Bronx Zoo

Zoo in New York City. It opened in 1899 on 265 acres (107 hectares) in the northwestern area of the Bronx. In 1941 it added the 4-acre (1.6-hectare) African Plains, which features large groups of animals in natural surroundings. The zoo also includes the World of Darkness (the world's first major exhibit of nocturnal animals, added in the 1960s), the World of Birds (a huge, indoor free-flight exhibit), the Rare Animal Range (near-extinct species in natural settings), a Children's Zoo, Wild Asia (Asian mammals and birds), and the Congo Gorilla Forest. Managed by the New York Zoological Society and financed by the society and the city, it supports much research and oversees the Wildlife Survival Center on St. Catherine's Island, Georgia.