Sao Paulo zoo was established in the year 1954, after an order was passed by the erstwhile Governor, Mr. Emilio Varoli. The Governor was also the Director of the Agriculture Secretariat’s Hunting and Fishing Department. The official opening of the Sao Paulo zoo took place on the 16th of March in 1958. Presently, the zoo is under the jurisdiction of the Sao Paulo Zoological Garden Foundation. Though, entry to the zoo in Sao Paulo was free of cost in the first year of inauguration, since 1959, a nominal charge has been implemented.
The zoo in Sao Paulo has a huge variety of the African wildlife. Among all the other animals, camels, lions, elephants and bears were obtained from a nearby private circus. The rest of the Brazilian animals, like, the jaguars as well as the cocks-of-the-rock were procured from Manaus. The Sao Paulo zoo is in fact one of the first zoological gardens in the South American countries, which took an initiative to preserve some of the most endangered wildlife species. These species include the neotropical felines, the lion marmosets, miniature blue macaws, Spix’s macaw, white rhinoceros and Lear’s macaws.
Several investments and developments are carried on in the zoo of Sao Paulo. It was called Brazil’s foremost zoo in the year 1994. In the same year, the zoo was placed under the “E” category, which is the highest category the zoo has ever been awarded with, by the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources or the IBAMA. The company by the name of “Simba Safari” reintegrated in the Sao Paulo Zoological Gardens Foundation. The Sao Paulo zoo was then opened to the public as Zoo Safari, on the 5th of June.
The total area over which the Sao Paulo zoo stretches
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itself is approximately 900,000 square meters. Most of the region in the zoo is covered by the Atlantic Rain Forest. The zoo is also famous for another reason. The historical Ipiranga stream has chosen the zoological garden at Sao Paulo as its home and most of the lakes are formed due to the presence of this stream. In fact, these lakes attract a large species of birds from all across the world and in turn attract a huge number of tourists from all over the globe.
Presently, the total number of animals that are registered at the Sao Paulo zoo is 3,200 that include one hundred species of mammals, two hundred species of birds and ninety-eight species of reptiles, invertebrates and amphibians.
The Sao Paulo zoo is also significant for another reason that it has gone a long way to contribute in issues related to the problems that are faced by the animals in Brazil. It has taken many scientific steps in order to ensure the safety and the precautionary measures, with the help of other institutions like, the Biological Institute of Sao Paulo, the Butantan Institute and the Adolfo Lutz Institute. Together with these institutions, the Sao Paulo zoo has formed agreements for the safety of its animals, with the Julio de Mesquita Filho State University UNESP, the University of Sao Paulo, the State University of Londrina in Parana, the Federal University of Campina Grande in Paraiba and the Federal University of Santa Maria in Rio Grande do Sul.
The Sao Paulo zoo organizes guided tours for the public, special courses for school teachers, instructional presentations regarding the animals as well as on issues related to the preservation of the environment for the health of the animals.
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