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Minnesota Zoo History

  • 1978-1989
  • 1990-1999
  • 2000-2004
  • 2005-Present

1978

  • The Minnesota Zoo opened on May 22 after 17 years of dreaming, discussion, planning – and four years of construction.
  • The “new zoo” featured 1,200 animals representing 238 species, including Amur tigers, Japanese macaques, clouded leopards, Asian wild horses, flamingos, two Greater Indian hornbills, a Burmese python, and a pair of white-cheeked gibbons.
  • A popular exhibit included two beluga whales: “Big Mouth” and “Little Girl”
1979
  • The Zoo’s first litter of Amur tiger cubs were born. (As of 2007, the Minnesota Zoo has contributed a total of 43 Amur tiger cubs—a signature conservation species—to the Species Survival Plan (SSP) and has been instrumental in tiger conservation programs worldwide.)
  • The Monorail opened, giving guests a birds-eye view of hardy, northern hemisphere animals.
1980
  • Steve Marten’s World of Birds Show opened.
  • The Zoo’s first Asian wild horse was born. This species was brought back from the brink of extinction in the wild by a zoo-managed captive breeding and reintroduction program.
  • The Zoo’s first Bali mynah was hatched. (As of 2007, there are fewer than 10 Bali mynahs in the wild. The Zoo, known for success in breeding rare and exotic birds, has produced more than 60 Bali Mynah chicks to date).
1981
  • The Zoo’s first white-cheeked gibbon and clouded leopard were born. (The Minnesota Zoo participates in the SSPs for both species.)
  • The Minnesota Zoo was featured on the cover of Smithsonian Magazine. The cover caption read “Japanese Macaque Mother and Baby in Minnesota’s Zoo for All Seasons.”
1982
  • The tiger SSP began. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) SSP program, which manages captive breeding for endangered species, was started at the Minnesota Zoo by Ulysses S. Seal. The Zoo manages three of the six tiger SSP programs.
  • The red panda exhibit opened. In the wild, the red panda is nearly extinct in large parts of its territory due to human encroachment and the unusual biology of bamboo, the main diet staple.
  • The Zoo’s first pronghorn was born. The pronghorn is native to North America and is found nowhere else in the world.
1985
  • The first Zoo-bred trumpeter swans were released into the wild as part of a breeding and reintroduction program. (As of 2007, the Minnesota Zoo has provided 170 swans for release into the wild).
  • The Zoo’s first common loon was hatched.
1987
  • Zoo Conservation Director Ron Tilson was appointed Amur tiger SSP coordinator.
  • A delegation from China arrived for the opening of the Zoo’s temporary golden monkey exhibit.
1990
  • The Minnesota Zoo “adopted” the last refuge of the endangered Javan rhino, Ujung Kulon National Park in Java, Indonesia.
  • The Zoo hosted the state’s opening celebration of Earth Day.
1991
  • Amur leopards replaced spotted leopards in the Zoo’s collection. (This subspecies of leopard is one of the most endangered on earth. As of 2007, there are fewer than 30 remaining in the wild. The Zoo has and continues to contribute to the conservation of these beautiful cats both in captivity and in the wild.)
  • The 82,500-gallon Coral Reef exhibit opened, providing guests with a unique floor-to-ceiling view of marine species.
1992
  • The Zoo’s first Atlantic bottlenose dolphin calf was born.
  • Exhibit openings included the Malayan sun bear and the Sichuan takin. The sun bear is the smallest bear species and considered endangered, and the takin is considered a national treasure of China.
  • The Weesner Family Amphitheater opened and kicked off the first “Music in the Zoo” outdoor concert with the sounds of Marc Cohen.
1993
  • The first Mentor Program, supported by the Medtronic Foundation, began at the Zoo. This education program provides inner-city youth the chance to experience and consider science-based careers at the Zoo.
  • A temporary Dinosaur exhibit opened.
  • The first Beastly Ball black-tie fundraising event was held. The annual event provides a fun evening at the Minnesota Zoo while raising money for Zoo and conservation programs.
1994
  • The Zoo’s first Amur leopard cubs were born.
  • The Zoo wins the prestigious AZA “Bean Award” for its long-term conservation and propagation program for tigers.
  • Mexican wolves replace timber wolves on the Northern Trail. This species was considered extinct in the wild in the 1970s; however, zoos and the USFWS worked together to implement a successful captive breeding and reintroduction program.
1995
  • The Minnesota Zoo receives the AZA Top Conservation Award for the Sumatran Tiger Project in Way Kambas National Park in Sumatra, Indonesia.
  • Fishing cats and Komodo dragons went on exhibit. Both animals are considered SSP animals.
1997
  • The Discovery Bay: UnitedHealthcare Marine Education Center opened. In this spectacular exhibit, over 1.1 million gallons of water provide a home for sharks, rays, dolphins, and other marine life.
  • The Minnesota Zoo’s Amur tiger “Globus” appeared on the cover of National Geographic Magazine in February.
  • The first Walk the Wild Lights event was held. This much-loved tradition dazzled guests with a festival of lights.
2000
  • Lee Ehmke became the sixth director and CEO of the Zoo.
  • The Wells Fargo Family Farm opened. This exhibit provides guests with a real look into a working family farm and demonstrates that farmers have a responsibility to provide agricultural products and to protect natural resources.
  • The Zoo’s first Matschie’s tree kangaroo was born.
2001
  • The World of Birds Show began raising money for conservation. This audience-participation activity raises money for BioBrasil, a non-profit foundation working to conserve endangered Hyacinth and Lear’s macaws in Brazil.
  • The Wells Fargo Family Farm wins the AZA top exhibit award.
  • The Meerkats of the Kalahari exhibit opened, replicating the arid desert of southern Africa. This popular exhibit gives guests a great look at these bug-chomping, dirt-digging, playful little critters.
  • The Minnesota Zoo assisted Chinese field biologists in censusing the wild South China tiger population, the most endangered of all tigers.
  • The Minnesota Zoo adopted a Master Plan which provides a long-term physical and business vision for the Zoo including four major new experiences: Gateway to the North (now called Russia’s Grizzly Coast), Biodiversity Center (now called Heart of the Zoo), Prairie’s Edge, and Africa Trail.
2002
  • The Tiger Lair exhibit opened. In this exciting exhibit, guests get a “whisker close” look at tigers while learning about tiger conservation.
  • Pygmy loris twins and a female dolphin calf are born. Thousands of people from around the country participated in a “name the dolphin” contest which resulted in the winning name of “Spree”.
2003
  • Mexican gray wolf pups are born. These wolves are genetically-valuable and may make excellent candidates for reintroduction into the wild.
  • The Zoo celebrates its 25th anniversary with events and activities offered all summer long!
2004
  • The Lemurs: Ghosts of Madagascar exhibit opened along with wonderful renovations to the Zoo’s Tropics Trail. The new exhibit creates an immersive experience providing guests a look at the unique species from Madagascar including red ruffed and ring-tailed lemurs, radiated tortoises, spiny tenrec, day geckos, and hissing cockroaches.
  • Two female Amur tiger cubs are born. These endangered cubs have important genetic value with links to wild tigers on both sides of their family tree.
  • Two different litters of fishing cat kittens were born. These very rare cats mark an important achievement for captive breeding of this species in zoos.
  • Three endangered green sea turtles returned to their native habitat of Hawaii. The male was released into the wild; females were kept for breeding for future reintroduction programs.
2005
  • The Creatures Beneath the Canopy exhibit opened featuring the Zoo’s first multi-species exhibit. Representing two biodiversity hotspots in South America, the exhibit includes golden lion tamarins, cotton-top tamarins, agouti, three-banded armadillo, two-toed sloth, and green aracaris.
  • The Minnesota Zoo was awarded the AZA International Conservation Award for the partnership in the Sumatran Tiger Conservation Program.
  • Recognized as a leader in tiger conservation, the Zoo was invited by the State Forestry Administration of China to conduct field reconnaissance and the potential for establishing a reintroduction and recovery program for the critically endangered South China tiger.
  • The Zoo launched “Zoo Matchmaker,” an online interactive activity sponsored by the Best Buy Children’s Foundation. Geared towards students in grades 7-12, the program demonstrates how zoos use genetics to save endangered species.
  • The Zoo was awarded $20.6 million by the State of Minnesota for the building of a new major exhibit, Russia’s Grizzly Coast, featuring bears, sea otters, and Amur leopards (the rarest of all cats) from the Russian Far East. The exhibit will open on June 7, 2008.
  • The boards of the Minnesota Zoo and the Minnesota Zoo Foundation approved a new strategic plan including a new mission, vision and value statements as well as five-year planning goals.
  • The Minnesota Zoo welcomed the birth of a Japanese macaque, the first since 1991.
2006
  • The Minnesota Zoo presented Africa: Summer on the Savanna, a temporary, multi-species exhibit featuring giraffes, zebras, gazelles, wildebeest, and ostriches.
  • A groundbreaking ceremony was held on the Central Plaza for Russia’s Grizzly Coast.
  • The State of Minnesota awarded $15 million in bonding to the Minnesota Zoo for various renovations and new construction.
  • Four juvenile Komodo monitors returned to the Minnesota Zoo. These rare and genetically-valuable dragons are the offspring of the Zoo’s adult monitor “Doni.”
  • A female wolf born and raised at the Minnesota Zoo was released into the wild with her mate and two pups as part of the USFWS’s Mexican Wolf Recovery Program. These wolves add valuable genetics into the struggling wolf population in the southwestern United States.
  • The Minnesota Zoo acquired three orphan brown bears and one orphan northern sea otter for Russia’s Grizzly Coast.
  • The first Ride ‘N Roar: Rally for Species Survival benefit motorcycle ride and party was held. This grass-roots fundraising event raised money for the Ulysses S. Seal Conservation Grant Program.
  • The Zoo was awarded coordinatorship of the AZA Amur Leopard Population Management Plan which manages captive breeding in North America. This also involves establishing a North American Amur leopard field conservation effort.
  • The Minnesota Zoo was awarded a $500,000 education grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for "WolfQuest: Learning through Gameplay”. This online digital game will immerse players in the life of a gray wolf.
2007
  • After a year-long major renovation, the Zoo opened a new Minnesota Trail. The trail provides a wonderful nature walk through more than 15 amazing local wildlife exhibits such as gray wolves, coyotes, river otters, beavers, raccoons, birds and more.
  • A new Visayan warty pig exhibit opened on the Tropics Trail. Warty pigs are the most critically-endangered of the world’s wild pig species and are only found on two small islands in the Central Philippines.
  • The Minnesota Zoo contributed $20,000 to Amur Leopard and Tiger Alliance (ALTA), a coalition of 12 international conservation organizations that pool their resources and skills to assist in the conservation of the Amur leopard.
  • The Minnesota Zoo’s volunteer program celebrated two million hours of service to the Zoo.
  • In July, the 30-millionth guest walked through the doors of the Minnesota Zoo!