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The Lincoln Children’s Zoo is a children’s zoo located in Lincoln, Nebraska. Designed specifically for children to experience interactive, up-close encounters with all of the zoo’s animals, Lincoln Children’s Zoo has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).〔(【引用サイトリンク】website=Association of Zoos and Aquariums )〕 With nearly 200,000 visitors each year, Lincoln Children’s Zoo is the third most attended arts and science attraction in Nebraska. The Lincoln Children’s Zoo is a privately funded, 10-acre zoo and is the largest attended zoo per acre in the United States. The zoo is open mid-April to mid-October. Currently, the zoo is home to over 400 animals and over 40 endangered animals, including the Amur leopard and Matschie's tree-kangaroo. ==History== Arnott Folsom began planning for a children's zoo that would allow children to engage and interact with animals with his personal funds in 1959.〔 In 1963, construction on the zoo’s original property of three acres was still taking place but the railroad tracks for the zoo’s train were completed. Folsom had the idea to sell train tickets for a ride on the zoo’s train, then called the “Iron Horse,” to help fundraise to finish construction of the zoo.〔(Lincoln Children's Zoo - Train History )〕 In 1964, Folsom hired a full-time train crew and the train drove approximately 2,800 miles, selling over 150,000 tickets from 1963–1964.〔 Lincoln Children’s Zoo opened on three acres of city land in 1965. The zoo began with about 120 animals, all of which were sold at the end of the season each year. *1973: The zoo hired permanent staff, allowing animals to be kept year-round *1978: Animal Kingdom building opened, making the zoo’s first all-weather exhibit space *1997: New habitats for river otters, spectacled bears, Bactrian camels and gelada baboons. The zoo also welcomed Amur leopards and New Guinea singing dogs for the first time. Stegosaurus Fountain and Zooville Square were remodeled, the education complex and veterinary facility opened and "Zoo School" opened in collaboration with the Lincoln Public Schools. *2001: The Butterfly Pavilion opened and the zoo started planning for Antelope Triangle Park *2002: The name of the railroad was changed from Iron Horse Railroad to ZO&O Railroad and the zoo's original 38-year-old, 2 ft. narrow gauge Chance Rides C.P. Huntington locomotive was replaced by a new C.P. Huntington locomotive 〔 *2003: Season opened with new De Brazza's monkeys, a new home for the zoo's bald eagles and a new children's play area *2004: Camelot Commons Education Center opened, pot-bellied seahorses and a harbor seal were introduced to the zoo *2005: The zoo celebrated its 40-year anniversary and "Dromedary Dock," a feeding station to let visitors feed camels, opened *2008: Stegosaurus Fountain was renovated into Stego’s Big Dig and Laura’s Butterfly Pavilion opened as a permanent home for butterflies *2009: The zoo had reached about 350 animals and had expanded to the current 10 acres *2011: The Humboldt penguin exhibit opened, bringing Humboldt penguins to Nebraska for the first time *2013: Lincoln Children’s Zoo “Iron Horse” train celebrates 50 year anniversary *2014: Animal Encounter Stage was built through funding by the Abel Foundation, giving children daily opportunities to meet and greet some of the zoo’s animals, including a bobcat, a baby alligator and fennic foxes 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Lincoln Children's Zoo」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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