Frank Buck Zoo, Animal park in Gainesville, Texas, United States.
Frank Buck Zoo is a small zoo in Gainesville, Texas, founded in 1930 and located within the 30-acre Leonard Park. It is home to more than 130 animals, including Asian small-clawed otters, Chilean flamingos, American black bears, giraffes, common ostriches, helmeted guinea fowl and Nubian ibex. An elevated walkway crosses the Bennett's and swamp wallaby and African savanna exhibits.
The site began in 1930 as Gainesville Community Circus at Fair Park before moving to its current location in Leonard Park in 1962. This relocation marked a shift from circus operations to a modern animal park.
The zoo is named after Frank Buck, a Gainesville-born film star, and honors his legacy through an exhibit featuring personal items donated by his daughter Barbara. Visitors can view these objects that reflect Buck's adventures and career in entertainment.
A wheelchair- and stroller-accessible path circles the zoo for about a mile. It rises onto an elevated walkway above the Bennett's and swamp wallaby and the African savanna, where giraffes are seen at eye level and fed daily during the public feeding.
A renovated prairie dog enclosure received an excellence award from the Zoological Association of America in 2020. This recognition reflects the facility's commitment to improved habitats and animal welfare.
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