ABQ BioPark Zoo, Wildlife conservation park in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
ABQ BioPark Zoo is a 64-acre (26 ha) zoo founded in 1927 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, part of the Albuquerque Biological Park. Its sections include Africa, Australia/Koala Creek, Asia, the Cat Walk, Ape Walk, Inukshuk Bay for polar bears, Penguin Chill, and a Reptile House remodeled in 2012. A narrow-gauge railroad links it to the park's other facilities, and the walking route through the grounds is 2.27 miles (3.65 km).
The zoo was founded in 1927 as a small animal collection serving the local community. Over the decades, it developed into a major regional institution with expanded facilities and conservation-focused programs.
The zoo's name recalls its origins as the Rio Grande Zoo, and its grounds are laid out along trails such as the Cat Walk and the Americas Trail. The zoo breeds Texas horned lizards and has released about 70 young into the wild in Socorro County, New Mexico. It also keeps the only captive population of locust coquis, critically endangered frogs from Puerto Rico.
Walking the full route through the zoo covers 2.27 miles (3.65 km), so plan for a long loop on foot. A narrow-gauge railroad links the zoo with the other facilities of the Albuquerque Biological Park. The zoo is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The Penguin Chill exhibit holds three penguin species in a climate-controlled space with underwater viewing windows. This exhibit lets visitors see these birds swimming and diving in ways normally hidden from view.
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