Once part of
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