Queens Zoo, New York City

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History

The Queens Zoo in Flushing Meadows Corona Park opened October 26, 1968 on the grounds of the 1964-65 World's Fair. Queens was the last New York city borough to get its own zoo. Former NYC Parks Commissioner Robert Moses, via his Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, was partially responsible for Flushing Meadows Corona Park's transformation from World's Fair site to city park (temporary control of the site had been given to the World's Fair Committee before it reverted to city property). Moses, who as former Parks Commissioner responsible for a large revitalization programme of city parks, playgrounds and zoos, wanted a zoo without any cages, where animals would be separated from onlookers only by moats and lakes. He did cut the ceremonial ribbon.

The 5 hectare zoo featured, right from the beginning, North American animals and birds in naturalistic settings, including bears, bison, wolves, water fowl, raccoons, otters, a coyote, a mountain lion, and an insect house. It has the feeling of a small National Park. The geodesic dome that served as the Winston Churchill Pavilion during the 1964-65 World's Fair, designed by Buckminster Fuller, became an aviary with a spiral walkway and screens that let air circulate through the structure.

In advance of the Zoo's opening, its farm zoo opened February 28, 1968, and allowed city children to experience what it was like to get close to a chicken, goat, cow, or rooster. The farm zoo was renovated along with the rest of the zoo in the early 1990s.

Early on, the zoo was plagued by poor employee training and the city's severe fiscal crisis during the 1970s. In 1979, a little more than ten years after its opening, officials derided the Queens Zoo as a “poor man's zoo” and called attention to the dilapidated condition and underfunding of the zoo. The aviary already had been closed for years, several wolves had been able to evade zookeepers, and the sea lion pool actually was home to only a few beavers. The last of the three city-run zoos to be built, it would soon be completely renovated when the New York Zoological Society (now Wildlife Conservation Society) assumed responsibility of it and the Central Park and Prospect Park zoos. The Queens Zoo reopened to the public on June 25, 1992 after a four-year, 16 million dollar, renovation, redesign, and reconceptualization, being delayed because of a shortage of operating funds. Since then, the zoo is operated by the Wildlife Conservation Society in partnership with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.

Currently, the Zoo is home to animals native to North ánd South America. It is the only one of the five zoos in New York City to exhibit Spectacled bears. In addition, there is a petting zoo with a variety of domestic animals (to be found opposite the Zoo entrance across the park's driveway). Pathways at the zoo lead visitors to pockets of wild habitats, from the Great Plains to a rocky California coast to a Northeast forest. American species on display include American bison, mountain lions, California sea lions, American bald eagles, and Roosevelt elk. One of the Queens Zoo's animal celebrities is “Otis,” a coyote rescued from Central Park in 1999 and still a resident.

The Queens Zoo is part of an integrated system of four zoos and one aquarium managed by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

(Sources: website NYC department of Parks & Recreation; Wikipedia; New York City Zoos and Aquarium by Joan Scheier, 2005)

Visit(s)

17.04.2010

The visit to Queens Zoo was a pleasant surprise. Equal in size as Prospect Park Zoo it offers a better zoo-experience, not only as an escape from the crowded city, but also because of the lush green setting with well situated spacious enclosures. The decision to dedicate this zoo to American native animals adds to the experience, with a coherent animal collection on display.

Straight after the entrance a decision has to be made, turning left or turning right. However, either way brings you to all the enclosures along the pathway that encircles the Zoo that is situated on the 1964-65 World's Fair grounds. The waterfowl marsh exhibit in a naturalistic setting several waterbirds, of which the Trumpeter swan (Cygnus buccinator) honours its name during the visit. A stunning bird is the Ruddy duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) with the male's bill turning bright blue during mating season. Native to North America this duck is an invasive exotic species in Europe, which established itself in a few places already, disturbing native European biodiversity.

The Canadian lynx is exhibited in a naturalistic habitat, as always too small of course, but nevertheless provides enough space for the animal to show natural behaviour. Peace and quiet is created by having only a glass window to observe the sole animal specimen in the enclosure. The same kind of preventive measures have been taken against overexposure to the public at the puma (Puma concolor) enclosure. Both pumas, or cougars as they are called in America, live in a grand multi-level enclosure which is enriched with hide-outs and trees and shrubs. Next in row the snowy owl is housed in a cramped exhibit, which seems absolutely too small for any exercise at all. This is especially striking, because within a stone's throw the beautiful large walkthrough aviary provides ample space for many bird species to fly, feed and nest in this dome-shaped aviary, called the Winston Churchill Pavilion during the World's Fair. At least three great macaws freely navigate the airspace, and Quaker parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus) don't mind having you observe them while mating. Beware, they do this up in a tree, but due to the spiral walkway high above ground-level you have the opportunity to experience bird life from another angle.

The Roosevelt elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti) inhabit a large meadow with a few trees in the centre. The bull of the Roosevelt elk stands five feet tall at the shoulder and weighs up to 1000 pounds, which makes it the largest of the elk species. The four specimen have quite some space to roam around, but like the meadow with bison and Pronghorn antelope, this seems not sufficient when thinking of the enormous plains they have at their disposal in the wild. Moreover, such a meadow is easily too small for the fastest land animal of North America, the Pronghorn antelope. Both the herd of bison and antelope exist of four specimens which does not reflect the herd size in the wild, and could influence the social behaviour of the animals in captivity. The bison are part of the genetic heritage of bison saved from extinction by William Hornaday, together with Theodore Roosevelt, and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).

W hat would be a North American zoo without the coyote (Canis latrans), which invaded New York (the state) in the twentieth century. Coyotes were first spotted in NY-state in 1925. Then, sightings became more frequent, as the animals moved closer and closer to urban areas. Coyotes have even been documented within NY-city limits. The four Queens Zoo coyotes live in a large multi-level enclosure with rocky grounds, grass, bushes and trees. They love to howl at the aeroplanes approaching La Guardia airport. Nextdoor neighbour of the coyotes are the inevitable California sea lions, at least in WCS managed zoos they are.

Of the two Queens Zoo's mammal species to be found in South America only, the Southern pudu (Pudu pudu) looks very lonely in its nice enclosure. The two subspecies of pudu, of which the other is the Northern pudu, are the world's smallest deer. The Southern pudu is 35 to 45 centimeters tall at the shoulder, weighing 6.4 to 13.4 kilograms, while the Northern pudu being 32 to 35 centimeters tall and weighing 3.3 to 6 kilograms. The other southern American mammal, the Andean or Spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus), takes part in the Species Survival Plan Programme (SSP) of the AZA. The two specimens inhabit a beautiful enclosure, the only one to be really bar-less according the Hagenbeck principle. The moat is without water, but will not allow the bears to escape. The enclosure is big enough for the bears to disappear around the corner. Furthermore, they can hide in caves, and the enclosure is enriched with a pool and several trees to climb.

The other SSP species is the thick-billed parrot (Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha), which is housed in a big aviary. These parrots are endangered, because of extensive logging of their habitat. The aviary allows them to fly around, and provides a good environment to study the birds' natural behaviour, which gives access to information required to save these parrots from going extinct, hopefully.

A special couple are the two Bald eagles, Mel and Claire. Bald eagles are lifelong partners, and during the time of visit they are brooding. These two birds are housed in a fully open enclosure with no measures at all to keep them inside. I suppose their wings are clipped.

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Andean bear conservation

Since autumn 2015 Queens Zoo is home to a new female Andean or spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus), the only bear species endemic to South America.

Andean or Spectacled bear at Queens Zoo, New York. Photo Credit: Julie Larsen Maher © WCS.

The new bear, Nicole, is almost three years old. She shares a habitat with Bouba, a male Andean bear that arrived at the zoo from Bioparc de Doué-la-Fontaine (France) in 2013.

Ex-situ conservation
The Queens Zoo brought these two bears together as part of the Species Survival Plan (SSP), a cooperative breeding programme designed to enhance the genetic viability and demographic stability of animal populations in zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

With only a handful of breeding pairs of Andean bears in all of the United States, pairing Nicole and Bouba up in Queens is an important addition to the breeding population these bears in the United States

“The addition of Nicole to the bear habitat brings an excitement to the exhibit that our guests will surely enjoy,” said Silver.

Andean bears in the wild
Andean bears are native to the slopes and lowlands of the Andean mountains in Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia. Wild populations are declining due to habitat loss and hunting. The species is classified as Vulnerable by the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species™. The species is also referred to as the spectacled bear because some individuals have white markings around their eyes that resemble eyeglasses.

In-situ conservation
WCS conducts research on Andean bears across Latin America, from Ecuador to Venezuela. Throughout these countries, WCS aims to develop local capacity to conserve the habitat of the Andean bear and mitigate a variety of threats to them, including human-wildlife conflict and habitat destruction for agriculture.

WCS's Andean bear conservation work is made possible by generous contributions from the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo through the Andean Bear Conservation Alliance, along with other supporters

(Source: WCS news release, 06.11.2015)

New England cottontail conservation

New England cottontail rabbit conservation

The New England cottontail rabbit breeding programme of WCS's (Wildlife Conservation Society) Queens Zoo is a successful example of how zoos can be part of in-situ conservation on a small local scale. Just recently, October 2015, Queens Zoo has released several litters of young, zoo-born New England cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus transitionalis) into the wild of New Hampshire and Rhode Island, two of their native states in the New England region of the U.S.

The Queens Zoo started breeding New England cottontails this year (2015) as part of a collaborative effort with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), various state agencies in New York and New England, universities, public and private landowners, other conservation NGOs, and the Roger Williams Park Zoo (Providence, R.I.) to boost the wild population. The Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the New England cottontail as Vulnerable. In the U.S. the rabbit was recently reviewed for listing as “threatened” or “endangered” under the federal Endangered Species Act. But the USFWS found that federal protection was unnecessary, as current conservation efforts have shown productive results, and ongoing plans are in place to recover the species.

Native and non native cottontail species
New England cottontails have light brown coats and look strikingly similar to the more populous eastern cottontail rabbit, which is designated Least Concern by the IUCN. The eastern cottontail is not native and was introduced to the region in the early 1900s primarily for hunting purposes. DNA analysis is the most reliable way to distinguish between the two species.

The New England cottontail is an example of a species that can be saved if enough people and organizations come together to help protect it.

“We're proud to be part of this amazing coalition of agencies and the Roger Williams Park Zoo dedicated to conserving this ecologically important animal,” said Silver.

Captive breeding enrichment
The Queens Zoo's breeding programme takes place in an off-exhibit space and the rabbits are not on exhibit for public viewing. Special habitats and conditions have to be created to encourage courtship and breeding. The adult males and females are initially kept in their own enclosures, and then introduced in specially designed rabbit pens where they get to know each other and hopefully reproduce. These pens have hay beds, nest boxes, and other features so they can pair up or separate much as they would in the wild. After a week of living together, the rabbits are separated, and each one goes back to its own enclosure. These environmental variations are important to the regular reproductive cycle of the species.

Breeding success
This season, 11 young rabbits - known as kits - were born at the Queens Zoo and sent to New Hampshire and Rhode Island where biologists from the partnering agencies first introduced them to a 0.4 hectare outdoor acclimatisation pen. Once ready, they were fully released into suitable forest and thicket-lined habitats.
Said Jim Breheny, WCS Executive Vice President and General Director of WCS Zoos and Aquarium: “In only a few short months, the Queens Zoo's new New England cottontail breeding programme has proven successful. The WCS zoos and aquarium inspire people to value nature when they visit our facilities, but we also have a commitment to conservation through our extensive on-site breeding programmes for both local and global species that are experiencing challenges in the wild.”

Partners for a popular bunny - Restoring native New England cottontail:

(Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service YouTube channel)

Conservation strategy and cottontail population
New England cottontails need young forests with dense thickets, and brushy areas to survive and rear young, but many of these habitats have disappeared in the rabbits' native New England. The species' range decreased 86 percent since the 1960s as young forest habitat disappeared due to development and remaining forests matured with more tree cover and less protective thicket needed for New England cottontails. Human suppression of forest fires, beaver activity, and other natural processes further reduced forest succession and suitable rabbit habitat. Because of this dramatic decline in its population, state wildlife agencies listed the species as locally endangered or a species of special concern throughout parts of New England. A robust conservation strategy has halted the decline and allowed the rabbit to rebound in certain areas of its range. The sustained collaborative conservation effort will not only benefit New England cottontails but will also help support populations of many other at-risk native mammals, birds, and reptiles that are also struggling due to loss of young forest habitat. More information about the New England cottontail can be found here.

(Source: WCS press release, 19.10.2015)

From World's Fair to World's Fowl

Queens Zoo Aviary anniversary

The Wildlife Conservation Society's Queens Zoo celebrates the history of its Aviary, because the Queens Zoo's geodesic dome aviary was originally built for the 1964 World's Fair.

A piece of the 1964 World's Fair lives on at the Wildlife Conservation Society's Queens Zoo. The geodesic dome that houses the zoo's aviary was an original structure on display during the historic exposition held in Flushing Meadows Corona Park 50 years ago this month.

The dome first served as the Winston Churchill Pavilion during the 1964 World's Fair. At the close of the fair, the dome was dismantled and placed in storage for a few years. It wasn't until 1968, when Robert Moses commissioned for a zoo to be built on the old fair grounds, that the dome would be rebuilt and repurposed, becoming the aviary it is today.

“Over the years, I can't tell you how many people have related their memories of the '64 World's fair to me when they see the aviary,” said Scott Silver, Animal Curator and Director of the Queens Zoo. “Something about its iconic shape seems to trigger memories about the fair, and I have heard many wonderful stories about it as a result.”

The aviary is now home to many species of birds native to North and South America, including parrots, cattle egrets, pintail ducks, and more. In the warmer months, macaws, a species of parrot, join the other birds in the aviary. Some of the macaw species on exhibit in the aviary include blue and gold macaws, scarlet macaws, and hyacinth macaws - the world's largest parrots.

The aviary has undergone several internal changes since the Queens Zoo came under the management of the Wildlife Conservation Society in 1992. Streams, elevated pools, and a waterfall have been added to better replicate a natural forest habitat. The winding walkway that ascends from the forest floor to the treetops at its apex has also been refurbished.

The geodesic dome was made famous by architect and designer Buckminster Fuller. It was hailed as one of the lightest, strongest, and most cost-effective structures ever conceived. Despite being one of the largest single-layer structures of its time, standing at 175-feet-wide, it took only about a week to erect.

Though the aviary is the only structure on the Queens Zoo's grounds that was used during the 1964 World's Fair, the zoo is surrounded by several landmarks from the fair, including the Unisphere, observation towers, and the New York State Pavilion.

(Source: WCS press release, 21.04.2014)

Endangered species