[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 167 (Monday, November 9, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2753]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   110TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BRONX ZOO

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                          HON. JOSE E. SERRANO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Saturday, November 7, 2009

  Mr. SERRANO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 110th 
anniversary of the Bronx Zoo, a milestone in the cultural history of 
New York City. The Bronx Zoo opened its doors on November 8, 1899, and 
is the largest metropolitan zoo in the country with approximately 4 
million visitors annually and featuring 6,000 animals and 600 species.
  The Bronx Zoo continues to win awards for its world class exhibits 
and is well known for creating naturalistic habitats. Chief among them 
is the Congo Gorilla Forest which is one of the zoo's most popular 
exhibits. Spanning more than 6\1/2\ acres, the exhibit's main 
attraction is the western lowland gorillas, making up the species 
largest breeding group in all of the Americas. The Gorilla Forest is 
the largest man made rainforest in the world. The rain forest 
simulation gives visitors the chance to experience the Congo as if they 
were there. Along with the lowland gorillas, the exhibit is home to 
white bearded debrazza monkeys, okapis and red river hogs. Since the 
opening of the exhibit, it has had 7 million visitors. The exhibit fees 
go to help conservation efforts in Africa which have helped 18 National 
Parks in such countries as Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the 
Congo, Rwanda, and Gabon.
  From the zoo grounds, hundreds of conservationists work every day 
hand-in-hand with more than 3,000 employees located in 65 developing 
countries around the world. The zoo's first conservation achievement 
was here in the United States of America, where, by 1905, uncontrolled 
hunting had reduced the great herds of bison to fewer than 1,000 
animals. Theodore Roosevelt, along with William Hornaday, the Bronx 
Zoo's first director, were founding members of the American Bison 
Society, ABS, an organization formed at the Bronx Zoo to preserve this 
icon of the American prairies. In 1907, the Bronx Zoo sent a group of 
zoo-born bison to Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Montana to help 
reestablish the species throughout the plains. Along with its broad 
conservation efforts, the Bronx Zoo's award winning exhibits and 
pioneering research has garnered world recognition.
  In the Bronx, the zoo's impact is felt in yet another way. In 
addition to being a cultural staple and headquarters for an 
international conservation organization, it is an economic cornerstone 
in the Bronx. On average, the Bronx Zoo employs more than 750 full-time 
staff per year and is the largest employer of youth in the borough, 
providing employment opportunities, job skills training, and 
scholarship opportunities for more than 700 teenagers each year. Two 
years ago, the Bronx Zoo opened the first New York City public school 
focused on wildlife conservation. At the school, children can learn 
math, sciences, history, and arts by interacting with the zoo's animals 
and experts.
  Madam Speaker, it is my honor to recognize the Bronx Zoo on its 110th 
anniversary and to applaud the institution for its efforts in leading 
the world in wildlife conservation as well as bringing joy to the 
millions of visitors who have walked through its gates.

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