Lehigh Valley Zoo
Zoo in Pennsylvania, U.S.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Lehigh Valley Zoo is a 29-acre (11.7 ha) zoo located in Schnecksville in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. It is located inside the 1,100-acre (445 ha) Trexler Nature Preserve. The zoo is open year-round.
| Lehigh Valley Zoo | |
|---|---|
Entrance to the Lehigh Valley Zoo in June 2013 | |
 Interactive map of Lehigh Valley Zoo | |
| 40.658251°N 75.625956°W | |
| Date opened | 1974 [1] |
| Location | Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Land area | 29 acres (11.7 ha) [1] |
| No. of animals | 275 [2] |
| No. of species | 70 [2] |
| Annual visitors | 100,000 + 30,000 students (2011) [1] |
| Memberships | AZA[3] |
| Website | www |
Lehigh Valley Zoo has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) since March 2006.[1]
History
In 1906, Harry Clay Trexler started purchasing farms in Lowhill and North Whitehall townships to create a preserve to help protect bison, elk, and white-tailed deer. He purchased a total of 36 farms comprising 1,108 acres (448 ha) before he died, and then bequeathed the land to Lehigh County. In 1935, the area officially became the Trexler-Lehigh County Game Preserve.[4]
Construction on the children's zoo in the park began in 1974. When it opened, the zoo included petting and feeding exhibits and exotic animals from Africa, Asia, and Australia.[5]
In 2004, with the original purpose of saving native species accomplished, the county opened the entire preserve to the public.[4] At the same time, the Lehigh Valley Zoological Society took over management of the zoo within the park.[5]
Conservation
In 2009, the zoo was participating in three Species Survival Plans (SSP): African penguin, mongoose lemur, and scimitar-horned oryx.
