Tulsa Zoo Informations

The Tulsa Zoo is a 85-acre (34 ha) non-profit zoo located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. The Tulsa Zoo is owned by the City of Tulsa, but since 2010 has been privately managed by Tulsa Zoo Management, Inc. The zoo is located in Mohawk Park, one of the largest municipal parks in the United States.

The zoo is involved in many conservation efforts, such as a push to reduce the use of palm oil, FrogWatch USA, and efforts to encourage ocean conservation.

The Tulsa Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

In 2005, the Tulsa Zoo was named as "America's Favorite Zoo" by Microsoft Game Studios and was granted $25,000 in a contest designed to promote the Zoo Tycoon 2 computer game. The contest counted votes from zoo visitors across the country for many of America's top zoos, including the San Diego Zoo and the Bronx Zoo.

Lost Kingdom allows guests to roam through lush gardens and settings inspired by ancient Asian cultures, such as the city at Angkor-Wat. Lost Kingdom is the new home for ambassadors of some of Asia’s rarest and most elusive species, including Malayan tigers, snow leopards, Chinese alligators, siamangs, binturongs and Komodo dragons.

The Robert J. LaFortune WildLIFE Trek is a four-building complex, formerly the North American Living Museum, and is the recipient of many awards, including best new exhibit when it was constructed in 1978. As of spring 2013 each building focuses on animals from around the world and their adaptations to life in the water, desert, forest, and cold. Animals in this complex include Siberian cranes, tawny frogmouth, emerald doves, chinchilla, peccary, seahorses and grizzly bears.

Encompasses a 2.5-acre (1 ha) area for the zoo's three elephants and includes an Elephant Interpretive Center which highlights of the life of the Asian elephant species. And includes a life size climbable elephant sculpture. Visitors can view the elephants from both indoor and outdoor viewing areas and the exhibit includes an elephant demonstration yard.

A living, naturalistic re-creation of a Central and South American rain forest environment. This walk through exhibit simulates the overall experience of the rainforest by maintaining 80 degree temperatures and a humidity level of 85%. Spanning 13,000 square feet of indoor exhibit space, exotic species include black howler monkeys, a green anaconda, piranhas, dwarf caimans, jaguars, and golden-headed lion tamarins. Many species are not caged, including rainforest birds, two-toed sloths, and Jamaican fruit bats to allow for a more realistic jungle feel. Throughout this dramatic exhibit is evidence of native cultures. From the colossal Olmec Head which marks the entrance to the exhibit, to murals and structures incorporated within exhibits. The roof itself is composed of translucent panels to illuminate the canopy of the rain forest, and a path that guides visitors through the 52 ft. high building.

This large outdoor island habitat provides chimpanzee's access to an extensive climbing structure, cargo nets, ropes, caves, a termite mound and plenty of vegetation to explore. The cage-less open air habitat allows the guests an unbarred view of this truly amazing social species. In 1991, the “Chimpanzee Connection” building was completed. This provides year-round, indoor viewing through an inch-and-a-quarter of glass. This indoor experience offers a glimpse into the private lives of the chimpanzees as they climb their log structure; sit atop their rockwork and build their nests of hay to rest, all the while being surrounded by natural light. After the completion of the indoor habitat, Dr. Goodall proclaimed the facility to be one of the “best she has ever seen”.

A naturalistic habitat for California sea lions, opened in 2012. The exhibit features a saltwater pool, large underwater viewing window wall, waterfall, rock haul-out areas, themed holding building and a large covered seating area for visitors. A behavioral conditioning program, intended to provide visitors with information about the resident sea lions (named Cisco, and Reyes), is demonstrated for the public midday on the weekend.

The exhibit opened to the public in 2002 after a four-year fund-raising campaign. The penguin enclosure is the foundation of “Oceans and Islands,” an exhibit area for the zoo that includes a naturalistic California sea lion exhibit and a flamingo colony and also black and white ruffed lemurs. The design for the penguin habitat includes geo-thermal heating and cooling to regulate the water temperature for the warm water inhabitants. A “wave pool” or water action simulator, plus a rocky coastline setting, imitates their natural habitat. Special viewing windows were built into the wall of the exhibit for visitors observe the penguins under water. The exhibit currently holds 20 penguins, and can hold up to 30.

The African Plains area of the zoo features a variety of animals including meerkats, giraffes, lions, aldabra tortoises, white rhinos, and African wild dogs. The zoos recently opened the Mary K. Chapman Rhinoceros Reserve, which replaced an older facility and hosts the zoo's two white rhinoceroses. It encompasses a 3-acre outside yard and a new 8,925 square foot barn.

The Children's Zoo has a contact yard where kids can get up close and personal with Nigerian dwarf goats, Southdown sheep, Katadin sheep, earless Lamancha goats and Nubian goats. There are also dexter cows, miniature horses and Guinea forest hogs. This exhibit also contains the Australian Outback Area, which has red kangaroos. The Children's Zoo also includes North American river otters.

Constructed in 1957, The Conservation Center has a large variety of animals including primates, reptiles, birds, and fish. Some animals exhibited include American flamingos, wrinkled hornbills, snakehead fish, radiated tortoises, saki monkeys, Fiji iguanas, and a Grand Cayman Island blue iguana.

The African black-footed penguin exhibit was funded through a citywide art campaign, popularized by the gifting of 6-foot (1.8 m) sculptures, depicting a penguin with certain visual characteristics based on its location or owner, to businesses or organizations who donated to the exhibit. There are currently 29 of these sculptures throughout the city; they are popularly known as "Tulsa Penguins".

As part of the zoo's new 20-year Master Plan, released in 2012, the zoo has also announced that work will begin on the second master plan project. The second project is The Lost Kingdom Exhibit highlighting rare animals from Asia. Animals exhibiting include Malayan tigers, snow leopard and Komodo dragon. The Helmerich Foundation made the lead gift to fund the zoo's new tiger exhibit. In honor of the gift, the Tulsa Zoo named the new facility Lost Kingdom: The Helmerich Tiger exhibit, part of the Lost Kingdom complex. In addition to The Helmerich Foundation's gift, the Hardesty Family Foundation also generously pledged a donation to the Lost Kingdom complex. The Hardesty Family Foundation made a contribution as the lead gift for the new snow leopard facility, Lost Kingdom: The Hardesty Snow Leopard habitat. This new exhibit provides the zoo's snow leopards a state-of-the-art enclosure, while allowing guests to see the highly endangered animals up close.

The current Africa section of the zoo will be transformed with the new rhino, lion, antelope, birds and African painted dog exhibits. A new savannah area will bring even more species into this area and our giraffe exhibit will be expanded and will include indoor viewing for the winter months. Our existing Maasai Village will be renovated to include new small animal exhibits as well as a new dining area. The first phase of this project is the new Mary K. Chapman Rhino Reserve which opened in 2014.

Lost Kingdom: Helmerich Tiger exhibit, Hardesty snow leopard exhibit, and Lobeck Taylor Red Panda/Binturong exhibit.

This new area within the zoo is themed for guests to explore the mysterious lost world of Asia where structures and relics seem to be lost to the wilderness. Tigers, snow leopards, red pandas, Komodo dragons and more are all included in this new world to be developed in several phases. The Lost Kingdom Tiger complex opened in 2017.

The current Chimpanzee Connection, which houses the zoo's chimpanzees, will be transformed into the African Forest with an expanded chimpanzee exhibit and the addition of gorillas. This area will be a deep, misty jungle with climbing structures that both our zoo guests and the animals will enjoy, with unique up-close encounters of both species.

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