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Letters From The Time Traveler: The Great Extinction 2050
Polar Bears, Sea Otters, and Koala Bears Are Now Gone Too
Dearest,
It would break your heart to learn how many animals have gone extinct since I have been traveling.
I remember from one of your letters that you and the children (then adults) visited the first zoo in America in Philadelphia.
The Philadelphia Zoo opened its doors to the public on July 1, 1874, making it the first zoo in the United States. The zoo’s opening was delayed by the Civil War, though the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania had chartered the Zoological Society of Philadelphia in 1859.
The zoo opened with over 600 animals, including a pair of rare birds donated by President Ulysses S. Grant, and admission cost 25 cents. The zoo also housed animals brought to the U.S. by the Smithsonian Institution from safaris before the Smithsonian built its own National Zoo.
The Philadelphia Zoo is known for its innovations in animal care and commitment to wildlife, and has been a leader in the zoo community since its opening. It was the first zoo to have successful…
