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The
Riverbanks Zoo and Garden (170 acres) is a large
zooA zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
,
aquariumAn aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
, and
botanical gardenBotanical gardens grow a wide variety of plants primarily to categorize and document for scientific purposes. Botanists and horticulturalists tend the flora and maintain the garden's library and herbarium of dried and documented plant material. Botanical gardens may also serve to entertain and...
located at 500 Wildlife Parkway,
Columbia, South CarolinaColumbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 116,278 according to the 2000 census . Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into Lexington County. The city is the center of a metro area of 728,063...
, USA.
History
Riverbanks Zoo has been listed on the
National Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
since 1973, and dates back to the early 1800s with South Carolina's textile industry and the
American Civil WarThe American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several other names, was a civil war in the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America...
.
Geography
The Zoo is located on 170 acres (0.7 km²) along the
Saluda RiverThe Saluda River is a principal tributary of the Congaree River, about 200 mi long, in northern and western South Carolina in the United States...
in Columbia, SC.
Natural History
Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is South Carolina's largest gated attraction, averaging 850,000 visitors each year. Riverbanks is also a four-time winner of the Southeastern Tourism Society's Shining Example Award as the southeast's top tourist attraction and a two-time winner of the SC Parks Recreation and Tourism Governor's Cup Award as South Carolina's Leading Attraction. Riverbanks is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
The Zoo is home to over 3,000 animals, with extensive collections of mammals, birds, reptiles and
fishA fish is any aquatic vertebrate animal that is typically ectothermic , covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins...
. Recent additions to the Zoo include exhibits for African elephants, gorillas and koalas. The Birdhouse at Riverbanks (opened 2002) was given a Significant Achievement Award by the AZA as one of the best new zoo exhibits in the United States and features an incredible display of king, rockhopper and gentoo penguins.
Botanical Garden
Riverbanks also has a large
botanical gardenBotanical gardens grow a wide variety of plants primarily to categorize and document for scientific purposes. Botanists and horticulturalists tend the flora and maintain the garden's library and herbarium of dried and documented plant material. Botanical gardens may also serve to entertain and...
(70 acres) with more than 4,200 species of native and exotic plants. A trail system is available to visitors which allows them to explore several kilometers of bottomland and upland mixed hardwood forests in search of the myriad of native wildlife that call the Zoo and Garden home.
External links