Fresno Chaffee Zoo

The Fresno Chaffee Zoo is a zoo in Roeding Park in Fresno, California covering 39 acres and housing over 190 species. Its attractions include Stingray Bay, Dino Dig, Valley Farm, Sea Lion Cove, African Adventure, and Ross Laird's Winged Wonders Bird Show. The zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and is a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA). In 2016, the zoo had an attendance of 964,091 guests, a 19% increase over 2015, making it one of the most visited zoos in the United States.HistoryEarly HistoryThe zoo was formed some time around 1908. The first animals were largely unwanted pets which had been donated by Sezer Tamcakir. The earliest zoo record describes a collection consisting of two bears and around fifty birds of various species. An amphitheater was built. Bears, local cats, hoof stock, and birds were added to the Zoo and housed in log cabin type exhibits. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) officially recognized the park opening in 1929 as the Roeding Park Zoo.The 1940'sThe zoo grew substantially in the 1940s and 1950s, with 100 animals and more birds by 1947. The zoo's first foreman, Eldon "Curly" Blocker, was hired from the San Diego Zoo. In 1949, the zoo's Asian elephant Nosey (a name determined by a citywide "Name-the-Elephant" Contest) was acquired, with help from the Fresno Rotary Club. Her arrival coincided with Fresno's "49ers Days Rodeo Parade", and Nosey's presence in that parade was popular enough to spawn the creation of the Fresno Zoological Society, which would create interest in the zoo and provide fundraising mechanisms for years to come.