Scovill Zoo in

Decatur, Illinois Decatur ( ) is the largest city in Macon County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. The city was founded in 1829 and is situated along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in Central Illinois. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ...

, is one of 210

zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility where animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zoology, ...

s accredited by the

Association of Zoos and Aquariums The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), originally the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums (AAZPA), is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1924 and dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aqu ...

with 96

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

spanning six continents and around 500

animal Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the Biology, biological Kingdom (biology), kingdom Animalia (). With few exceptions, animals heterotroph, consume organic material, Cellular respiration#Aerobic respiration, breathe oxygen, ...

s in residence. The zoo originally started out as a farm in 1967 when the

Kiwanis Club Kiwanis International ( ) is an international service club founded in 1915 in Detroit, Michigan. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, and is found in more than 80 nations and geographic areas. In 1987, the organization ...

donated money for its construction. Scovill Zoo has its own chapter of the AAZK or American Association of Zoo Keepers. The zoo participates in a large number of conservation projects and education.

History

In 1947, Guy Norman and Rose Scovill donated the property for Scovill Gardens (which now include the Scovill Zoo) to the Decatur Park District. The zoo first opened to the public in Decatur, Illinois in 1967 under the name of Scovill Farm. The Kiwanis Club had donated $14,000 to begin building the farm; initially it housed

pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), also called swine (: swine) or hog, is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is named the domestic pig when distinguishing it from other members of the genus '' Sus''. Some authorities cons ...

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 ...

goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a species of Caprinae, goat-antelope that is mostly kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the ...

s, and other

farm A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used fo ...

animals. Additional donations were obtained to cover construction costs, which totaled $56,000. Scovill Zoo, as it is now called, houses hundreds of animals from nearly one hundred species including

cheetah The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large Felidae, cat and the Fastest animals, fastest land animal. It has a tawny to creamy white or pale buff fur that is marked with evenly spaced, solid black spots. The head is small and rounded, wit ...

gray wolves The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, including the dog and dingo, though grey ...

zebra Zebras (, ) (subgenus ''Hippotigris'') are African equines with distinctive black-and-white striped coats. There are three living species: Grévy's zebra (''Equus grevyi''), the plains zebra (''E. quagga''), and the mountain zebra (''E. ...

s, and

alligator An alligator, or colloquially gator, is a large reptile in the genus ''Alligator'' of the Family (biology), family Alligatoridae in the Order (biology), order Crocodilia. The two Extant taxon, extant species are the American alligator (''A. mis ...

s, along with the original farm animals. On September 25, 2006, Scovill Zoo became one of 210

s recognized by the

. In the spring of 2007, Scovill Zoo created a local chapter of the AAZK or American Association of Zoo Keepers to further education. Scovill Zoo director, Mike Borders, retired in 2008 after serving at Scovill for many years. The current director, Dave Webster has been at the Scovill Zoo for 20 years. Assistant Director Ken Frye came on board in 2009.

Conservation projects

Scovill Zoo places great emphasis on conservation through education and donation of funds to support organizations working to conserve both animal populations as well as the environment.

AAZK chapter

The American Association of Zoo Keepers was formed in 1967 in

San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

, California. It serves as an educational opportunity for zookeepers to learn from one another and continue education. Scovill Zoo formed its own chapter in 2007. The chapter aids in conservation projects such as Bowling for

Rhino A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), famil ...

golden lion tamarin The golden lion tamarin (''Leontopithecus rosalia''; ), less commonly known as the golden lion marmoset, is a small New World monkey of the family Callitrichidae. Endemic to the Atlantic coastal forests of Brazil, the golden lion tamarin is a ...

of Brazil conservation, De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Trust, and the Snow Leopard Trust.

Cheetah conservation

Scovill Zoo's two African cheetahs, Jafari and Runako, were born in Africa before coming to live at Scovill Zoo. Due to threats to their habitat as well as other factors, cheetahs have been placed on the list of threatened species. Scovill Zoo is doing its part to help cheetahs survive by donating five cents of each paid zoo admission. The money collected goes to the De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Conservation Centre.
The money raised by admissions goes to the organization's census study of free-roaming cheetahs in South Africa. The organization uses radio collars and survey farmers to try to gain a better grasp on the number of cheetahs still roaming Africa. With more information, the organization hopes to be able to learn more about where the cheetahs are and help cheetahs and humans coexist more peacefully.

Save a Rainforest

By donating to the Conservation Parking Meter, set up by the Center for Ecosystem Survival, at Scovill Zoo, guests are able to give money to the Rincon Rainforest, which is along the north edge of the eastern part of the Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, in

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

Children's education

"Scovill Zoo’s education programs offer opportunities designed to help animal lovers of all ages explore and discover the animal kingdom through unique and innovative experiences. From our Zoo Academy to our Mobile Zoo, our education programs provide fun, hands-on connections to the animal world", states the Scovill Zoo website. Classes and programs are as follows:Critter Chatter Spring 2009
http://www.decatur-parks.org/zoo/pdf/21.pdf, scovillzoo.com, accessed October 19, 2009.

Features

The Z.O. & O. Express Train The Z.O. & O. Express Train travels a path through the zoo. The passengers receive a guided tour and behind-the-scenes look at some of the animals residing at Scovill Zoo. Originally added in 1984, the train is a modeled after an 1863 C. P. Huntington steam train. The Endangered Species Carousel The

Endangered Species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

Carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (International English), or galloper (British English) is a type of amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders. The seats are tradit ...

consists of 30 hand-carved wooden animals, each representing species protected and

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

. The carousel was designed especially for Scovill Zoo and has proved to be one of the zoo's most popular attractions.

Exhibits

Seasonal adjustments

Because of Illinois' changing

climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in a region, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteoro ...

, Scovill Zoo must make special accommodations for some of the animals in residence.

Summer

Scovill Zoo responds to high rises in temperature during the summer months by using fans, pools, and a variety of frozen treats for their animals. Though each animal is supplied with shade in their habitat, animals with thick fur coats like the wolves can still overheat. Zookeepers often prepare "frozen blood balls" for the wolves out of the drippings of their meat diet. Other animals, such as the pelicans, are misted by keepers or provided with fans and pools.Hot time at the zoo: Shade, water, frozen treats keep animals cool
herald-review.com, August 5, 2007, accessed October 6, 2009.

Winter

The zoo, which closes to the public during the winter months, has made several adjustments to existing habitats and has added new buildings to house animals that are not equipped for the drop in temperature. Acclimated animals such as wolves and cheetahs are allowed to remain in their exhibits all year long; animals from non-acclimated species, such as tropical birds, alligators, and primates, are moved to heated buildings.
scovillzoo.com, November 20, 2007, accessed October 6, 2009. Scovill Zoo is typically open from the start of April until the end of October. Following is a list of animals that can be found at Scovill Zoo:

= Birds

= *

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 ...

* Crane, East African crowned * Conure, sun * Dove, ringed turtle * Duck, call * Duck, crested * Eagle, bald * Egret, cattle *

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 ...

* Flamingo, Chilean * Fowl, guinea * Gull, ring-billed * Hawk, red-tailed * Kookaburra, laughing * Macaw, blue-and-yellow * Macaw, red-and-green * Owl, barn * Owl, great horned * Owl, screech *

Peafowl Peafowl is a common name for two bird species of the genus '' Pavo'' and one species of the closely related genus '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae (the pheasants and their allies). Male peafowl are referred t ...

* Pelican, American white * Pheasant, golden *

Pigeon Columbidae is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with small heads, relatively short necks and slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. ...

* Teal, ringed * Toucan, red billed * Vulture, turkey * Turaco, Lady Ross’ * Penguin, Humboldt

= Fish

= *

Goldfish The goldfish (''Carassius auratus'') is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of the order Cypriniformes. It is commonly kept as a pet in indoor aquariums, and is one of the most popular aquarium fish. Goldfish released into the w ...

= Insects and spiders

= * Cockroach, Madagascar hissing * Scorpion, emperor * Scorpion, plains stripeless *

Tarantula Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,100 species have been identified, with 166 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although ...

= Mammals

= * Bat, Egyptian fruit *

Binturong The binturong (''Arctictis binturong'') (, ), also known as the bearcat, is a viverridae, viverrid native to South Asia, South and Southeast Asia. It is uncommon in much of its range, and has been assessed as Vulnerable species, Vulnerable on th ...

* Camel, Bactrian *

Cheetah The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large Felidae, cat and the Fastest animals, fastest land animal. It has a tawny to creamy white or pale buff fur that is marked with evenly spaced, solid black spots. The head is small and rounded, wit ...

Chinchilla Chinchilla refers to either of two species ('' Chinchilla chinchilla'' and '' Chinchilla lanigera'') of crepuscular rodents of the parvorder Caviomorpha, and are native to the Andes mountains in South America. They live in colonies called "her ...

* Coati, white-nosed *

Cow Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are called co ...

* Deer, tufted * Deer, white-tailed * Degu, common *

Ferret The ferret (''Mustela furo'') is a small, domesticated species belonging to the family Mustelidae. The ferret is most likely a domesticated form of the wild European polecat (''Mustela putorius''), as evidenced by the ferret's ability to inter ...

* Goat, African pygmy * Goat, Nubian * Guinea hog *

Guinea pig The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig (''Cavia porcellus''), also known as the cavy or domestic cavy ( ), is a species of rodent belonging to the genus ''Cavia'', family Caviidae. Animal fancy, Breeders tend to use the name "cavy" for the ani ...

* Hedgehog, African pygmy * Lemur, ring-tailed *

Llama The llama (; or ) (''Lama glama'') is a domesticated South American camelid, widely used as a List of meat animals, meat and pack animal by Inca empire, Andean cultures since the pre-Columbian era. Llamas are social animals and live with ...

Meerkat The meerkat (''Suricata suricatta'') or suricate is a small mongoose found in southern Africa. It is characterised by a broad head, large eyes, a pointed snout, long legs, a thin tapering tail, and a brindled coat pattern. The head-and-body ...

* Monkey, spider * Panda, red * Prairie dog, black-tailed *

Rabbit Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also includes the hares), which is in the order Lagomorpha (which also includes pikas). They are familiar throughout the world as a small herbivore, a prey animal, a domesticated ...

* Tamarin, cotton-top * Tamarin, Geoffroy's * Tamarin, golden lion * Tenrec, lesser hedgehog * Wallaby, red-necked * Wolf, gray * Zebra, Grant's *

Zebu The zebu (; ''Bos indicus''), also known as indicine cattle and humped cattle, is a species or subspecies of Bos taurus, domestic cattle originating in South Asia. Zebu, like many Sanga cattle breeds, differs from taurine cattle by a fatty hump ...

, dwarf

= Reptiles and amphibians

= * Alligator, American *

Axolotl The axolotl (; from ) (''Ambystoma mexicanum'') is a neoteny, paedomorphic salamander, one that Sexual maturity, matures without undergoing metamorphosis into the terrestrial adult form; adults remain Aquatic animal, fully aquatic with obvio ...

Central bearded dragon The central bearded dragon (''Pogona vitticeps''), also known as the inland bearded dragon, is a species of Agamidae, agamid lizard found in a wide range of arid to semiarid regions of eastern and central Australia. Taxonomy ''Pogona vitticeps' ...

Boa constrictor The boa constrictor (scientific name also ''Boa constrictor''), also known as the common boa, is a species of large, non-venomous, heavy-bodied snake that is frequently kept and bred in captivity. The boa constrictor is a member of the Family (b ...

Desert rosy boa The desert rosy boa (''Lichanura trivirgata'') is a species of snake in the family Boidae. The desert rosy boa is native to the American Southwest and Baja California and Sonora in Mexico. The desert rosy boa is one of four species in the boa fa ...

* Boa, smooth sand * Frog, African clawed * Argentine horned frog (PacMan frog) * Frog, poison arrow * Gecko, leopard * Iguana, green * Iguana, rhinoceros * Lizard, glass * Milksnake, Pueblan * Toad, giant marine * Tortoise, Galapagos * Tortoise, leopard * Tortoise, red-footed * Turtle, box * Turtle, map * Turtle, painted *Turtle,

red-eared slider The red-eared slider or red-eared terrapin (''Trachemys scripta elegans'') is a subspecies of the pond slider (''Trachemys scripta''), a semiaquatic turtle belonging to the Family (biology), family Emydidae. Native to the southern United States ...

* Monitor, Argus * Monitor, green tree * Monitor, savannah * Python, Burmese * Python, green tree * Skink, blue-tongued * Snake, corn * Snake, black rat * Snake, yellow rat * Tegu, black and yellow

Notes

External links

* {{authority control Zoos in Illinois Zoos established in 1967 Decatur, Illinois Buildings and structures in Macon County, Illinois Tourist attractions in Macon County, Illinois 1967 establishments in Illinois