The Elsie City Zoo!

The Elsie City Zoo is my fictional zoo.

The Zoo started in the 1930's as a WPA program. You can still see the original Art Deco architecture in various buildings around the zoo. The Art Nouveau Botanical Conservatory and Art Deco Elephant building and Ticket office are modeled on the module.

The zoo has tried to keep up with changes in the philosophy of zoo design. For example, the Elephants were once displayed in pits. One pit has been filled in and beome the present Elephant enclosure, the other is currently used as the Orang Utan display.

The zoo is home to an aggressive species preservation program. We also preserve some passive aggressive species.

The zoo is large enough that it has always included a zoo train. Originally the zoo train was hauled by horses, however this was expensive and presented a constant threat of transmitting diseases between the horses and the other animals. The zoo train was converted to a locomotive pulled train in 1940.

The zoo train not only hauls people around the zoo, it's also used to haul equipment about the zoo, distribute feed and remove manure.Much of the feed is distributed on special cars that carry small carts. The railroad has a couple of special pressure cleaning cars for keeping the zoo clean. The zoo railroad even has a couple of 'stock cars' for transporting animals. This is done very carefully!

Until we get better organized, here's a bunch of pictures of the zoo

Australia

Our Australian Outback exhibit contains Koalas, Wombats, Emus, and Kangaroos. The 'roos are out in this shot. There are plenty of gum trees for the koalas, but they're shy creatures. Maybe we'll entice one out later.

Thanks to a generous donation from "neighbors of the zoo", we now have a fence around the Australian exhibit. Something about the dingoes....

The Elsie City Botanical Conservatory

The conservatory has an amazing collection of plant species from around the world, including the only example of the Pune brass palm. The conservatory is currently hosting an exhibit , "Crops of California". The Humboldt County entry is especially popular.

Gormezano Gardens

The zoo is full of shady spots, just the place to relax and take the load off your feet for a few minutes. This is Gormezano Gardens, our floral garden.

Seals and Penguins

Weddell Seals and Emperor Penguins live happily togather in the Antarctic, and at the zoo. Ungainly on land, seals and penguins are adapted for speed underwater.

Elephants

Our African elephants are much loved. They live in a newly remodeled enclosure, and in the

Elephant House