Hogle Zoo

History

The zoo has been at its present location at the mouth of Emigration Canyon since 1931 on land donated by Mr. and Mrs. James A. Hogle. Its original location was in Salt Lake City's Liberty Park. In 1936, the zoo purchased Princess Alice, an elephant, from a traveling circus. She gave birth to the first elephant born in Utah. His name was Prince Utah and he died at eleven months old. Current exhibits include various birds, mammals, and reptiles from around the world.

The zoo is owned by the city of Salt Lake City, and is supported through tax dollars and private donations raised by the Utah Zoological Society.

Affiliations

Hogle Zoo is accredited by the Association for Zoos and Aquariums. Only 10 percent of American zoos are accredited by the AZA. As part of the AZA, Hogle Zoo must abide by strict husbandry, education, and guest service requirements. The AZA has to approve any exhibits the zoo wants to create. It even has to approve the enrichment and food that is given to the animals. All the animals in AZA zoos are technically "owned" by the AZA. Animals are only moved within other AZA zoos.

Most of the animals at Hogle Zoo have a Species Survival Plan, which is run under the AZA, and ensures genetic diversity for certain species. The SSP pairs animals together for mating based on their hereditary and gene pool. For example, Nabu and Baron, Hogle Zoo’s female and male lions, were paired by the Lion Species Survival Plan. They were given the "okay" to mate by the SSP, because they had different genes, insuring genetically diverse offspring. This resulted in the birth of the zoo's lion cubs in 2016. The majority of animals with Species Survival Plans are animals that are near the threat of endangerment or near the threat of extinction.

Breeding success and plans

The zoo has had many births over the years. From giraffes to orangutans the zoo has had it all. The zoo participates in SSPs (Species Survival Plans), meaning they cannot breed just any animal. They must be approved by an SSP. So they have many breeding plans. Here are a few.

Recent births

Zuri: Zuri is an African elephant born on August 10, 2009, to the zoo's other female, Christie. Zuri was born through Artificial Insemination to Jackson, a male at the International Conservation Center. After three attempts, Christie became pregnant in February, 2009. Zuri is now 7 years old and lives at the zoo with her mother Christie in Elephant Encounter.

Jamar: Jamar was a reticulated giraffe born on July 30, 2009, to parents Kipenzi and Riley. On March 28, 2010, he died due to "Failure to Thrive" at the age of 8 months.

Himal: Himal is a snow leopard born on May 7, 2009, to parents Nema and Himesh. In May 2010, Himal was transferred to the Denver Zoo for breeding purposes.

Bronevik, Krill, and Vikenti: The male Amur tiger triplets were born on June 2, 2009, to parents Basha and Kazek. Since then the cubs have been relocated to different zoos around the world.

Chimeegui: Chim is a snow leopard born on April 16, 2012, to Nema and Himesh. Chim resides at the zoo today.

Anuli: Anuli is a female reticulated giraffe born at the zoo on September 16, 2012, to Kipenzi and Riley. Anuli has since moved to the Maryland Zoo.

Tuah: Tuah is a Bornean orangutan born on November 4, 2014, to Eve and Eli. Before Tuah was born his father Eli died from breast cancer, and his mother, Eve, died from birth complications not too long after Tuah was born leaving him an orphan. Tuah was turned over to his sister Acara who has raised Tuah. The two still reside at the zoo today.

Willow: Willow is a reticulated giraffe born on January 13, 2016, to Pogo and Riley. Willow resides at the zoo today with her parents and another female.

Brutus, Titus, and Calliope: The three African lion cubs were born on February 24, 2016, to Nobu and Baron. Boys Brutus and Titus and they're sister Calliope still live at the zoo today.

Exhibits

All exhibits must be passed by voters in order for construction to begin. This is because the city's tax dollars pay for the renovations.

Primate Forest

The A. LaMar Farnsworth Primate Forest opened to the public in June 1997. The exhibit was named after the former zoo director, A. LaMar Farnsworth, who served as director for 33 of his 45 years at the zoo. The exhibit, which cost $400,000 to construct, replaced the old concrete Monkey Island exhibit. Primate Forest offers lush, naturalistic landscapes for several species of primates. It featured three outdoor exhibits and two indoor exhibits.

When it first opened, the exhibit featured capuchin, colobus, and spider monkeys. Today Primate Forest is home to four species of primates. The exhibit houses two colobus monkeys, Razi and his father Henry. It is also home to two howler monkeys, two spider monkeys, and a female Schmidt's guenon.

Great Ape Building

Hogle Zoo's Great Ape Building was built in the mid-1960s. It was designed to have space for two or three species of apes. At most the building has housed three species, including western lowland gorillas, chimpanzees, and Bornean orangutans. The exhibit features four indoor exhibits and two large outdoor exhibits.

Today the zoo is home to three western lowland gorillas and three Bornean orangutans. The leader of the gorilla troop is a male named Husani, who came to Hogle Zoo in 2010 from the Birminham Zoo. He leads two females, JoRayk and Jabali, a mother and daughter pair, who came to the zoo in 2011 from the Denver Zoo.

The zoo is also home to three Bornean orangutans, including a female orangutan named Acara and her brother Tuah. Acara and Tuah were both born at the zoo; however, both of their parents died in 2014, leaving them orphans. In the fall of 2016, a male orangutan named Mia came to Hogle Zoo from the Greenville Zoo in order to be a companion to Acara.

Small Animal Building

The Small Animal Building was built in the 1970s. The building itself features four different ecosystems, including a Tropics Zone, Temperate Zone, Desert Zone, and Rainforest Aviary. Other animal exhibits can be found outside of the Small Animal Building.

The building features various reptiles, amphibians, and small mammals and birds. Some of the main animal highlights include the sand cat, bat-eared foxes, and African crested porcupines. The zoo has established burrowing owl and titi monkey families in the Small Animal Building. The building is also home to rare species like Siamese crocodiles and black-footed cats. Outside the building, guests can see the zoo's wolf exhibit and summer exhibits for reptiles and birds.

Elephant Encounter

Elephant Encounter opened in 2005, and was the first major exhibit that was a part of the zoo's master plan. The exhibit features white rhinoceroses, George and Princes; and African elephants, Christie and her daughter Zuri. George and Princess are half siblings who share the same father. They came to the zoo from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Zuri was born in 2009 to Christie. The elephants enjoy a 110,000-gallon pool in their exhibit. Visitors can view the rhinos from several vantage points, including an artificial kopje. A nearby thatched-roof building, the Convergys African Lodge, displays interpretive items such as elephant bones and a rhinoceros hide to educate visitors about pachyderm conservation.

Asian Highlands

In June 2006, this exhibit opened with the theme of an Himalayan Village. It is home to Amur tigers, Kazek and Cila; Amur leopards, Dmitri and Zeya; Pallas' cats, Patenka and Hal; Siberian lynx, Lenoid and Koyla; and snow leopards, Nema, Chim, and Kisa.

Breeding success

Asian Highlands has had many successful births. On May 7, 2009, a male snow leopard cub named Himal was born to parents Nema (mother) and Himesh (father). Himal has since moved to another zoo and has fathered a cub himself. On April 16, 2012, another male snow leopard cub was born to Nema. He was named Chimeegui. In 2013, Kisa came to Hogle Zoo from the Denver Zoo in order to mate with Chimeegui. They have not produced any offspring.

On June 2, 2009, three male Amur tiger cubs were born to mother Basha and father Kazek. The cubs, named Bronevik, Kiril, amd Vikenti, and Basha have since moved to different zoos. In 2015, Cila, a female Amur tiger, came to Hogle Zoo in hopes she would mate with Kazek and have a litter of her own.

Hogle Zoo hopes their female Amur leopard, the rarest big cat in the world, Zeya, will mate with their male leopard Dimitri.

The zoo's male Pallas cat Petanka was introduced to a female named Hal from a zoo in Japan in late 2016. This move was arranged by the Species Survival Plan. Hogle Zoo hopes to have Pallas cat kittens in 2017. This will be the first time the zoo will have Pallas cat kittens born in the zoo's history.

It is important to breed these endangered cats in order to keep their species alive.

Rocky Shores

Rocky Shores opened in 2012 and features a variety of animals including Nick and Nellie, a loving pair of river otters from Wisconsin. Sam and Betsy, the two bald eagles who are were unable to return to the wild due to injuries that occurred in the wild. Three energetic harbor seals from L.A., Hudson, Mira and Nika. Maverick, an outgoing California sea lion from California. Diego, a friendly California sea lion from Indianapolis. Rizzo a playful polar bear from Cincinnati. And three rambunctious grizzly bears siblings from Yellowstone.

African Savanna

Giraffes at the Hogle Zoo African Savanna opened to the public in early May 2014. The exhibit features two sections, the Grassland and Lion's Hill.

The Grasslands are home to the zoo's African hoofstock and birds. The exhibit features a breeding group of giraffes, three zebras, guinea fowl, and ostriches. On January 13, 2016, one of the zoo's female giraffes, Pogo, gave birth to a female giraffe named Willow. Riley, the zoo's only male giraffe, sired the calf. Willow was the seventeenth giraffe birth at Hogle Zoo, but she was the first birth in the zoo's new savanna exhibit. The zoo is also home to female Kipenzi. In April 2016, the zoo announced Kipenzi's pregnancy. On December 28, 2016, Kipennzi gave birth to a female named Akki. Akki was born small, grew slowly and died despite intensive medical therapy. She died on January 18, 2017. Guests can view the grassland animals from Twiga Terrace. Twiga Terrace gives visitors great views of the Grasslands, Lions' Hill, and the Rocky Mountains. The zoo offers giraffe feeding opportunities during the summer at Twiga Terrace. The zoo also has a herd of Hartmann's mountain zebras. The zoo has three zebras, females Zoey and Ziva, along with male Ziggy. The zebras were the first in the Grasslands. The zoo does have plans to breed the zebras in the future. The zoo also houses three male ostriches. A father and his two sons. Their names are Red, Blue, and Yellow.

Lion's Hill is home to the zoo's lion pride. Before the opening of Lion's Hill, Hogle Zoo hadn't had lions in a decade. The two brothers, Baron and Vulcan, came to Hogle Zoo from the Birmingham Zoo in Alabama. The two sisters, Sela and Nobu, came to Hogle Zoo from the Woodland Park Zoo in Washington. On February 24, 2016, three lion cubs, two males and a female, were born to parents Nobu and Baron. Their names are Brutus, Titus, and Calliope. They were the first lion cubs in 27 years. They made their public debut on May 16, 2016.

Current news

Famous animals

The zoo has had many famous animals in its collection since it opened in Liberty Park in 1911.

Princess Alice

Princess Alice, a female Asian elephant, was the zoo's most famous and biggest attraction during the early 1900s. She came to the zoo, which at the time was located in Salt Lake City's Liberty Park, in 1916. Schoolchildren donated nickels and pennies to raise $3,250 to buy Princess Alice from a traveling circus called Sells-Floto Show Company. She was a big hit among Utahns. In 1917, a year after her arrival, the zoo built a building to house her in. Princess was the biggest draw for the small Salt Lake City zoo.

On April 29, 1918, Princess Alice gave birth to a male named Prince Utah. Utahns were thrilled with the news as he was the first elephant to be born in Utah. However, he died a year later on March 14, due to injuries he suffered after his mother rolled over him.

Utahns were upset after Princess Alice repeatedly broke free from her enclosure. This prompted the zoo to relocate. The Hogle family donated 42 acres of land at the mouth of Emigration Canyon in 1931. In July of that year the zoo built its new elephant building with a safer and larger exhibit for Princess Alice. The building was dedicated to the chiildren of Salt Lake City. The zoo opened later that year on August first. On August 14, 1932, a relief carving of Princess Alice was unveiled. It was donated by J.R. Fox, a local Utah sculptor.

In 1947, Princess Alice went on a rampage throughout the zoo grounds. She ripped up concrete, fountains, and an elm tree. After a few hours, she calmly returned to her exhibit. In 1953, Princess Alice was euthanized after becoming ill at the approximate age of 69. Princess Alice is one of the most famous animals in the zoo's history. She played a vital role in Utah's history as well.

Shasta

Shasta, who was born on May 6, 1948, was one of Hogle Zoo's most famous animals. She was the first liger born in America. Her mother was Daisey, a tiger, and her father was Huey, a lion. The two had been raised together, and that was why the zoo was able to breed them. Shasta weighed just over a pound at birth. However, her mother rejected her, and therefore she was hand raised. Shasta was a huge draw at the zoo. She was the reason for the zoo's success during the mid-1900s. Without her, Hogle Zoo may have gone out of business. Every year, the zoo held birthday parties for her. This drew in large crowds. After she died in 1972, she was sent to a taxidermist to be stuffed. Her body can now be seen at the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum at Brigham Young University. At 24 years, Shasta holds the world record for the longest lived liger in history.

Gorgeous

Gorgeous, a female western lowland gorilla, was one of the zoo's most famous animals. Gorgeous came to Hogle Zoo in 1985 from the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado. She was caught in the wild in 1949, when she was only an infant. Gorgeous was very popular among guests, as she constantly interacted with them. However, Gorgeous lived alone because she did not get along with other gorillas. Therefore, she never had any offspring. In 1990, Gorgeous became world-famous as she was the first gorilla ever to receive cataract surgery. Dr. Allan Crandall, an ophthalmologist at the University of Utah Medical School, performed the surgery and implanted a lens into Gorgeous's eye. Gorgeous died in 1999 at the age of 50, and was the oldest living female gorilla at the time. She died of age related problems. Since Gorgeous was popular among guests and staff, a bronze bust of her was made and displayed near the outside ape exhibits. This statue can still be seen today.

Dari

Dari lived to be the oldest living African elephant in the world. She lived to the age of 55 and died due to age related problems. Dari was loved by guests and staff alike. She was known for her caring attitude toward the other elephants in her herd.

Daphne

Daphne was the oldest living giraffe in the world. She came to Hogle Zoo in 1985 from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. She had five calves at the zoo. Daphne died at the age of 31, which is double the average lifespan for giraffes.

Animal escapes

In 2006, Maddi, an eight-year-old female grey wolf, leaped over an eight-foot fence and escaped from her enclosure. She was out of her enclosure for about an hour until zoo officials could secure her and bring her back into her enclosure. No one was hurt in the incident.

In 2016, Zeya, a four-year-old Amur leopard, climbed through a six by six-inch opening at the top of her enclosure. The sixty-pound endangered cat rested on a beam just outside her enclosure and fell asleep. Zeya was tranquilized and put into a holding area in the zoo's hospital.

Ape attacks and escapes

In 1997, Tino, a 450-pound male western lowland gorilla, attacked and bit Robert Pratt, the zoo's team leader for primates. Tino gained access to a room which Pratt was cleaning after a door was left open. Pratt was knocked down by the gorilla and suffered some bite wounds. Pratt was ok and returned to work soon after the incident.

In 1999, two zookeepers were attacked by three chimpanzees after a man failed to close the gate to their indoor enclosure. Two chimpanzees were shot and killed and a third was contained and was sent to a zoo in Kansas. Both zookeepers were severely injured.

In 2011, four spider monkeys escaped from the outdoor enclosure. The four primates did not travel far and were coaxed back into their exhibit by zookeepers. No one was harmed in the situation.

Conservation efforts

Conservation efforts at Hogle include a reduce, reuse, recycle program, water conservation, and earth-friendly biodegradable products. This zoo's efforts were recognized in 2005 by the Recycling Coalition of Utah, and it received the Thomas A. Martin Utah Recycler of the Year award for a non-profit business.

Following a June 2010 oil spill from an underground Chevron pipeline in Red Butte Creek, 150 to 200 birds, many of them Canada geese, came in contact with the oil and were taken to Hogle Zoo to be cleaned.

The Big Six Program is the Hogle Zoo's biggest conservation program. The program works with six different organizations that are working with six endangered species. The big six animals that are a part of the program include the African lion, Bornean orangutan, polar bear, African elephant, radiated tortoise, and boreal toad.

Animal Giants Complex

In 1981, for the Hogle Zoo's fiftieth anniversary, the Animal Giants Complex was built. The exhibit was built to house the zoo's elephants, Toni, Kali, Twiggy, Dari and Toka, and the white rhinos, Princess and George. Naturalistic outdoor enclosures were not only built for the zoo's pachyderms but also for rheas, ostriches and tortoises. The Animal Giants Complex was renovated for Elephant Encounter, which opened in 2005.

Feline Building

The Feline Building, which opened in 1970, consisted of a series of concrete cages for big and small cats. The building housed lions, tigers, jaguars, a serval, an Arabian wildcat, ocelots, sand cats, black-footed cats, and other cats. In 1995, the cages were renovated. Renovations included fabricated trees, rock work, and recirculating water. Murals were added in 1996. The renovations cost $1,400. In 2005, construction started on Asian Highlands, the renovated Feline Building. Asian Highlands features realistic outdoor habitats for cats of Asia.

Bear Grotto

Bear Grotto was constructed in the late 1950s in the western area of the zoo. The exhibit consisted of two concrete enclosures for the zoo's polar bears. In 2003, when the last of the zoo's polar bears died, black bears went on exhibit in Bear Grotto. The exhibit was torn down in 2010 for the construction of Rocky Shores, an updated exhibit for bears. Rocky Shores saw the return of polar bears.

Discoveryland

In the late 1980s, construction on Discoveryland began. Discoveryland was the first exhibit built at Hogle Zoo to resemble animals' natural habitats. The exhibit displayed animals of the Americas. The exhibit was constructed near the entrance of the zoo. Discoveryland was torn down in order to build the zoo's African Savanna exhibit, which opened in 2014.

Discoveryland was made up of several exhibits and a playground. Its most innovative exhibit was Knoll and Burrow, which featured animals that burrow during the day in outside enclosures. The animals featured included rabbits, black-tailed prairie dogs, skunks, and the once endangered black-footed ferret. Inside the cave portion of the exhibit, visitors could see nocturnal animals like the cacomistle and flying squirrel. The exhibit also featured scorpions, blind cave fish, and a colony of short-tailed leaf-nosed bats. Inside the cave visitors could look through plexiglass to get up-close views of the outdoor enclosures.

Traveling exhibits

The zoo has had many traveling exhibits in its history. Most of them were featured in the zoo's greenhouse, Tropical Gardens.

Tropical Gardens

Tropical Gardens, the zoo's greenhouse, featured several traveling exhibits each summer. Some of the more famous exhibits include Madagascar! (2009), Ghost of the Bayou (2007 and 2008), and Outback Adventure (2002-2004).

Dinosaurs

Hogle Zoo has featured several animated dinosaur exhibitions. The two most recent exhibitions were Zoorasic Park (2011) and Zoorasic Park 2 (2015).

World of the Wild Art Show

Every year during the late winter, the zoo features the World of the Wild Art Show. This indoor exhibition shows animal art by various artists.

Master Plan

Utah's Hogle Zoo is always finding better ways to display animals so that their habitats mimic their natural homes in the wild. In 1998, the zoo began the planning of its ten-year Master Plan. The plan laid out the blueprints for the Main Entrance (1999), the Wildlife Theater (2004), Elephant Encounter (2005), Asia Highlands (2006), and the Conservation Carousel (2008). In 2010, the Master Plan was edited and revised into a thirty-year plan. The edited version laid out the design for African Savanna (2014) and several other future exhibits, discussed below.

Great Ape and Primate Forest Expansion

The Great Ape and Primate Forest Expansion will be the biggest project Hogle Zoo still has to undertake. The project will modernize the exhibit space for the zoo's gorillas, orangutans, and smaller primates. As part of the plan, the zoo hopes to exhibit different species together. For example, the zoo wishes to introduce its colobus monkeys in with the gorilla troop. Another plan combines the zoo's spider and howler monkeys in with other South American species like tapir and capybara. This idea of mixed-species exhibits will not only stimulate the animals, but it will give guests an idea of how these animals live in the wild. Primates and apes travel long distances in the wild. Therefore, another plan for the expansion is to have overhead chutes connect several exhibits to allow the animals to move to different exhibit spaces. This feature would give the animals choice, like they would have in the wild. The Great Ape and Primate Forest Expansion will also allow better viewing opportunities for the guests.

Diversity of Life and Education

The Diversity of Life and Education building will be the zoo's new Small Animal Building. Located where the old Beastro and RendeZoo building are today, the new exhibit will feature the animals from the Small Animal Building as well as new small animals. The current Small Animal Building was built in the 1970s and is dated. The new building will have better space for both animals and guests.

The building will be three-stories high. The first two stories will be dedicated to the animals. The third floor will be used by the education staff. On the south side of the building, there will be a three-story rain forest exhibit featuring free-ranging primates and birds. Other possible exhibits may include a Madagascar exhibit. Funding for the exhibit has already begun and the project is scheduled to be done by 2022.

Flex Exhibit Zone

After the current Small Animal Building is demolished, the zoo will build a new building that will feature traveleing exhibits. When the new Beastro restaurant was built in 2014, the Tropical Gardens exhibit, which featured the zoo's traveling exhibits, had to be destroyed. The new building will be bigger than Tropical Gardens. This will allow for larger traveling exhibits

Asia Expansion

The Asia Expansion will include minor renovations to the current Asian Highlands exhibit as well as construction on more exhibits above Asian Highlands. Better exhibits for the zoo's Asian goats as well as exhibits for other Asian species will be a part of the construction. The construction will also include improvements to the South Pathway.