Mill Mountain Zoo

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Mill Mountain Zoo


Date opened	July 4, 1952^[1]
Location	Roanoke, Virginia, United States
Coordinates	37°16′45.768″N, 79°56′10.8666″W
Number of Animals	Zoo: 85^[1] 3 Endangered Species^[1]
Accreditations/ Memberships	AZA
Website

The Mill Mountain Zoo is a zoo located atop Mill Mountain in Roanoke, Virginia. Originally opening in 1952, the zoo was operated by the City of Roanoke for its first 24 years of existence.^[2] In 1976, the city turned its operation over to the Roanoke Jaycees. The Jaycees would subsequently operate the zoo through 1988 when its operation was placed into the hands of the non-profit Blue Ridge Zoological Society (BRZS).^[2] The BRZS today still serves as the operator and fund-raising mechanism for the zoo and its operations.^[3]

The zoo received its initial accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) in 1995.^[4] In September 2007, its accreditation was reviewed and extended through 2011.^[4]

1 History
2 Attractions and notable animals
3 References
4 External links

[edit] History

With its location atop Mill Mountain not being conducive to a major expansion, a proposal developed in 1984 to relocate the zoo to a 400-acre (1.6 km²) tract adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway as the Blue Ridge Zoo.^[5] This proposal was later abandoned in favor of the development of Virginia's Explore Park at the location originally proposed for the zoo.^[5] After the failed relocation proposal, the Blue Ridge Zoological Society voted in 1988 to have the zoo permanently located atop Mill Mountain.^[6] As part of this decision, a 10-year master plan called Zoo 2001, was completed in 1991, with some of its suggestions successfully implemented over the course of the next decade.^[6]

[edit] Attractions and notable animals

The following are some of the more notable animals to be housed at the zoo:

Frump Frump - Was an African elephant donated to the zoo from a passing circus in 1970. Although she would die just a few months after being placed in the zoo, a record 107,000 visitors passed through the zoo, with many making the trip specifically to see her.^[7]

Ruby - Was a Siberian tiger. She was donated to the zoo by law enforcement officers, who found her being kept illegally as a pet in Danville, Virginia. Ruby was at the zoo from November 1988 until her death on December 10, 2006.

Zoo Choo - Opening with the zoo's opening in 1952, it originally consisted of a gas-powered Model G-16 miniature train engine, two passenger cars and an observation car.^[8] The train would operate continuously at the zoo except between 1994–1996 and 2002. In 2007, it was relocated to the Virginia Museum of Transportation as the zoo looks to purchase a refurbished train from a Florida zoo.^[8]

The zoo is host to 85 animals and 35 different species, including three species on the endangered list, the Red Panda, Snow Leopard and White-naped Crane.^[1]

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Zoo Facts. Mill Mountain Zoo. Retrieved on 2008-04-06.
^ ^a ^b Shamy, Ed; Dwayne Yancey. "These are the Zoo's best and worst of times", The Roanoke Times, September 16, 1990, pp. A1.
^ Zoo Membership. Mill Mountain Zoo. Retrieved on 2008-04-06.
^ ^a ^b Dybdahl, Pete; Dwayne Yancey. "Revamped Roanoke Zoo earns its stripes", The Roanoke Times, September 17, 2007, pp. B1.
^ ^a ^b Yancey, Dwayne. "Ruby making Zoo something to roar about", The Roanoke Times, July 16, 1990, pp. A1.
^ ^a ^b Lu, Kathy. "Proposed zoo renovations leave nothing to Occident", The Roanoke Times, January 17, 2000, pp. C1.
^ Shamy, Ed; Dwayne Yancey. "Small crisis on par for Zoo's 38-year course", The Roanoke Times, September 16, 1990, pp. A1.
^ ^a ^b Cramer, John. "Zoo Choo to take one-way trip", The Roanoke Times, May 5, 2007, pp. B1.