About National Zoo Lovers Day
National Zoo Lovers Day is marked annually on April 8th.
Though some question the ethics of keeping wild animals in captivity for our entertainment, there is no doubt that a well run zoo is a great place to encourage people to get interested in the animal kingdom and many zoos carry important work in maintaining populations of endangered species.
Celebrate this day by getting your family together and going for a trip to see the exotic animals of the world.
The oldest public zoo opened in Vienna in 1752. The Holy Roman Emperor himself traveled around the globe to find the exotic animals that would be displayed there.
In the United States, the Central Park Zoo began as an accidental menagerie when a bear cub was left at the park in 1859. The bear attracted visitors and eventually more exotic animals turned up at Central Park.
A formal zoo charter was granted in 1864 and even President Lincoln donated animals. With about 2,400 zoos in the United State alone, lions and tigers and bears are practically in your own backyard.
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