Founded in 1888, the Oregon Zoo in Portland’s Washington Park is the oldest zoo west of the Mississippi River. It grew from Richard Knight’s donation of two bears into a major public wildlife institution, moving to its present site in 1959. The zoo became especially well known for its elephants, gaining international attention when Packy was born there in 1962, the first elephant born in the Western Hemisphere in 44 years, and later developing a highly successful elephant breeding program. Now operated by Metro, it houses more than 1,800 animals and plays a major conservation role, especially in breeding and releasing California condors.

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Portland, Oregon · USA