Honolulu Zoo

Honolulu Zoo
Honolulu Zoo
	Main Entrance
	21°16′15″N157°49′09″W/ 21.2709°N 157.8192°W
Location	Honolulu,Hawaiʻi,United States
Land area	42 acres (17 ha)
No.of animals	1,230
Annual visitors	750,000+
Memberships	Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Website	www.honoluluzoo.org

TheHonolulu Zoois a 42-acre (17 ha)zooinQueen Kapiʻolani ParkinHonolulu,Hawaiʻi.It is the only zoo in the United States to be established by grants made by asovereign monarchand is built on part of the 300-acre (121 ha) royalQueen Kapiʻolani Park.The Honolulu Zoo features over 1,230 animals in specially designed habitats.

Over 750,000 people visit the zoo annually. The zoo is administered by the City & County of Honolulu through the Department of Enterprise Services. Its support agency, the Honolulu Zoo Society (HZS), provides program services for the zoo.^[1]The zoo's accredited membership of theAssociation of Zoos and Aquariums(AZA) was dropped in 2016 but reinstated in 2020.^[3]^[4]

History[edit]

Queen Kapi‘olani Park[edit]

In 1876, KingKalākauamade royal lands near the slopes ofLē‘ahiavailable for the establishment of a grand public park for the people of hiskingdom.Two hundred subscribers to the king's project formed the Kapiʻolani Park Association for the purpose of pursuing the mission. In 1877, the marshes, ponds and lagoons in the area were beautified, and it was opened as Queen Kapiʻolani Park in honor ofQueen Kapiʻolani,wife of Kalākaua.

Even as a public park, King Kalākaua continued using the park as a place for his personal collection of exotic birds and horses. The park brought more exotic animals as it staged theKamehameha Daycelebrations and various carnivals and fairs. In 1896, the City & County of Honolulu assumed control of Queen Kapiʻolani Park.

Honolulu Zoo[edit]

In 1915, the City & County of Honolulu appointed Ben Hollinger to be its Administrator of Parks and Recreation, and Queen Kapiʻolani Park came under his control.^[5]Hollinger maintained a fascination with animals and began collecting them to showcase at the park in Waikīkī. The park became home for amonkey,asun bearand severallioncubs. In 1916, a steamship on its way fromAustraliatoCanadapulled into port atHonolulu Harbor.On board was anAfrican elephantnamed Daisy. Hollinger pleaded with the City & County of Honolulu to purchase the elephant, which they did. With the acquisition of the elephant, from live animal traderEllis S. Joseph,Honolulu officially had a zoo. Daisy entertained visitors at the park until 1933, when Daisy was killed byHonolulu Police Departmentofficers after she trampled her trainer, George Conradt, to death.

During theGreat Depression,the Honolulu Zoo was almost shut down for lack of finances. Even through the difficulty, it expanded its collection on November 29, 1949, with the purchase of an elephant, aBactrian camel,sea lions,severalbirdspecies,spider monkeysand atortoise.The Honolulu Zoo continued to operate in disrepair.

In 1974, the Honolulu Zoo accepted a donation of acamel,anelephant,chimpanzeesanddeer.These donations renewed Honolulu's enthusiasm to revive their zoo. The City & County of Honolulu approved a master plan that determined the boundaries of the present 42-acre (17 ha) site at the north end of Queen Kapiʻolani Park. The animal collection, increased by purchase, trade and donations, was housed in newly constructed facilities, some of which still provide foundations for newer exhibits. The facility designs were influenced by the exhibits of theSan Diego ZooinCalifornia.

The Honolulu Zoo experienced another revival of enthusiasm in the 1990s as the exhibits were redesigned to feature more natural settings for the animals on display.

Art[edit]

Art throughout the Honolulu Zoo includes:

Giraffe,a 1959 metal sculpture byCharles W. Watson
Ostrich,a 1960 metal sculpture byCharles W. Watsonno longer exists.
Hawaiian Porpoises,a 1976 metal, fiberglass, and coral sculpture byKen Shutt
Hippopotami,a 1976 chicken wire, cloth, and Belzona resin sculpture by Jack Throp
Elephant's Child,a 1988 bronze sculpture by Tom Tischler
Gecko's Delight,a 1978 wood relief sculpture by John Nippolt
Hawaiian Pigs,a 1976 stone sculpture by Gregory Clurman
Giraffe,a 1998 fiberglass sculpture by Jim de la Torre
Whooping Cranes,a pair of 1998 metal sculptures by Paul Saviskas
Maasai Tribesman,a 1999 metal sculpture by Paul Saviskas
The Evolution of an Island,a 1991 metal mural by Amanda Opsahl

Conservation[edit]

The zoo has worked on conserving native Hawaiian species while also working with other organizations focused on conservation. Conservation has included theKamehameha butterfly,crocodile monitor lizards,birds-of-paradise,African wild dogs,sloths, and thenene,which is the state bird of Hawaii. When only oneAmastra cylindricasnail was found in the wild in 2015, the zoo worked on bringing the numbers of the snail up with over 140 snails reintroduced into the wild.^[6]