The São Paulo Zoo () is the largest zoo in Brazil. With 824,529 m
2 (82.45 hectares
03.7 acres of space in what was originally the
Atlantic Forest, the zoo is south of the city of
São Paulo
São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
.
It displays more than 3,200 animals, 102 species of mammals, 216 species of birds, 95 species of reptiles, 15 species of amphibians and 16 species of invertebrates in enclosures that replicate the natural habitats of these animals. The zoo's farm of 572 ha produces vegetables used in the manufacturing of feed for various animals, and material for the enclosures where the animals are. It also has animals that need extra space for mating.
The zoo has a nursery for cubs who are rejected by their mothers, electric
incubators and an incubation room for eggs of birds and reptiles. The educational function is emphasized in the zoo. Its library of more than four thousand volumes is open to the public. Its partnerships with other state, federal and foreign institutions includes research that facilitates the preservation of endangered species.
History
The São Paulo Zoo was created in June 1957, from a statement of the then governor
Jânio Quadros to the head of the
São Paulo State Secretary of Agriculture's Department of Fish and Game,
Emilio Varoli. The first animals of exotic origin such as lions, camels, bears and elephants, were acquired from private circuses while Brazilian wild fauna animals, such as jaguars and
cock-of-the-rock, were acquired in Manaus.
The opening of the zoo, originally scheduled for January 1958, was postponed due to heavy rains that year, and on 16 March São Paulo Zoo was officially inaugurated featuring 482 animals, including nine
deer
A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) ...
, two spotted
jaguars and one
black jaguar, three
ocelots, two
wild cats, one
bear
Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family (biology), family Ursidae (). They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats ...
, 23
parrots
Parrots (Psittaciformes), also known as psittacines (), are birds with a strong curved beak, upright stance, and clawed feet. They are classified in four families that contain roughly 410 species in 101 genus (biology), genera, found mostly in ...
, three
Spix's macaws, and the rhinoceros
Cacareco, made famous by the episode when it was elected city councilor in the elections of October 1958.
In its first year of operation, zoo admission was free, and from the creation of the Zoological Park of São Paulo, in 1959, they began to charge for tickets.
Present day
The São Paulo Zoo became the first Brazilian institution to propose and engage in various recovery programs of seriously endangered Brazilian species such as the
lion tamarin, small
neotropical
The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone.
Definition
In biogeogra ...
felids,
hyacinth macaw and
Lear's macaws,
European bison
The European bison (: bison) (''Bison bonasus'') or the European wood bison, also known as the wisent ( or ), the zubr (), or sometimes colloquially as the European buffalo, is a European species of bison. It is one of two extant species of bi ...
,
bush dog,
condor
Condor is the common name for two species of New World vultures, each in a monotypic genus. The name derives from the Quechua language, Quechua ''kuntur''. They are the largest flying land birds in the Western Hemisphere.
One species, the And ...
, the only
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 ...
in Brazil and
spectacled bear. Since 1994, the São Paulo Zoo is recognized by the ''
Guinness Book'' as the largest zoo in Brazil. That same year, the Zoological Park of São Paulo was classified in category "E", the highest, from the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (
IBAMA) for environmental management entities and preservation of species. In May 2001, the area next to the zoo which was occupied by the company "Simba Safari" was reincorporated into the Zoological Park of São Paulo. It was reopened to the public as "Zoo Safari" on June 5 of that year, providing tours where one can see the animals in the woods or drive through areas where animals roam.
References
External links
Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sao Paulo Zoo
Zoos in Brazil
1957 establishments in Brazil
Zoos established in 1957
Tourist attractions in São Paulo