The Seneca Park Zoo has undergone a lot of changes in the last few years, with new exhibits focusing on “Cold Asia” and “Animals of the Savanna”. But what was the zoo like 20 years ago? Or 30? Or even 50?
You can find out on Thursday, April 3, at 7:00 PM, when the Irondequoit Historical Society and author Maureen Whalen will join us to present The History of Seneca Park Zoo.
Maureen is the author of A History of the Seneca Park Zoo, and this book is the first and only comprehensive history of the zoo. It traces the zoo’s history from its beginnings around Trout Lake in the Lower Park in 1894 to the present day.
She writes about the many changes it has undergone… from its years as a menagerie zoo emphasizing the entertainment value of animals, to its current role as a leader in species conservation and habitat preservation. “Today,” she likes to say, paraphrasing a vintage Oldsmobile commercial, “this is not your father’s zoo.”
She writes, too, of the animals who have been favorites of zoo-goers over its twelve and a half decades. This list includes the most famous resident of the zoo (Jimmy the chimp), the animal who was responsible for the darkest day in the zoo’s history (Sally the elephant), everyone’s favorite polar bear pairs (Penny and Nickels and Aurora and Yukon), the only orangutans that have ever resided in a zoo in New York State (Gambar and Tanora and Kumang and her three mates and offspring), and the first and only African elephants in a New York State zoo (Genny C and Lilac).
No registration is required to attend this program and we hope you’ll be able to join us.
Published on March 28, 2025.
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