Hogle Zoo Informations

Utah's Hogle Zoo is a 42-acre (17 ha) zoo located in Salt Lake City, Utah. It houses animals from diverse ecosystems. It is located at the mouth of Emigration Canyon. Hogle (pronounced "ho-gul") is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).

The zoo has been at its present location at the mouth of Emigration Canyon since 1931 on land donated by Mr. and Mrs. James A. Hogle. Its original location was in Salt Lake City's Liberty Park. In 1916, the zoo purchased Princess Alice, an elephant, from a traveling circus. She gave birth to the first elephant born in Utah. His name was Prince Utah and he died at eleven months old. Current exhibits include various birds, mammals, and reptiles from around the world.

The zoo is owned by the city of Salt Lake City and is supported through tax dollars and private donations raised by the Utah Zoological Society.

Hogle Zoo is accredited by the Association for Zoos and Aquariums. Only 10 percent of American zoos are accredited by the AZA. As part of the AZA, Hogle Zoo must abide by strict husbandry, education, and guest service requirements. The AZA has to approve any exhibits the zoo wants to create. It even has to approve the enrichment and food that is given to the animals. All the animals in AZA zoos are technically "owned" by the AZA. Animals are only moved within other AZA zoos.

Most of the animals at Hogle Zoo have a Species Survival Plan, which is run under the AZA and ensures genetic diversity for certain species. The SSP pairs animals together for mating based on their hereditary and gene pool. For example, Nabu and Baron, Hogle Zoo’s female and male lions, were paired by the Lion Species Survival Plan. They were given the "okay" to mate by the SSP, because they had different genes, insuring genetically diverse offspring. This resulted in the birth of the zoo's lion cubs in 2016. The majority of animals with Species Survival Plans are animals that are near the threat of endangerment or near the threat of extinction.

All exhibits must be passed by voters in order for construction to begin. This is because the city's tax dollars pay for the renovations.

The A. LaMar Farnsworth Primate Forest opened to the public on June 1997. The exhibit was named after the former zoo director A. LaMar Farnsworth, who served as director for 33 out of his 45 years at the Zoo. The exhibit, which cost $400,000 to construct, replaced the old concrete Monkey Island exhibit. Primate Forest offers lush, naturalistic landscapes for several species of primates. Primate Forest featured three outdoor exhibits and two indoor exhibits.

When it first opened the exhibit featured capuchin, colobus, and spider monkeys. The exhibits were specifically designed for each species. The large central exhibit for the colobus monkeys, which is 5,100 square feet and reaches a central height of 18 feet, offers trees where the primates can jump from. In the wild colobus monkeys use their long tails for balance as they jump from tree to tree. Each exhibit also has water features.

The capuchin troop moved to another zoo to be a part of a breeding program. The zoo was then left with an empty exhibit. The exhibit was determined to be a suitable exhibit for endangered langurs. The zoo then received two female Hanuman Langurs. These were two out of the four Hanuman langurs in U.S. AZA-accredited zoos. Then in 2010, the zoo received Isaac, another rare langur. Isaac was a twelve-year-old Francois langur who was born at the San Diego Zoo. When construction began of the new African Savanna exhibit, the langur exhibit had to be torn down, and the langurs moved to different zoos.

Today Primate Forest is home to four species of primates. The exhibit houses two colobus monkeys, Sefu and Safiya. It is also home to two howler monkeys, Elliot and Jackie, two spider monkeys, Lemon and Ebony, and a female Schmidt's guenon.

Hogle Zoo's Great Ape Building was built in the mid-1960s. It was designed to have space for two or three species of apes. At most, the building has housed three species, including western lowland gorillas, chimpanzees, and Bornean orangutans. The exhibit features four indoor exhibits and two large outdoor exhibits.

Today the zoo is home to three western lowland gorillas and three Bornean orangutans. The leader of the gorilla troop is a male named Husani, who came to Hogle Zoo in 2010 from the Birmingham Zoo. He leads two females, JoRayk and Jabali, a mother and daughter pair, who came to the zoo in 2011 from the Denver Zoo.

The zoo is also home to three Bornean orangutans, including a female orangutan named Acara and her brother Tuah. Acara and Tuah were both born at the zoo; however, both of their parents died in 2014, leaving them orphans. In the fall of 2016, a male orangutan named Mia came to Hogle Zoo from the Greenville Zoo in order to be a companion to Acara.

The Small Animal Building was built in the 1970s. The building itself features four different ecosystems, including a Tropics Zone, Temperate Zone, Desert Zone, and Rainforest Aviary. Other animal exhibits can be found outside of the Small Animal Building.

The building features various reptiles, amphibians, and small mammals and birds. Some of the main animal highlights include the sand cat, bat-eared foxes, and African crested porcupines. The zoo has established burrowing owl and titi monkey families in the Small Animal Building. The building is also home to rare species like Siamese crocodiles and black-footed cats. Outside the building, guests can see the zoo's wolf exhibit and summer exhibits for reptiles and birds.

Temperate Zone

The Temperate Zone features animals from temperate zones around the world. The zoo's nine-banded armadillos Kirby and Penny. The zoo's rare three black-footed cats and Cape hyrax can also be found in the Temperate Zone. The zoo's Siamese crocodiles Hillary and Bill live in the Temperate Zone during the winter. Other reptiles found in the temperate Hall include a Madagascar tree boa, crested geckos, and Madagascar flat-tailed tortoises.

Desert Zone

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