Sunset Zoo
Encyclopedia
Sunset Zoo, also known as Sunset Zoological Park, is the city zoo
of Manhattan
, Kansas
, and is home to 300 species of animals.
. The zoo's vision is to create an educational atmosphere where people can learn about the natural wonders of the surrounding world and their personal role in its preservation.
The zoological park has served the community for over 70 years, providing a cultural and educational examination of the natural world. Dr. E.J. Frick, zoo founder and former head of surgery and medicine at the Kansas State University
School of Veterinary Medicine
, volunteered to acquire, provide care for, and display animals for 43 years. The city obtained its original funding from the Works Progress Administration
(WPA) for the initial construction of animal exhibits, buildings and walkways. Much of this original native limestone work has been preserved, serving as educational examples of zoo and social history, and remains part of the zoo’s Master Plan.
In 1980, citizens of Manhattan encouraged the City Commission to build a modern zoo. This led to the development of a Zoo Master Plan and city approval to charge a small admission fee. All revenue generated from admissions is used for new construction, renovations, improvements and maintenance. This additional source of income allowed Sunset Zoo to increase its level of commitment to animal care, education, and conservation. Sunset Zoo applied for, and received, accreditation
by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) in 1989. The zoo continues its commitment to upholding those high standards, and has maintained accreditation ever since.
Australian Walk-About
Kansas Plains
Trails of South America
Asian Forest Trail
Zoo
A 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....
of Manhattan
Manhattan, Kansas
Manhattan is a city located in the northeastern part of the state of Kansas in the United States, at the junction of the Kansas River and Big Blue River. It is the county seat of Riley County and the city extends into Pottawatomie County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 52,281...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, and is home to 300 species of animals.
Mission
The zoo exists to “inspire conservation of the natural world” by engaging and inspiring over 100,000 annual visitors to actively embrace conservationConservation biology
Conservation biology is the scientific study of the nature and status of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction...
. The zoo's vision is to create an educational atmosphere where people can learn about the natural wonders of the surrounding world and their personal role in its preservation.
History
In 1929 the city of Manhattan purchased land called Sunset Cemetery. Part of the land was unusable to bury people in because of too rocky soil. This area then became Sunset Zoo. Until 1934, the Zoo was not chartered as a park; but there were animals at the Zoo as early as 1930. The Zoo, however, holds 1933 as the founding year.The zoological park has served the community for over 70 years, providing a cultural and educational examination of the natural world. Dr. E.J. Frick, zoo founder and former head of surgery and medicine at the Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
School of Veterinary Medicine
Veterinary medicine
Veterinary Medicine is the branch of science that deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, disorder and injury in non-human animals...
, volunteered to acquire, provide care for, and display animals for 43 years. The city obtained its original funding from the Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
(WPA) for the initial construction of animal exhibits, buildings and walkways. Much of this original native limestone work has been preserved, serving as educational examples of zoo and social history, and remains part of the zoo’s Master Plan.
In 1980, citizens of Manhattan encouraged the City Commission to build a modern zoo. This led to the development of a Zoo Master Plan and city approval to charge a small admission fee. All revenue generated from admissions is used for new construction, renovations, improvements and maintenance. This additional source of income allowed Sunset Zoo to increase its level of commitment to animal care, education, and conservation. Sunset Zoo applied for, and received, accreditation
Accreditation
Accreditation is a process in which certification of competency, authority, or credibility is presented.Organizations that issue credentials or certify third parties against official standards are themselves formally accredited by accreditation bodies ; hence they are sometimes known as "accredited...
by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) in 1989. The zoo continues its commitment to upholding those high standards, and has maintained accreditation ever since.
Animals and Exhibits
African Forest Trail- Black-and-white colobusBlack-and-white colobusBlack-and-white colobuses are Old World monkeys of the genus Colobus, native to Africa. They are closely related to the brown colobus monkeys of genus Piliocolobus. The word "colobus" comes from Greek κολοβός kolobós , and is so named because its thumb is a stump.Colobuses are herbivorous, eating...
- ChimpanzeeChimpanzeeChimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
- Bearded BarbetBearded BarbetThe Bearded Barbet is an African barbet. Barbets and toucans are a group of near passerine birds with a worldwide tropical distribution. The barbets get their name from the bristles which fringe their heavy bills....
- CheetahCheetahThe cheetah is a large-sized feline inhabiting most of Africa and parts of the Middle East. The cheetah is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx, most notable for modifications in the species' paws...
Australian Walk-About
- EmuEmuThe Emu Dromaius novaehollandiae) is the largest bird native to Australia and the only extant member of the genus Dromaius. It is the second-largest extant bird in the world by height, after its ratite relative, the ostrich. There are three subspecies of Emus in Australia...
- Black SwanBlack SwanThe Black Swan is a large waterbird, a species of swan, which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. The species was hunted to extinction in New Zealand, but later reintroduced. Within Australia they are nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent upon climatic...
- Cattle EgretCattle EgretThe Cattle Egret is a cosmopolitan species of heron found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Bubulcus, although some authorities regard its two subspecies as full species, the Western Cattle Egret and the Eastern Cattle Egret...
- Chestnut TealChestnut TealThe Chestnut Teal is a dabbling duck found in southern Australia. It is protected under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974.-Description:The Chestnut Teal is darker and a slightly bigger bird than the Grey Teal....
- Laughing KookaburraLaughing KookaburraThe Laughing Kookaburra, Dacelo novaeguineae, is a carnivorous bird in the kingfisher family Halcyonidae. Native to eastern Australia, it has also been introduced to parts of New Zealand, Tasmania and Western Australia. Male and female adults are similar in plumage, which is predominantly brown and...
- Silver GullSilver GullThe Silver Gull also known simply as "seagull" in Australia, is the most common gull seen in Australia. It has been found throughout the continent, but particularly coastal areas. The South African Hartlaub's Gull and the New Zealand Red-billed Gull The Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus...
- Straw-necked IbisStraw-necked IbisThe Straw-necked Ibis is a bird of the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae. It can be found throughout Australia, New Guinea, and parts of Indonesia. Adults have distinctive straw-like feathers on their neck....
- Parma WallabyParma WallabyThe Parma Wallaby was first described by British naturalist John Gould in about 1840. A shy, cryptic creature of the wet sclerophyll forests of southern New South Wales, it was never common and, even before the end of the 19th century, it was believed to be extinct...
- Red-necked WallabyRed-necked WallabyThe Red-necked Wallaby is a medium-sized marsupial macropod, common in the more temperate and fertile parts of eastern Australia, including Tasmania.- Description :...
Kansas Plains
- RaccoonRaccoonProcyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
- Swift FoxSwift FoxThe swift fox is a small light orange-tan fox around the size of a domestic cat found in the western grasslands of North America, such as Colorado, New Mexico and Texas. It also lives in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta in Canada, where it was previously extirpated...
- Bald EagleBald EagleThe Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
- BobcatBobcatThe bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
- American KestrelAmerican KestrelThe American Kestrel , sometimes colloquially known as the Sparrow Hawk, is a small falcon, and the only kestrel found in the Americas. It is the most common falcon in North America, and is found in a wide variety of habitats. At long, it is also the smallest falcon in North America...
- Turkey VultureTurkey VultureThe Turkey Vulture is a bird found throughout most of the Americas. It is also known in some North American regions as the Turkey Buzzard , and in some areas of the Caribbean as the John Crow or Carrion Crow...
- Black-tailed prairie dogBlack-tailed Prairie DogThe black-tailed prairie dog , is a rodent of the family Sciuridae found in the Great Plains of North America from about the USA-Canada border to the USA-Mexico border. Unlike some other prairie dogs, these animals do not truly hibernate. The black-tailed prairie dog can be seen aboveground in...
Trails of South America
- Maned WolfManed WolfThe maned wolf is the largest canid of South America, resembling a large fox with reddish fur.This mammal is found in open and semi-open habitats, especially grasslands with scattered bushes and trees, in south, central-west and south-eastern Brazil The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is the...
- Giant AnteaterGiant AnteaterThe Giant Anteater, Myrmecophaga tridactyla, is the largest species of anteater. It is the only species in the genus Myrmecophaga. It is found in Central and South America from Honduras to northern Argentina...
- Chilean FlamingoChilean FlamingoThe Chilean Flamingo is a large species closely related to Caribbean Flamingo and Greater Flamingo, with which it was sometimes considered conspecific...
- Chacoan PeccaryChacoan peccaryThe Chacoan peccary or Tagua is a species of peccary found in the Gran Chaco of Paraguay, Bolivia and Argentina. About 3000 exist in the world...
- American White PelicanAmerican White PelicanThe American White Pelican is a large aquatic bird from the order Pelecaniformes. It breeds in interior North America, moving south and to the coasts, as far as Central America, in winter....
- Canada GooseCanada GooseThe Canada Goose is a wild goose belonging to the genus Branta, which is native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, having a black head and neck, white patches on the face, and a brownish-gray body....
- Crested ScreamerCrested ScreamerThe Southern Screamer , also known as the Crested Screamer, belongs to the order Anseriformes. It is found in southeastern Peru, northern Bolivia, Paraguay, southern Brazil, Uruguay and northern Argentina. Its diet consists of plants stems, seeds, leaves, and, rarely, small animals.-Description:The...
- Indian PeafowlIndian PeafowlThe Indian Peafowl or Blue Peafowl is a large and brightly coloured bird of the pheasant family native to South Asia, but introduced and semi-feral in many other parts of the world...
- Ruddy DuckRuddy DuckThe Ruddy Duck is a small stiff-tailed duck.Their breeding habitat is marshy lakes and ponds throughout much of North America, and in South America in the Andes. They nest in dense marsh vegetation near water. The female builds her nest out of grass, locating it in tall vegetation to hide it from...
- White-faced Whistling DuckWhite-faced Whistling DuckThe White-faced Whistling Duck, Dendrocygna viduata, is a whistling duck which breeds in sub-Saharan Africa and much of South America.This species is gregarious, and at favoured sites, the flocks of a thousand or more birds arriving at dawn are an impressive sight...
- Red-eared sliderRed-eared sliderThe red-eared slider is a semiaquatic turtle belonging to the family Emydidae. It is a subspecies of pond slider. It is the most popular pet turtle in the United States and also popular in the rest of the world...
- Red-footed tortoiseRed-footed tortoiseThe red-footed tortoise is a tortoise native to South America. It has also been introduced to many islands in the Caribbean. It draws its name from the red or orange scales visible on its limbs, as well as its head and tail...
- Cuvier's dwarf caimanCuvier's Dwarf CaimanThe Cuvier's dwarf caiman or Musky caiman, Paleosuchus palpebrosus, is a relatively small crocodilian reptile from northern and central South America. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Surinam and Venezuela...
- Reed Titi MonkeyTitiThe titis, or titi monkeys, are the New World monkeys of the genus Callicebus. They are the only extant members of the Callicebinae subfamily, which also contains the extinct genera Xenothrix, Antillothrix, Paralouatta, Carlocebus, Homunculus, Lagonimico and possibly also Tremacebus.Titis live in...
- Geoffrey's marmosetWhite-headed MarmosetThe white-headed marmoset , also known as the tufted-ear marmoset or Geoffrey's marmoset, is a marmoset endemic to Brazil....
- Green and Black Poison Dart FrogGreen and Black Poison Dart FrogDendrobates auratus, also known as the green and black poison dart frog or the green and black poison arrow frog, and sometimes mint poison frog , is a brightly-colored member of the order Anura native to Central America and north-western parts of South America...
- Yellow and Blue Poison Dart FrogDendrobates tinctoriusDendrobates tinctorius, also known by the common name dyeing dart frog, is a species of poison dart frog. It is the third largest species, reaching lengths of...
- LlamaLlamaThe llama is a South American camelid, widely used as a meat and pack animal by Andean cultures since pre-Hispanic times....
- Nigerian Dwarf GoatNigerian Dwarf (goat)The Nigerian Dwarf goat is a miniature dairy goat breed of West African ancestry. Originally brought to the United States on ships as food for large cats such as lions, the survivors originally lived in zoos. Nigerian Dwarf goats are popular as hobby goats due to their easy maintenance and small...
- Pot-bellied pigPot-bellied pigThe pot-bellied pig is a breed of domesticated pig originating in Vietnam.-Description:Considerably smaller than standard American or European farm pigs, most adult pot-bellied pigs are about the size of a medium- or large-breed dog, though their bodies are denser at 8 to 136 kg...
Asian Forest Trail
- Amur tiger
- Sloth bearSloth BearThe sloth bear , also known as the labiated bear, is a nocturnal insectivorous species of bear found wild within the Indian subcontinent. The sloth bear evolved from ancestral brown bears during the Pleistocene and shares features found in insect-eating mammals through convergent evolution...
- Red-crowned CraneRed-crowned CraneThe Red-crowned Crane , also called the Japanese Crane or Manchurian Crane , is a large east Asian crane and among the rarest cranes in the world...
- Western Tufted DeerTufted DeerThe Tufted Deer is a small species of deer characterized by its prominent tuft of black hair on its forehead. It is a close relative of the muntjac, living somewhat further north over a wide area of central China and northeastern Myanmar. Although suffering from overhunting and habitat loss, this...
- Snow leopardSnow LeopardThe snow leopard is a moderately large cat native to the mountain ranges of South Asia and Central Asia...
- Cinereous Vulture
- Chukar Partridge
- Golden PheasantGolden PheasantThe Golden Pheasant or "Chinese Pheasant", is a gamebird of the order Galliformes and the family Phasianidae...
- Asian Small-clawed Otter
- Red pandaRed PandaThe red panda , is a small arboreal mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It is the only species of the genus Ailurus. Slightly larger than a domestic cat, it has reddish-brown fur, a long, shaggy tail, and a waddling gait due to its shorter front legs...