Dickerson Park Zoo

Dickerson Park Zoo is a zoological park situated in Springfield, Missouri that has in excess of 500 creatures that address 160 distinct species. It is a licensed individual from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) beginning around 1986.

Dickerson Park was set up by the Springfield Park Board in 1922 and created with the guide of Works Progress Administration (WPA) work and assets during the 1930s. From that point until the 1970s, very little turn of events or backing happened, and by 1975, the zoo became once-over. It was very nearly being shut, however a responsibility was made by the City of Springfield, and a care group was made known as Friends of the Zoo, to save the zoo.

The Friends association fostered an enrollment base, sent off instruction programs and accumulated help from contributors for new tasks and enhancements. The City of Springfield submitted financial plan dollars and organized an affirmation charge to assist with balancing costs.

The zoo’s central goal had the destinations of propelling diversion, schooling, protection and exploration. An all-inclusive strategy, embraced in 1985, imagined another zoo, with geographic subjects and staged turn of events.

The zoo became associated with Species Survival Plans, most outstandingly Asian elephants, maned wolves and cheetahs. In-house and effort instruction programs were proposed to the local area. The development of the travel industry in the area added to expansions in participation and offered guests to the local area another fascination when visiting the Ozarks.

An update and modification of the all-inclusive strategy for the recreation area was finished in 1996.

On October 4, 2013, the zoo euthanized one of its four elephants, the matron, a 41-year-old female known as Connie (AKA Pinky), who had been experiencing kidney infection and had shed almost 1,000 pounds. Afterward, on October 11, another of the zoo’s elephants named Patience, (who had been accounted for as “reluctant and agreeable” since the demise of its Matriarch,) made an unexpected development and killed the zoo’s head of elephants animal handler John Bradford, age 62, who had been with the zoo starting around 1990. It is felt that Patience, (not understanding the justification for the willful extermination,) may have faulted the head animal specialist for Connie’s passing. The city said no disciplinary move would be made against Patience, adding: The creature won’t be euthanized.