WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Claire McCaskill and Kit Bond today applauded the Senate for passage of a resolution honoring the 100th anniversary of the founding of the St. Louis Zoo. The St. Louis Zoo is commemorating the milestone on Friday, September 24, 2010.
In 1910, inspired by the 1904 World's Fair Flight Cage, a group of citizens formed the St. Louis Zoological Society to encourage the city to establish a zoo. In the 100 years since, the zoo has grown to include 700 species over 90 acres in Forest Park and has welcomed millions of visitors.
"As a kid, I vividly remember the excitement of getting to go to the St. Louis Zoo. I am one of the millions of Missourians who have enjoyed the zoo throughout its long, proud history, and I couldn't be happier that the Senate has chosen to honor the zoo with this resolution," McCaskill said.
"While Missourians have long known what a local treasure the St. Louis Zoo is to our state, it's also been consistently recognized internationally as one of the world's top zoos for both their proud reputation and world renown wildlife conservation," said Bond. "I'm proud that the Senate has honored the zoo with this resolution for their 100 years of proud history."
The St. Louis Zoo is a world leader in conservation of endangered species and their habitats. The zoo's work in this area centers around its Endangered Species Research Center and Veterinary Hospital and the WildCare Institute. The zoo also provides the public with numerous educational opportunities. Generations of Missourians have benefited from the zoo's educational resources and classroom presentations.
Centennial celebrations at the zoo began earlier this year and have continued over the past several months, culminating in the anniversary on Friday. |
