St. Louis Zoo

The unofficial origins of the St. Louis Zoo can be traced to the Flight Cage, a large dome-shaped aviary that was built to showcase many different bird species for the 1904 World's Fair in Forest Park. However, the zoo officially took shape in 1910, when the Zoological Society of St. Louis was founded. The Zoo is now home to more than 14,000 animals from almost 500 different species. In addition to focusing on wildlife conservation and animal care management, the Zoo specializes in scientific research and education, providing naturalistic exhibits and promoting public engagement through community science projects. Historic Hill is the oldest part of the zoo. In addition to the 1904 flight cage aviary, this area includes a Spanish Revival-style Bird House (1920), Primate House (1925), and 'Herpetarium' (1927), a Mediterranean stucco building with a red-tile roof that houses reptiles and amphibians. The St. Louis Zoo is one of the only zoos in the U.S. to offer free admission.

The St. Louis Zoo had its unofficial beginning with the construction of a walk-through aviary, or 'flight cage,' at the 1904 World's Fair held in Forest Park. The huge, dome-shaped aviary was commissioned by the Smithsonian Institution as a display exhibit space for different types of living birds. After the 1904 World's Fair ended, civic leaders and wildlife conservationists in St. Louis advocated for the structure to remain within the city. Their efforts were successful, and the City was able to purchase the aviary for $3,500, although it initially cost $17,000 to construct. Thereafter, the Zoological Society of St. Louis was founded in 1910, marking the official start of the St. Louis Zoo.

George Vierheller was one of the Zoo's earliest and longest serving administrators. He served as the director for forty years from 1922 to 1962. Sharing his enthusiasm for his work, Vierheller stated that "there are two things a lively city needs: a good zoo and a good baseball team." During his tenure, he helped the Zoo achieve world-wide acclaim. He viewed the Zoo as a place for entertainment as much as for conservation science and education.

In the mid-twentieth century, activities at the Zoo such as elephant, lion, and chimp shows were mainly geared for entertaining the public. Animals sometimes appeared in costume, and shows were performed on-site in addition to being recorded for newsreels that were shown in movie theaters around the world. At the time, the retirements or deaths of animal 'stars' were reported like celebrities, while human celebrities such as Babe Ruth and Red Skelton made visits to the Zoo to see the animal shows performed live. Some of these activities have since been modified or are no longer practiced today.

Charles H. Hoessle served as the Zoo's director from 1982 - 2002. During his tenure, he phased out most of the live animal shows. The Zoo has discussed how its philosophy has evolved to reflect a more nuanced understanding of the animals within its care, including a deeper awareness of animals as complex emotional beings. Today, when the Zoo does host live animal demonstrations, it does so in a manner which seeks to promote respect for animals.

The St. Louis Zoo also now includes an Institute for Conservation Medicine, which promotes "a holistic approach to wildlife conservation, public health, and sustainable ecosystems." The Institute is working to address the growing risk of infectious diseases which can spread between animals, such as avian influenza, or which can be transmitted from animals to humans. The Institute also focuses its conservation efforts on endangered, threatened, and at-risk animals in the wild.

Additionally, the Zoo works to promote awareness and engagement of the public in community science projects in order to gather new data about animal populations in the wild. One such program, 'Frog WatchUSA,' is a long-term community science that involves monitoring frogs and toads in local communities. Volunteers can help to prevent amphibian declines by participating in this program each spring from anywhere throughout the country.

About the zoo, St. Louis Zoo. Accessed November 18th, 2022. https://www.stlzoo.org/about

History, St. Louis Zoo. Accessed November 18th, 2022. https://www.stlzoo.org/about/history.

Errebhi, Ala. Zootoberfest kicks off at St. Louis Zoo. Fox 2 News, Sunday, October 2nd, 2022. Accessed November 18th, 2022. https://fox2now.com/news/missouri/st-louis-zoo-hosts-zootoberfest-today/.

Charles H. Hoessle Herpetarium, St. Louis Zoo. Accessed November 18th, 2022. https://www.stlzoo.org/visit/thingstoseeanddo/historichill/herpetarium.