ABSTRACT

The St Louis Zoo started almost by accident. In 1803 the territories along the Mississippi River, then known collectively as Louisiana, and including the city of St Louis, were purchased by the United States from France. In 1910, a Zoological Society of St Louis was founded and began to collect the money to buy the aviary for the city. The Zoo occupies a block of land near the centre of the city, close to the Art Museum. The site slopes gently and is effectively divided up into several areas by an x-shaped series of lakes and ponds. Birds are a special feature of the St Louis Zoo, which keeps representatives of over 300 species belonging to 60 families. St Louis also maintains a good penguin collection inside the Aquatic Animal House, with underwater viewing, cooling facilities, and air and water filtration.