The San Francisco Zoo is celebrating it's 80th Anniversary this summer with multiple activities and events that are sure to attract San Francisco tourists and residents. The zoo was founded in 1929 with a small group of animals trained to perform tricks. Over the last 80 years the facility has become a renowned zoological facility focusing on conservation and protection.
During the early days of the San Francisco Zoo in the 1930's the atmosphere was that of a circus or carnival rather than a zoological facility. The the zoo's early years were filled with chimpanzees riding on elephants' backs and zoo keepers teaching animals tricks to perform for the zoo's visitors. Herbert Fleishhacker, a San Francisco philanthropist, started the zoo in 1929 with a small group of zebras, sheep, buffalo, monkeys and elephants. The San Francisco Zoo was built and founded during the Great Depression by the Works Progress Administration, as a project to uplift the spirit's of San Franciscans and entice tourists to visit the city. It wasn't until the 1960's that the zoo became a conservation and environmental research facility.
Today the San Francisco Zoo is a zoological research facility and promotes animal and habitat conservation and protection. The zoo is one of San Francisco's most popular tourist attractions and visitors from around the world make the San Francisco Zoo a tour destination. This facility is the largest of its kind in Northern California and is home to over 250 animal species. A few of the events a visitor can participate in are; the zoo baby viewings, children's zoo summer camp, conservation lectures and adult classes. The San Francisco Zoo is located south of Golden Gate Park on Sloat Boulevard and the Great Highway. For more information about the San Francisco Zoo please visit www.sfzoo.org.
