Franklin Park Zoo Does Anyone Have Any Information About the Franklin Park Zoo?

Animallover360

Animallover360

Well-Known Member
Hello, I was just researching the history of the Franklin Park Zoo, and I am mainly focuses on the Tropical Forest. I am trying to find information from when it only had African animals. Does anyone know any of the species in the African Forest and which exhibit they were in? All I know is that the Anteater exhibit was once home to warthogs, and I think the former capybara exhibit (now 2nd Pygmy hippo exhibit for the baby) was home to yellow backed duikers. If anyone has any information about the history of the African Forest, you are welcome to share.
 
From what I remember, when I first visited (late 80s/early 90s) the line up was (in order of path): Gorilla, talapoin, black leopard, (can't remember what was in current capybara), pygmy hippo, potto, (tamarin, pygmy falcon and snakes didn't exist), Marabou or Saddle bills, warthog, mud turtle, ball python, bongo Ruwenzori/Straw colored bats, dwarf croc, Debrazzas and Mandrill.
Outside was gorilla, (couldn't remember current hyena but remember seeing an old map saying water buffalo) and bongo.
Interestingly the original design also had elephants as part of it!
 
PSO said:
From what I remember, when I first visited (late 80s/early 90s) the line up was (in order of path): Gorilla, talapoin, black leopard, (can't remember what was in current capybara), pygmy hippo, potto, (tamarin, pygmy falcon and snakes didn't exist), Marabou or Saddle bills, warthog, mud turtle, ball python, bongo Ruwenzori/Straw colored bats, dwarf croc, Debrazzas and Mandrill.
Outside was gorilla, (couldn't remember current hyena but remember seeing an old map saying water buffalo) and bongo.
Interestingly the original design also had elephants as part of it!
Click to expand...
Wow, thank you for the information! I think I saw something somewhere that said yellow backed duikers lived where the former capybara exhibit was. :)
 
I found this fascinating article which provides a lot of historical details related to the construction of the tropical forest pavilion. The article also details several other large pavilions that were part of the zoo's old master plan but never built. It makes my mouth water, imagining what the zoo would be like today if more of that plan had actually been constructed.

FROM A to ZOO | DiMella Shaffer

According to the comments below the article, it seems like elephants may have actually been planned for a bush forest pavilion, separate from the tropical forest pavilion that was actually constructed.
 
ZooElephantsMan said:
I found this fascinating article which provides a lot of historical details related to the construction of the tropical forest pavilion. The article also details several other large pavilions that were part of the zoo's old master plan but never built. It makes my mouth water, imagining what the zoo would be like today if more of that plan had actually been constructed.

FROM A to ZOO | DiMella Shaffer

According to the comments below the article, it seems like elephants may have actually been planned for a bush forest pavilion, separate from the tropical forest pavilion that was actually constructed.
Click to expand...
This article is interesting! Thanks for sharing! :)
 
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