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55-411: Lincoln Park Zoo is home to a wide variety of animals. The zoo's exhibits include big cats , polar bears , penguins , gorillas , reptiles , monkeys , and other species totaling about 1,100 animals from some 200 species. The Lincoln Park Zoo was long home to a burr oak tree which was estimated to more than 250 years old. The tree was cut down on May 2, 2023, due to poor health. Thirty-six scions of

110-456: A Lake Malawi cichlid tank with an 11,000-lb., 7-in.-thick glass panel. The third section, focused on the African savanna , featured habitats for a large group of meerkats , a space for the zoo's aardvarks , and an indoor habitat for the giraffes. The fourth and final section simulates African kopje habitats, with klipspringer antelopes hopping along the way. The main outdoor exhibit

165-573: A camouflaged forest scene with views from both above and eye-level with the animals. The exhibit features a "hot spring", a trademark favorite of the species, which allows them to warm up in the winter and amuse guests. It also functions as a dedicated research station for the macaques. It is the zoo's third exhibit to house primates. The Regenstein African Journey exhibit is a 60,000-square-foot indoor-and-outdoor exhibit which opened in May 2003 on

220-703: A moat around it, dedicated to the zoo's main gorilla troop. Two additional exhibits—the Strangler Fig Forest and Dry Riverbed Valley—each with mesh netting to secure the animals, can accommodate either chimpanzees or gorillas. Huge glass panels give guests nose-to-nose access with the zoo's apes both in the trees and on the ground. The exhibit also contains the Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, which encourages zoo guests to engage in research and scientific development to conserve apes in

275-531: A new species for the zoo from the tropical coasts of Africa, enabling them to stand the zoo's harsh summers as well as its cold winters. This exhibit would also be fully outdoors and equipped for over a dozen penguins with a behind-the-scenes breeding area. Construction began after the opening of Regenstein Macaque Forest in fall 2014, with Robert and Mayari Pritzker Penguin Cove opening in late 2016. In 2016,

330-450: A pair of sable antelope in 2011. The most recent additions, however, are the waterbuck from Africa and a rarity in an American zoo, the endangered Sichuan takin . Big cats The term " big cat " is typically used to refer to any of the five living members of the genus Panthera , namely the tiger , lion , jaguar , leopard , and snow leopard , as well as the non- pantherine cheetah and cougar . All cats descend from

385-586: A role as "nature's clean-up crew". One large, lush outdoor habitat contains multiple specimens, including breeding pairs of cinereous vultures and white stork, while two adjacent aviaries contain the zoo's resident bald eagle and the next features a snowy owl next door. A baby vulture was born at the zoo in June 2013 but was abandoned by its parents and had to be hand-reared and reintroduced gradually. The zoo's historic Primate House first opened in 1927, featuring apes and monkeys from different locations and habitats in

440-543: A series of small, identical barred cages typical of most early zoo exhibits. It became famous for its apes, including a gorilla named Bushman, until the Great Ape House opened. The Primate House's interior was heavily renovated in the early 1990s and it was re-opened as the Helen Brach Primate House in 1992 with eight diorama-style naturalistic exhibits simulating the swamps and rainforests of

495-481: A state-of-the-art exhibit with a hot spring, set to open in fall 2014. It was announced in March 2014 that the zoo's Robert R. McCormick Bear Habitat, or "Bear Line", would be torn down and rebuilt with a large and significantly improved habitat for the zoo's lone polar bear, with much more land area for the bears and a behind-the-scenes den for breeding. The new exhibit would also feature a new African penguin habitat,

550-502: A strong legal framework for controlling the commerce involving big cats, international organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have encouraged the U.S. to further strengthen these laws. The WWF is concerned that weaknesses in the existing U.S. regulations could be unintentionally helping to fuel the black market for tiger parts. University of Illinois Press The University of Illinois Press ( UIP )

605-433: Is a large, expansive African savanna setting just outside the indoor exhibit exit that primarily houses the zoo's giraffes. There is also a large yard for a family of African painted dogs, a hog yard that has been used by both common warthogs and currently red river hogs , and multiple yards for the zoo's black rhinos. While many of these animals cannot be viewed indoors, they have access to indoor habitats year-round. When

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660-522: Is a new outdoor African penguin exhibit, where visitors can watch as these tropical penguins dive into the water, with a behind-the-scenes area for hatching chicks and breeding the species. The zoo also offers indoor Penguin Encounters. The exhibit opened to the public in October 2016. Opened in 2014, Macaque Forest is an exhibit allowing guests to connect with a troop of 10–15 Japanese macaques in

715-540: Is an American university press and is part of the University of Illinois system . Founded in 1918, the press publishes some 120 new books each year, plus 33 scholarly journals, and several electronic projects. Strengths include ethnic and multicultural studies, Lincoln and Illinois history, and the large and diverse series Music in American Life. This article about a United States publishing company

770-445: Is attached to the hyoid bone that is hanging from a sequence of bones. This sequence of bones the hyoid hangs from are tympanohyal, stylohyal, epihyal, and ceratohyal; these are located in the mandible and skull. In the larynx, there are vocal folds that produce the structure needed to stretch the ligament to a length that creates the roar effect. This tissue is made of thick collagen and elastic fiber that becomes denser as it approaches

825-526: The Felidae family, sharing similar musculature, cardiovascular systems, skeletal frames, and behaviour. Both the cheetah and cougar differ physically from fellow big cats, and to a greater extent, other small cats . As obligate carnivores , big cats are considered apex predators , topping their food chain without natural predators of their own. Native ranges include the Americas , Africa , and Asia ;

880-691: The Helen Brach Primate House, featuring more naturalistic settings. Marlin Perkins , who gained fame as the host of the television program Zoo Parade , and later Wild Kingdom , was director of the zoo from 1944 until 1962. He created and recruited a citizens group, the Lincoln Park Zoological Society, to support the Zoo's mission. The facility underwent a dramatic transformation in the 1970s and 1980s, with

935-989: The Panthera genus are classified as some level of threatened by the IUCN Red List : the lion, leopard and snow leopard are categorized as Vulnerable ; the tiger is listed as Endangered ; and the jaguar is listed as Near Threatened . Cheetahs are also classified as Vulnerable, and the cougar is of Least Concern . All species currently have populations that are decreasing. The principal threats to big cats vary by geographic location but primarily consist of habitat destruction and poaching . In Africa, many big cats are hunted by pastoralists or government "problem animal control" officers. Certain protected areas exist that shelter large and exceptionally visible populations of African leopards , lions and cheetahs, such as Botswana's Chobe , Kenya's Masai Mara , and Tanzania's Serengeti ; outside these conservation areas, hunting poses

990-432: The wilderness , and weigh around 450 kg (990 lb) in captivity . The liger , a hybrid of a lion and tiger, can grow to be much larger than its parent species. In particular, a liger called 'Nook' is reported to have weighed over 550 kg (1,210 lb). An animal sanctuary provides a refuge for animals to live out their natural lives in a protected environment. Usually, these animal sanctuaries are

1045-509: The CWSA regulations were strengthened by a law passed on September 17, 2007. The big cat species addressed in these regulations are the lion, tiger, leopard, snow leopard, clouded leopard, cheetah, jaguar, cougar, and any hybrid of these species (liger, tigon, etc.). Private ownership is not prohibited, but the law makes it illegal to transport, sell, or purchase such animals in interstate or foreign commerce. Although these regulations seem to provide

1100-755: The Chicago area to catch images of wildlife, and the public is asked to help identify the animals. The Zoo operates a number of youth-focused programs including a number of year-round camps, facilitated school program field trips, and a number of community engagement initiatives that prioritize the Little Village and North Lawndale communities. Both the Little Village and North Lawndale outreach programs include community gardening programs that focus on creating green spaces in Chicago and on promoting healthy eating habits. Like many other zoos and aquariums nationally, Lincoln Park Zoo adapted many of their programs to

1155-1074: The Gallery and the Ecosystem . The Gallery begins with a large room ringed with terrariums exhibiting reptiles and amphibians. The next part of the Gallery features small mammals in and around a man-made baobab tree trunk. The building continues in the Ecosystem, a geodesic dome 45 feet (14 m) in height that simulates the world's tropical rainforests . The Ecosystem begins with a series of stream exhibits for caimans and otters, and continues with mixed-species exhibits for arboreal species like primates,. Mammals Reptiles Amphibians Fish Birds Invertebrates This popular outdoor exhibit near McCormick Bird House allows visitors to observe powerful birds-of-prey through stunning outdoor aviaries that give them plenty of room to spread their wings or to perch on rocks or tree branches in their enclosures. These exhibits emphasize how birds-of-prey play

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1210-575: The Kovler Penguin-Seabird House, which had previously been home to rockhopper , king penguins , common murres and puffins closed down after thirty years at the zoo due to worries about the deteriorating condition of the building, prompting outcry from some Chicago residents. It was soon announced it would be replaced with a newly renovated West Gate, featuring a children's train and an all-new exhibit, Regenstein Macaque Forest, featuring Japanese macaques , or "snow monkeys", in

1265-497: The Kovler Seal Pool is one of oldest exhibits at Lincoln Park Zoo. It was renovated most recently in May 1999 in hopes of creating a habitat that most resembles their natural environment in the wild. There are three main viewing areas—from behind a fence in front of the tank on the main zoo path, an amphitheater-style seating area above the tank on the opposite end, and an underwater viewing gallery where visitors can watch

1320-638: The Philadelphia Zoo was the first animal purchased by the zoo, for US$ 10. The bear became quite adept at escaping from its home and could frequently be found roaming Lincoln Park at night. In 1884, reportedly the first American bison born in captivity was born at the Lincoln Park Zoo. At this time, the species had been hunted almost to extinction in the wild—in 1896, the United States government purchased one bull and seven cows from

1375-475: The Zoo announced the Pride of Chicago fundraising campaign, which sought $ 125 million in funding, and lead to the construction of Regenstein Macaque Forest, Robert and Mayari Pritzker Penguin Cove and Walter Family Arctic Tundra, would conclude with a long-awaited $ 30 million renovation of the aging Kovler Lion House as part of the Pride of Chicago fundraising campaign, acknowledging the public perception problems with

1430-409: The Zoo's bison herd to send to Yellowstone National Park to assist in the species' revival. From 1888 to 1919 the director of the Lincoln Park Zoo was the flamboyant Cy DeVry , who organized the collection, built many new structures, and obtained the zoo's first elephant and monkeys. A new Lion House opened in 1912. It was later renovated and reopened in 1990. The Primate House opened in 1927, and it

1485-636: The additions of many new, naturalistic exhibits. In 1995, the Zoological Society assumed management of the zoo from the Chicago Park District , which is the land owner and became leasee of the Zoo in charge of administration and improvements. Zoo administration is currently housed in the nearby building previously used by the Chicago Academy of Sciences , which moved to a new facility in 1999. The Kovler Sea Lion Pool opened

1540-473: The animals' natural habitats in the wild. Perhaps its most notable residents are a family of white-cheeked gibbons that have a spacious room inside as well as an outdoor habitat for playing in the warm winter months. The zoo's male and female gibbons gave birth to baby Daxin on August 16, 2013. Crowned lemurs joined the exhibit in October 2013 from the Indianapolis Zoo and a baby lemur was born at

1595-550: The book The Ark in the Park: The Story of Lincoln Park Zoo was also published by the University of Illinois Press . The book was written by Mark Rosenthal, Carol Tauber, and Edward Uhlir. In 2010, Lincoln Park Zoo transformed the adjacent South Pond to create the Nature Boardwalk , an ecological habitat designed by Studio Gang Architects that features native wetlands plants and wildlife. In December 2011,

1650-495: The building for the American black bear and the endangered red wolf featuring heavy foliage and a naturalistic stream, allowing visitors to go eye-to-eye with the animals or for the animals to hide in the foliage. Statues of gray wolves and signs encourage guests to practice howling and teach them about wolf pack dynamics. Mammals Reptiles Birds One of the zoo's most popular exhibits since its first iteration in 1879,

1705-598: The digital format during the COVID-19 pandemic. This included creating modified versions of their local program offerings, such as running their Artecito program, which connects Little Village families with nature through the arts, in conjunction with the OPEN Center for the Arts through free biweekly programs. The zoo's collection totals nearly 1,100 animals. Redeveloped from the former Robert R. McCormick Bear Habitat in

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1760-510: The dominant threat to large carnivores. In the United States, 19 states have banned ownership of big cats and other dangerous exotic animals as pets , and the Captive Wildlife Safety Act bans the interstate sale and transportation of these animals. The initial Captive Wildlife Safety Act (CWSA) was signed into law on December 19, 2003. To address problems associated with the increasing trade in certain big cat species,

1815-429: The epithelial mucosal lining. When this large pad folds it creates a low natural frequency, causing the cartilage walls of the larynx to vibrate. When it begins to vibrate the sound moves from a high to low air resistance which makes the roaring. The lion's larynx is the longest, giving it the most robust roar. The roar in good conditions can be heard 8 or even 10 km (5 or 6 mi) away. All five extant members of

1870-483: The exact evolutionary relationships of the big cats. The study reveals that the snow leopard and the tiger are sister species, while the lion , leopard , and jaguar are more closely related to each other. The tiger and snow leopard diverged from the ancestral big cats approximately 3.9 Ma . The tiger then evolved into a unique species towards the end of the Pliocene epoch, approximately 3.2 Ma. The ancestor of

1925-417: The exhibit opened, it was also home to three African bush elephants , but they died, the last one dying at Hogle Zoo in 2005, sparking concerns about the exhibit. It later briefly held Bactrian camels , but it is currently an additional home for the zoo's rhinos. One noted resident of the exhibit was R1 (or Reptile One) the dwarf crocodile, who was seventy years old when he died in 2010, having lived within

1980-579: The exhibit, which had been constrained by its Historic Landmark status during previous renovations, most recently in 1992. The new exhibit opened in late 2021 and focuses squarely on lions as opposed to other big cat species it had previously held, such as tigers . The zoo together with technological help from the Adler Planetarium is aiming to expand its survey of Chicago area wildlife with public assistance at an interactive website, Zooniverse . The zoo has positioned motion sensing cameras in

2035-834: The genus Panthera contain this elongated hyoid but owing to differences in the larynx the snow leopard cannot roar. Unlike the roaring cats in their family, the snow leopard is distinguished by the lack of a large pad of fibro-elastic tissue that allows for a large vocal fold. The range of weights exhibited by the species is large. At the bottom, adult snow leopards usually weigh 22 to 55 kg (49 to 121 lb), with an exceptional specimen reaching 75 kg (165 lb). Male and female lions typically weigh 150–250 kg (330–550 lb) and 110–182 kg (243–401 lb) respectively, and male and female tigers 100–306 kg (220–675 lb) and 75–167 kg (165–368 lb) respectively. Exceptionally heavy male lions and tigers have been recorded to exceed 306 kg (675 lb) in

2090-506: The lion, leopard, and jaguar split from other big cats from 4.3–3.8 Ma. Between 3.6 and 2.5 Ma, the jaguar diverged from the ancestor of lions and leopards. Lions and leopards split from one another approximately 2 Ma. The earliest big cat fossil, Panthera blytheae , dating to 4.1−5.95 MA, was discovered in southwest Tibet. Snow leopard Tiger Jaguar Lion Leopard The ability to roar comes from an elongated and specially adapted larynx and hyoid apparatus . The larynx

2145-494: The organizations which provide a home to big cats whose private owners are no longer able or willing to care for their big cats. However, the use of the word sanctuary in an organization's name is by itself no guarantee that it is a true animal sanctuary in the sense of a refuge. To be accepted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) as a bona fide animal sanctuary and to be eligible for an exemption from

2200-402: The popular North American river otters swim gracefully underwater at eye-level in their outdoor habitats, with educational displays about how beavers build dams. Outside the building there are many areas where local birds nest. The building is surrounded by small outdoor viewing areas for the same otter and beaver habitats. There are two significantly larger exhibits surrounding the path around

2255-625: The prohibition of interstate movement of big cats under the Captive Wildlife Safety Act (CWSA), organizations must meet the following criteria: Internationally, a variety of regulations are placed on big cat possession. In Austria , big cats may only be owned in a qualified zoo which is overseen by a zoologist or veterinarian. Requirements must also be met for enclosures, feeding, and training practices. Both Russia and South Africa regulate private ownership of big cats native to each country. Some countries, including Denmark , Thailand and India, prohibit all private ownership of big cats. The members of

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2310-644: The ranges of the leopard and tiger also extend into Europe , specifically in Russia . It is estimated that the ancestors of most big cats split away from the Felinae about 6.37 million years ago. The Felinae, on the other hand, comprises mostly small to medium-sized cats, including domestic cats , but also some larger cats such as the cougar and cheetah . A 2010 study published in Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution has given insight into

2365-399: The same year after an extensive renovation, and it is now home to the zoo's harbor seals . Regenstein African Journey, a renovation of the zoo's former Large Mammal House, opened in 2003, turning the zoo's largest building from concrete showcases for a few large mammals into a series of naturalistic settings that tell the story of the wildlife of the African continent, welcoming the return of

2420-520: The seals glide through the water. The zoo's pinnipeds are trained voluntarily twice a day, and given fish treats as rewards. Though multiple species of seal and sea lion have lived in the pool together in the past, since May 2013 it has been home only to gray and harbor seals. The Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House is a 32,000-square-foot (3,000 m) indoor exhibit that opened in 1997 and houses small animals in two main areas:

2475-502: The site of the zoo's former Regenstein Large Mammal House. It simulates four distinct habitats from the African continent. Large skylights permit natural light into the indoor area, and guests are greeted quickly by monkeys in a rainforest setting as they enter Africa . The second section focuses on African rivers , with massive glass panels for hybrid land/water exhibits for West African dwarf crocodiles, pygmy hippos, and

2530-479: The south end of the main zoo, is an oval-shaped series of large grassland exhibits that house the zoo's diverse hoofstock and miscellaneous animals. During construction on Regenstein African Journey, it held the zoo's future Grant's gazelle collection. The Antelope & Zebra Area has historically held several species, including the Arabian oryx , as part of the animals' complex Species Survival Plan, and briefly

2585-615: The tree were grafted onto root stock and are growing at the Morton Arboretum . The zoo was founded in 1868, when the Lincoln Park Commissioners were given a gift of two pairs of swans by Central Park 's Board of Commissioners in New York City . Other animals were soon donated to the park, including, a puma , two elk , three wolves , four eagles , and eight peacock . In 1874, a bear cub from

2640-516: The wild. Notable residents of this exhibit include Kwan, the current silverback in the zoo's gorilla troupe who appeared in the film Return to Me as Sidney, a chimpanzee named Optimus Prime, after the fictional character of the same name , and formerly Keo, the oldest male chimpanzee in a North American zoo at the time of his death in September 2013 at fifty-five. Custom-made stuffed animals of Kwan and Optimus in their likenesses are available in

2695-573: The zoo on April 14, 2014. One of the zoo's most historic buildings, the McCormick Bird House was first designed in 1904 under Cyrus DeVry, the zoo's original director. It has been redesigned multiple times, most recently in 1991, and is currently home to multiple habitats recreating the tropics , savanna, sea shore , desert , wetlands , and other biomes, with a tropical free-flight aviary allowing guests to become immersed with perching and aquatic birds without fences or glass. Some of

2750-514: The zoo's African elephants and giraffes as well as new additions such as the aardvark , ostrich , and African wild dog . Two years later, the zoo renovated its Great Ape House, opening the Regenstein Center for African Apes, which focused on the zoo's troops of common chimpanzees and western lowland gorillas , putting a special emphasis on researching the behaviors of both species and creating new, naturalistic habitats. In 2003,

2805-1005: The zoo's Reptile House (now Park Place Café), the Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House, and finally, Regenstein African Journey throughout his life. Mammals Reptiles Birds Invertebrates Lincoln Park Zoo's dedication to primate research continued when the Lester E. Fisher Great Ape House was closed and rebuilt with a new focus on the two African ape species, the chimpanzee and western lowland gorilla . The new center, opened in 2005, has over 29,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor living space for three ape troops, featuring dozens of trees, artificial vines, real and simulated bamboo , as well as skylights, waterfalls , moats, heated logs, and termite mounds for chimpanzees to illustrate their knowledge of tools to 'fish' for termites in their mounds. The exhibit has three spacious habitats—the 12,000-square-foot Kovler Gorilla Bamboo Forest, an open-air habitat with

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2860-609: The zoo's Wild Things gift shop. The new Pritzker Family Children's Zoo, which opened in 2004, features a number of native eastern American wildlife, and lets visitors of all ages connect with the wild creatures in our own backyard and engages them to think about how species survive in the wilderness. Small amphibians and reptiles are featured in a small indoor exhibit, along with a leaf-themed climber play area for youngsters designed by Tom Luckey , with slightly larger indoor exhibits for birds and reptiles and large glass windows on each end so guests young and old can watch American beavers and

2915-504: The zoo's most notable birds include the famous laughing kookaburra in the scrub display, multiple scarlet ibis specimens in its swamp display and the Bali myna , a critically endangered bird that Lincoln Park Zoo breeds, while also maintaining the species' studbook . Thirty-one mynahs have been born at the zoo since 1972, with the most recent set of chicks being born in mid-2012. The zoo's four-acre Camel & Zebra Area, built in 1982 on

2970-401: The zoo's northeast corner, Walter Family Arctic Tundra is a new exhibit for the zoo's polar bears , larger than the previous habitat with more land for the bears to roam on; instead of strict rockwork, there is natural grass, a new underwater viewing area, a maternity den, and enough space to support a small breeding family of bears. Linked to the nearby Regenstein African Journey, Penguin Cove

3025-472: Was known for housing a popular gorilla named Bushman (1931–1951), one of the only gorillas in a U. S. zoo at the time. From 1920 until a Zoo expansion in 1994, the 1893 World's Fair Viking ship was located at the zoo. The zoo's great apes were moved to the Lester E. Fisher Great Ape House in 1976, named for the zoo's outgoing director, and the original Primate House was later renovated and reopened in 1992 as

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