Southern Nevada Zoological-Botanical Park, Zoo and botanical garden in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Southern Nevada Zoological-Botanical Park was a 3-acre (1.2 ha) nonprofit zoo and botanical garden at 1775 North Rancho Drive in Las Vegas, northwest of the Strip. It opened in 1981 on a half-acre site and grew to about 150 animals in 45 outdoor exhibits by 1993, alongside a petting zoo, a small gem exhibit and a gift shop at the main exit.
Pat Dingle, a Vietnam War veteran and former bird store owner, established this facility in 1981 with guidance from the San Diego Zoo. The park became a regional attraction before closing permanently in 2013.
The zoo's name honored its dual role: a zoological park and a botanical garden on three acres. Its stated mission was to "educate and entertain the public by displaying a variety of plants and animals." A small gem exhibit and a gift shop at the main exit were part of the visitor experience.
The zoo closed permanently on September 20, 2013, so there is no visiting to plan. The site stood at 1775 North Rancho Drive, northwest of the Las Vegas Strip and about 15 minutes away by car. An animal hospital on the grounds was also open to the public while the zoo operated.
The zoo's six Barbary apes came from the San Diego Zoo on loan for a breeding program. In May 1993 an older ape killed a younger one after they were placed in the same enclosure; seven keepers resigned in protest and critics held annual rallies at the site for years afterward.
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