Fresno Chaffee Zoo, Zoo in Fresno, United States.
The Fresno Chaffee Zoo occupies 39 acres in Roeding Park, Fresno, California, and holds over 190 species. Its exhibits include Stingray Bay, Sea Lion Cove, Valley Farm, Dino Dig, African Adventure and Ross Laird's Winged Wonders Bird Show. Sea Lion Cove, opened in 2012, has a 250,000-gallon saltwater tank with a 35-foot underwater viewing glass.
This facility began in 1908 with two bears and fifty birds, receiving official recognition in 1929. It grew from this modest start into a major destination that draws thousands of visitors today.
The zoo's name honours Paul S. Chaffee, hired in 1965 as its first director; after his death in 1990 the Fresno Zoo was renamed the Chaffee Zoological Gardens of Fresno. Nosey, the Asian elephant acquired in 1949 with the Fresno Rotary Club's help, was named by a citywide contest and paraded at the 49ers Days Rodeo Parade. The Ross Laird's Winged Wonders Bird Show runs on the grounds.
The zoo lies inside Roeding Park, and the African Adventure expansion added roughly 18 acres, doubling the grounds. Sea Lion Cove, modeled on Point Lobos, holds a 250,000-gallon saltwater tank with a 35-foot viewing glass and keeps the redwood trees around it. Wilderness Falls, opened in 2018, is a water play area for younger visitors.
The facility participates in breeding programs for endangered species such as the Andean condor and Malaysian tiger. This work is an important part of global efforts to protect animals that are becoming increasingly rare in the wild.
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