Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden
The Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden is a zoo located in Evansville, Indiana. The zoo, which is accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, houses 219 species and 560 animals, most of them grouped - from a still-new rhinoceros to a refurbished petting zoo to exhibits with lions, tigers, camels, mountain lions, kangaroos, wallabees - even a kookaburra sitting on a tree branch.
The zoo was founded in 1928 by Gilmour Haynie and other businessmen. A local cartoonist, Karl Kae Knecht, for the Evansville Courier helped popularize the idea of a zoo. The zoo's first Elephant, Kay, came to the zoo in 1929. Mesker Park was one of the first zoo's in the United States to have a cageless exhibit that was first popularized in Germany. In 1954 Kay fatally injured the zoo director, Bob Mcgraw. Kay was then sent to a circus facility and replaced with 4 year old "Bunny." Bunny remained with the zoo until 1999 when she was sent to 900 acre (3.6 km²) elephant sanctuary in Tennessee.
The zoo's first animal petting zoo opened in 1975. The petting zoo has recently been renovated under the new name "Children's Enchanted Forest." The zoo has continued to grow since its founding and is now home to more than 500 animals, including river otters,and lions. The zoo currently includes exhibits in the sections known as, "Discover Center","Kley Building", "North America", "South America", "African Rift", "African Panorama", "Australia", and "Lake Victoria."
The zoo is working on a major $15 million building project, AMAZONIA, which will open in 2007. In addition to serving as the zoo's new main entrance, the see-through dome will allow visitors to see a South American rain forest. There will be thousands of plants, and the animal list will include a jaguar, tapirs, a toucan, macaws, bats, iguanas and more.