The Lee Richardson Zoo is an
AZA accredited
zoo in
Garden City, Kansas
Garden City is a city in and the county seat of Finney County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 28,151. The city is home to Garden City Community College and the Lee Richa ...
. The zoo has more than 100 species of animals located on inside Finnup Park and includes many animals that are non-native to southwest
Kansas
Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
. Admission is free for pedestrians or $10 per car.
History
Finnup Park was established by a donation of of land to the city by George Finnup. The zoo was started in 1927 by the city and the local chapter of the Izaak Walton League, with two skunks brought in by Lee Richardson, who was Chief of Police and Park and founder and Zoo Superintendent at the time.
The zoo was formally named for Lee Richardson in 1950, just a year before he died.
The Lee Richardson Zoo is a department of the City of Garden City.
Exhibits
;North American Plains
:This section of the zoo includes "Kansas Waters" with its
river otters and the "Swift Fox" exhibit, which both opened in 2005, as well as
pronghorn,
elk, and
bison
A bison (: bison) is a large bovine in the genus ''Bison'' (from Greek, meaning 'wild ox') within the tribe Bovini. Two extant taxon, extant and numerous extinction, extinct species are recognised.
Of the two surviving species, the American ...
.
;South American Pampas
:The South American Pampas exhibit includes
maned wolf
The maned wolf (''Chrysocyon brachyurus'') is a large canine of South America. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, and Paraguay, and is almost extinct in Uruguay. Its markings resemble those of a red fox, but it is neither a fox nor ...
,
anteater
Anteaters are the four extant mammal species in the suborder Vermilingua (meaning "worm tongue"), commonly known for eating ants and termites. The individual species have other names in English and other languages. Together with sloths, they ar ...
,
alpaca
The alpaca (''Lama pacos'') is a species of South American camelid mammal. Traditionally, alpacas were kept in herds that grazed on the level heights of the Andes of Southern Peru, Western Bolivia, Ecuador, and Northern Chile. More recentl ...
, and
rhea.
Flamingo
Flamingos or flamingoes () are a type of wading bird in the family Phoenicopteridae, which is the only extant family in the order Phoenicopteriformes. There are four flamingo species distributed throughout the Americas (including the Caribbe ...
s are housed next to this exhibit.
;Aviary
:The "Marie Osterbuhr Aviary" was opened in 1985. It includes a large open air flight cage that is home to the
kookaburra
Kookaburras (pronounced ) are terrestrial animal, terrestrial tree kingfishers of the genus ''Dacelo'' native to Australia and New Guinea, which grow to between in length and weigh around . The name is a loanword from Wiradjuri language, Wira ...
s,
Mandarin duck
The mandarin duck (''Aix galericulata'') is a perching duck species native to the East Palearctic. It is Sexual dimorphism, sexually dimorphic – the males are elaborately coloured, while the females have more subdued colours. It is a medium- ...
s,
doves, as well as four indoor displays that are home to species including
Bearded barbets.
;Cat Canyon
Cat Canyon opened in 2012 and houses the zoo's
cougar
The cougar (''Puma concolor'') (, ''Help:Pronunciation respelling key, KOO-gər''), also called puma, mountain lion, catamount and panther is a large small cat native to the Americas. It inhabits North America, North, Central America, Cent ...
s,
jaguar
The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large felidae, cat species and the only extant taxon, living member of the genus ''Panthera'' that is native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the biggest cat spe ...
s, and
bobcat
The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the wildcat, bay lynx, or red lynx, is one of the four extant species within the medium-sized wild cat genus '' Lynx''. Native to North America, it ranges from southern Canada through most of the c ...
s.
;Pachyderms
:The Pachyderm exhibit housed
African bush elephant
The African bush elephant (''Loxodonta africana''), also known as the African savanna elephant, is a species of elephant native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of three extant elephant species and, along with the African forest elephant, one ...
s. The two elephants currently at the zoo arrived in 2006. The elephants were moved to the
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in
Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs is the most populous city in El Paso County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 478,961 at the 2020 census, a 15.02% increase since 2010. Colorado Springs is the second-most populous c ...
in 2015.
;Down Under
:Down Under is home to the zoos Australian animals, including
emu
The emu (; ''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is a species of flightless bird endemism, endemic to Australia, where it is the Tallest extant birds, tallest native bird. It is the only extant taxon, extant member of the genus ''Dromaius'' and the ...
s and a breeding herd of
red kangaroo
The red kangaroo (''Osphranter rufus'') is the largest of all kangaroos, the largest terrestrial mammal native to Australia, and the Largest mammals#Marsupials (Marsupialia), largest extant marsupial. It is found across mainland Australia, exce ...
.
;African Plains
:The African Plains area consists of two large open yards designed to look like the African Savannah, and includes
addax
The addax (''Addax nasomaculatus''), also known as the white antelope and the screwhorn antelope, is an antelope native to the Sahara Desert. The only member of the genus ''Addax'', it was first described scientifically by Henri de Blainvil ...
, and
East African crowned cranes. This section also includes
reticulated giraffe
The reticulated giraffe (''Giraffa reticulata'' or ''Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata'') is a species/subspecies of giraffe native to the Horn of Africa. It is differentiated from other types of giraffe by its coat, which consists of large, p ...
s, an
eastern black rhinoceros crash, and
lion
The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...
s.
;Wild Asia
:The Wild Asia exhibit opened in 1998, and includes
siamang
The siamang (, ; ''Symphalangus syndactylus'') is an endangered arboreal, black-furred gibbon native to the forests of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. The largest of the gibbons, the siamang can be twice the size of other gibbons, reaching i ...
s,
red panda
The red panda (''Ailurus fulgens''), also known as the lesser panda, is a small mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It has dense reddish-brown fur with a black belly and legs, white-lined ears, a mostly white muzz ...
s,
Bactrian camel
The Bactrian camel (''Camelus bactrianus''), also known as the Mongolian camel, domestic Bactrian camel or two-humped camel, is a camel native to the steppes of Central Asia. It has two humps on its back, in contrast to the single-humped drome ...
s,
snow leopard
The snow leopard (''Panthera uncia'') is a species of large cat in the genus ''Panthera'' of the family Felidae. The species is native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because ...
s,
Amur leopards,
goral,
takin
The takin (''Budorcas taxicolor''; ), also called cattle chamois or gnu goat, is a large species of ungulate of the subfamily Caprinae found in the eastern Himalayas. It includes four subspecies: the Mishmi takin (''B. t. taxicolor''), the golde ...
, a pair of
sloth bears, along with an Asian farm that includes
sheep
Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to d ...
, and
chicken
The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated subspecies of the red junglefowl (''Gallus gallus''), originally native to Southeast Asia. It was first domesticated around 8,000 years ago and is now one of the most common and w ...
s.
;Locomotive
:An old
Garden City Western Railway steam locomotive is on static display behind the Snack/Gift Shop and across the Drive-In Entrance/Kiosk.
Gallery
Image:Lee Richardson Zoo entrance, Garden City, KS IMG_5931.JPG, Walking entrance to Lee Richardson Zoo
Image:Grizzly bear at Lee Richardson Zoo, Garden City, KS IMG_5926.JPG, Sloth bear
Image:Rare bird at Lee Richardson Zoo, Garden City, KS IMG_5914.JPG, Bearded barbet
References
External links
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Zoos in Kansas
Buildings and structures in Finney County, Kansas
Tourist attractions in Finney County, Kansas
Educational organizations established in 1927
Zoos established in the 1920s
1927 establishments in Kansas