Zoos are full of some of the most exotic and interesting animals in the world.  They’re fun places to spend a day with the family.  And they allow access to animals that people may not ever be able to see otherwise, from penguins to polar bears to tropical birds.  Visiting a zoo is like visiting all the areas of the globe in one day.  There are many interesting facts about zoos that many people don’t know, though.  Did you know any of the following?

Fact 1:  The third week in July is National Zookeeper Week!  This is the week when people all over the nation celebrate the jobs of their local zookeepers.  Zookeepers have a difficult job, as they are tasked with keeping the animals safe and happy.  Not only do they feed the animals, but they build the enclosures and clean them out.  They also have interpersonal relationships with the animals.  Zookeepers get to watch different animals in the zoos grow up.

Fact 2:  Zoos have been around since 3500 B.C!  There has been evidence found of zoos this old, with animals like hippos and elephants and baboons and wildcats.  It seems that since the dawn of civilization, people have been fascinated with the idea of many exotic animals being kept in one place.  

Fact 3:  Over 600 million people all over the world visit zoos every year!  Germany has more zoos than any other country in the world, topping the list at a whopping 414.  This is amazing, especially for a European country with a relatively small amount of land.  The United States has more than 350 zoos, over thirty of which have more than one million visitors a year.

Fact 4:  The average admission price to a United States zoo for an adult is about $9.01.  The most expensive zoo in the world is Safari West in California, with a ticket price of $58.00!

Fact 5:  The most expensive child ticket price is $29.99 to SeaWorld in California.  California zoos seem to be notoriously expensive.

Fact 6:  The oldest zoo that’s still operating today is Vienna Zoo in Schonbrunn.  It started in 1752, meaning that it’s been housing animals and serving people for over 250 years!

Fact 7:  The biggest zoo in the United States is Red McCombs Wildlife.  This zoo has over 12,500 acres!

Fact 8:  The Montery Bay Aquarium has more animals than any other zoo in the world.  It houses 124,000 individual animals!

Fact 9:  The National Zoo in Washington D.C. has over four hundred different species of animals.  A fourth of these are endangered.  The zoo is doing its best to help to repopulate these species of animals so that the world can retain its varied and diverse animals.

Fact 10:   The National Zoo in Washington D.C. isn’t just home to animals.  It also has many different types of exotic plants to make the animals more at home.  There are over 180 species of tree, 850 different shrubs, and 40 different types of grass!