The North Carolina Zoo is a zoo in Asheboro, North Carolina, housing 1,700 animals of more than 250 species, primarily representing Africa and North America. It is one of two state-supported zoos in the United States, with the other being the Minnesota Zoo. With developed, it is the world's largest natural habitat zoo. The North Carolina Zoo is a part of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
The Zoo is west of Raleigh, south of Greensboro , and northeast of Charlotte. The zoo is open 363 days a year (closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas) and receives more than 900,000 visitors annually. The North Carolina Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
History
In 1967, the North Carolina legislature created the NC Zoological Garden Study Commission to examine the feasibility of a state zoo. The nine-member commission found that a zoo was both feasible and desirable. Following next year, the North Carolina Zoological Society was formed with the goal of raising funds and public support for the zoo project. The same year, the legislature created the NC Zoological Authority to oversee the project. The site in Randolph County was selected from 6 sites after a 2-year search by the zoo commission, led by State Representative Archie McMillan of Wake County. After the selection of the site, its were donated to the state. A $2-million bond was passed and Governor Robert W. Scott dedicated the site in the spring of 1972. Construction of the North Carolina Zoo began in 1974 with the official opening date of August 13, 1976. The first animals, two Galapagos tortoises arrived in 1973 and an Interim Zoo was opened in 1974.
Ground was first broken for the Africa region in the spring of 1976, and the grand opening of the original five habitats took place in the summer of 1980. Today, it is home to a multitude of habitats, including chimpanzees, giraffes, gorillas, zebras, and elephants.
In 1978, Ham, a chimpanzee who became the first hominid in outer space, was moved to the North Carolina Zoo from the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. He lived there until his death in 1983 from a heart attack.
The Zoo has continued to expand ever since. Throughout the 1980s, the habitats of the African region opened. Additionally, the Zoo in 1984 received accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). In 1993, the first of the North America habitats was completed, home to the animals and habitats of the Sonora Desert. The final North American region opened in 1996.
The Connect NC bond referendum was approved during the March, 2015 primary election. Funds from the bond will be used to construct a new Asia region to attract more than 1 million people a year.
On August 19, 2022, the zoo officially broke ground on the Asia region of the Zoo.
In addition to providing encounters with wild animals living in natural settings, the North Carolina Zoo offers down-to-earth, authentic and memorable ways for North Americans to play and stay together. The Zoo also offers a variety of nature-based, educational programs and camps.
Future plans
On April 1, 2010, the Zoo announced it had acquired adjacent forestland to bring the total land tract to over . The main habitats currently occupy about . The North Carolina Zoo was one of many state facilities to receive money from the Connect NC bond referendum, approved during the March 2015 primary election. In June 2018, the Zoo announced that it is in the final planning stages for two new continents: Asia and Australia. Funds from the Connect NC bond will be used to construct the new Asia region which will include tigers, Komodo dragons, Visayan warty pigs, Asian small-clawed otters, red-crowned cranes, wrinkled hornbills, king cobras and northern white-cheeked gibbons among others. The Zoo broke ground on the Asia Continent expansion in August 2022.
Attractions
The North Carolina Zoo is home to 1,700 animals of more than 200 species. It is home to one of the largest chimpanzee troops of any zoo in America as well as the largest collection of Alaskan seabirds in the country. The Zoo is also one of only a few AZA (Association of Zoos & Aquariums) in the U.S. with a breeding pair of polar bears which is part of the Species Survival Plan. As of 2022, the pair have yet to produce any offspring.
Layout
The North Carolina Zoo consists of Africa, North America, and a global Desert. There are parking lots located on each end of Africa and North America, so, during peak season, visitors can start their day from either side. With approximately five miles of walking paths, the Zoo also provides trams and air-conditioned buses for visitors.