Lehigh Valley Zoo

The Lehigh Valley Zoo is a 29-acre (11.7 ha) zoo located in Schnecksville in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. It is located inside the 1,100-acre (445 ha) Trexler Nature Preserve. The zoo is open year round.

Lehigh Valley Zoo
Entrance to the Lehigh Valley Zoo in June 2013
40.658251°N 75.625956°W / 40.658251; -75.625956
Date opened	1974 [1]
Location	Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Land area	29 acres (11.7 ha) [1]
No. of animals	275 [2]
No. of species	70 [2]
Annual visitors	100,000 + 30,000 students (2011) [1]
Memberships	AZA[3]
Website	www.lvzoo.org

Lehigh Valley Zoo has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) since March 2006.^[1]

History

Christmas lights at Lehigh Valley Zoo in Schnecksville in December 2020

In 1906, Harry Clay Trexler started purchasing farms in Lowhill and North Whitehall townships to create a preserve to help protect bison, elk, and white-tailed deer. He purchased a total of 36 farms comprising 1,108 acres (448 ha) before he died, and then bequeathed the land to Lehigh County. In 1935, the area officially became the Trexler-Lehigh County Game Preserve.^[4]

Construction on the children's zoo in the park began in 1974. When it opened, the zoo included petting and feeding exhibits and exotic animals from Africa, Asia, and Australia.^[5]

In 2004, with the original purpose of saving native species accomplished, the county opened the entire preserve to the public.^[4] At the same time, the Lehigh Valley Zoological Society took over management of the zoo within the park.^[5]

Conservation

In 2009, the zoo was participating in three Species Survival Plans (SSP): African penguin, mongoose lemur, and scimitar-horned oryx.

Gallery

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  Grant's zebra
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  Mexican wolf
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  American bison