The Buffalo Zoo’s 150th anniversary

By Kylie Franklin

The Buffalo Zoo is celebrating their 150th anniversary this year, marking them as the 3rd oldest Zoo in the United States. The Zoo’s old history dates back to 1875, when the Zoo was just over 23 acres and held five white tail deer. From then to now, the Zoo houses nearly 1,000 animals and works efficiently to preserve its historical touch as the 3rd oldest Zoo in the United States.

Originally, the Zoo ‘s first animals were two white-tailed deer donated in 1870. With no building yet in place they were kept at a small plot of land in Delaware park. Within the next 5 years, 3 more deers would be donated to the park, resulting in the first infrastructure to be built and named the official Buffalo Zoological Gardens. “Zoos were meant to give urban personnel exposure to the natural world that they wouldn’t get otherwise” says Arron Cobaugh, an ex-zookeeper from the Buffalo Zoo and current Animal Management professor at SUNY Niagara “So they may have started with white tailed deer and domestic hoof stock, but the idea was ease of care, ease of capture, stuff like that. As zoos grew in footprint, exotic animals became part of the collection, subsequent to that” Cobaugh adds. The Zoo has come a long way since its origins, evolving from a small plot of land with only two deer, to now becoming 23.5 acres and housing around 1,000 animals. According to the Buffalo Zoo’s Instagram page, they have recently welcomed a new emerald tree monitor lizard; the first of its kind to be received at the Buffalo Zoo. The Zoo has also welcomed a male Amur tiger, the first male tiger to be at the Buffalo Zoo since 2011.

Over the years the Zoo has grown with its exhibits, keeping their oldest historical buildings renovated while modernizing their enclosures. With all these updates and developments, money is a huge factor in the Zoo’s actual renovation possibilities. On January 31st, 2025 the Buffalo Zoo received a $9 million capital grant from Empire State Development to aid in upcoming projects from the Zoo. Repairs and renovations usually cast overtime, which for the non profit Buffalo Zoo can come with financial challenges. However, this grant allows for the Zoo to make improvements towards not just the exhibits, but the park itself. The Buffalo Zoo has an estimated 400,000-500,000 annual visitors, and having these renovations can help improve the Zoo for future visitors and tourists. With the money from the grant the Zoo will be able to preserve its historical features as well as develop new and better features for the park and enclosures. This shows just how far the Buffalo Zoo has come publicly compared to 1929, when the city had not funded the Zoo for over 17 years, which resulted in a meeting that would solidify the Zoological society in 1931.

The Zoo’s “Arctic Edge” is filled with animals that love the cold and snow, making this exhibit more active and enjoyable during winter months. Currently you can now see the Zoo’s two polar bears – Sakari and Luna – in the same enclosure due to the oncoming mating season. The Zoo also has announced plans towards renovating the reptile house, where they plan to replace the animal enclosures with an art-gallery, two conversation ponds, and expand the Komodo dragons enclosure. If the cold becomes too much, the rainforest exhibit features a south-american climate that is filled with exotic and colorful animals. These are recent developments for the Zoo that are very popular and beneficial for the animals.

            The Buffalo Zoo that had once started as just a small plot of land with a couple of deer and posting is now the 3rd oldest Zoo in the United States. It will continue to develop and grow as time moves forward, with plans already set in place and new exhibits beginning to be discussed. Numerous changes have been made to improve the Zoo, consistently trying their best to make sure everything is modernized and safe. With this new grant, the Zoo will be able to make further improvements and changes within the next few years, so keep an eye out for these changes.