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The Pittsburgh Zoo is one of only six major zoo and aquarium combinations in the United States. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's Highland Park, the zoo sits on of park land where it exhibits more than 4,000 animals representing 475 species, including 20 threatened or endangered species. The zoo is no longer an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).〔http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2015/08/17/Pittsburgh-Zoo-PPG-Aquarium-will-drop-membership-in-Association-of-Zoos-Aquariums-over-elephant-handling-policy/stories/201508170157〕 ==History== The Pittsburgh Zoo opened on June 14, 1898, as Highland Park Zoo,〔http://www.brooklineconnection.com/history/Facts/Zoo.html〕 after Christopher Lyman Magee donated $125,000 (about four million dollars when adjusted for inflation) for the construction of a zoological garden in Pittsburgh's Highland Park. Like most other zoos of the time, the Pittsburgh Zoo more closely resembled a menagerie than an actual zoo. However, as time progressed, the animal exhibits eventually became more naturalistic, and the zoo's goal became more focused on conservation. In 1937, the bear exhibits were built under the Works Progress Administration. These exhibits were the zoo's first attempt at constructing more naturalistic exhibits instead of simply displaying animals in cages. In 1949, the Children's Zoo opened with a grant from the Sarah Mellon Scaife Foundation. The Children's Zoo contained interactive exhibits and play areas for children, including a simulated large chunk of cheese that was inhabited by dozens of live mice. In 1967, the AquaZoo, a large aquarium, opened to the public. At the time of its completion, the AquaZoo was the only aquarium in Pennsylvania and the second largest aquarium in the United States. In 1980, the Zoo's Master Plan was put into effect. This plan called for extensive renovations and the construction of more naturalistic exhibits. The Asian Forest, which opened in 1983, was the first area of the zoo that utilized this new philosophy of naturalistic exhibits. The African Savanna was the next area to obtain naturalistic exhibits when it was completed in 1987. 1991 marked the opening of the Tropical Forest, a five-acre indoor rainforest showcasing about 16 species of primate and 150 tropical plant species. That same year, the Children's Zoo was renovated and renamed the Children's Farm. Three petting zoos were built in Children's Farm where children could pet kangaroos, deer, and domesticated animals such as sheep and goats. In 1994, the Pittsburgh Zoo became a private nonprofit organization, owned and operated by the Zoological Society of Pittsburgh. That same year, the Education Complex was built. This new building contained five classrooms, a library, and a 300-seat lecture hall. The construction of this building was an important part of the zoo's history because it signified the zoo's dedication to conservation and education. In 2000, the AquaZoo underwent a $17.4 million renovation, and was renamed the PPG Aquarium. This new aquarium is twice the size of the original AquaZoo. In 2002, the Education Complex was expanded to include a second story, providing more classrooms, teacher resource areas, and an animal holding area. This expansion was made possible by the Scaife Charitable Foundation and by donations from senator Rick Santorum. On November 19, 2002, elephant keeper Mike Gatti was killed by one of the zoo's elephants.〔Belser, Ann, and Marylynne Pitz. "(Elephant kills keeper at Pittsburgh zoo )", the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, published November 19, 2002, accessed December 26, 2007.〕 Gatti, 46, was killed while attempting to encourage the elephant to move to a different part of her enclosure.〔 She butted him with her head, crushing him against the ground and killing him instantly.〔 This was the first instance of a human fatality at the zoo.〔 In 2006, the Pittsburgh Zoo completed Water's Edge, a marine exhibit that allows guests to have close encounters with polar bears, sea otters, and sand tiger sharks.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 author=Pittsburgh Zoo )〕 On November 4, 2012, a two-year-old boy, Maddox Derkosh, who had been sitting on the railing of the African painted dog exhibit, fell off the railing, bounced off protective netting, and fell into the enclosure, resulting in his death. The medical examiner subsequently determined that Maddox was killed by the 11 dogs that attacked him, not by the fall. Zookeepers immediately rushed to the area, firing darts to try and scare the dogs off, and police shot one particularly aggressive dog, which had refused to retreat from the exhibit when called. The other dogs will be quarantined for thirty days but there are not plans to put them down.〔(Pittsburgh Zoo says 2-year-old was killed by dogs, not fall ), LA Times, Matt Pearce, November 5, 2012. “ . . The zoo passed recent inspections and "discouraged" visitors from putting children on such railings, Baker (chief executive ) said, although she did not elaborate on whether there were specific policies or regulations in place. . ”〕〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Child Mauled And Killed At Zoo )〕〔(Zoo officials: Toddler's death in Pittsburgh shows no zoo is 100 percent safe ), NBC News, Andrew Mach, November 7, 2012.〕 The prosecutor, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania District Attorney Stephen Zappala, calling the incident a "tragic accident", has stated he will not charge Maddox's mother, Elizabeth Derkosh, 34, who had lifted the visually impaired boy up on top of the railing to get a better view. He is still investigating whether the Zoo is at fault due to any possible negligence.〔http://news.msn.com/us/mother-avoids-charges-after-dogs-kill-son-at-pittsburgh-zoo-1〕 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「Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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