Emperor Valley Zoo

The Emperor Valley Zoo is the only zoo in Trinidad and Tobago. It is located North of the Queen's Park Savannah and West of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Port of Spain.

Emperor Valley Zoo
10.6742°N 61.5187°W / 10.6742; -61.5187
Date opened8 November 1952
LocationZoo Road, St. Clair, Port of Spain
No. of animalsover 2300
No. of speciesover 200
WebsiteEmperor Valley Zoo website

The zoo was first opened on 8 November 1952 by Governor Sir Hubert Rance. At that time, there were 10 cages containing 127 animals, mainly indigenous species. It now has a collection of over 2300 animals and over 200 species.

The zoo was named after the large, blue Emperor or Morpho butterfly which once frequented the valley in which the zoo is situated. It covers 7.2 acres.

There are both local and foreign animals: lions, ocelots, parrots, macaws and many more including snakes, caiman, wildfowl giraffes, tigers and others. The categories include small mammals, large cats, a reptile house, aquariums, a deer park, primates and ponds.[1]

The zoo has undergone major upgrades over the past few years, both for upkeep to its existing infrastructure to bring it up to international standards as well as in preparation for additions to its animal stock. These upgrades have been undertaken by the Zoological Society of Trinidad and Tobago (ZSTT).[2][3] with financial assistance from the government of Trinidad and Tobago to the value of TTD $56 Million.

During the upgrade period there has been the construction of a Giraffe enclosure, which was populated in December 2013 by two giraffes[4] and the addition of a Tiger exhibit which received three tigers in 2014 - two white Bengals and a ginger Bengal.[5] The White Bengals have successfully bred and have had two cubs in January 2015.

The two giraffes in their enclosure at the Emperor Valley Zoo. Part of the greater modernization and expansion of the zoo.

On 12 October 2016, the zoo announced that they had received six llamas from a nature park in Texas, USA. Zoo officials stated that of the six llamas, four are female.[6]

Giant River Otters at the Emperor Valley Zoo

References
  1. "List of Species" (PDF). Zoological Society of Trinidad and Tobago Inc. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
  2. "Current Projects - Infrastructural Development & Upgrade (Expansion) Project". Zoological Society of Trinidad and Tobago Inc. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
  3. "Emperor Valley Zoo spreads wings". Newsday. 6 April 2009. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
  4. "Visitors name giraffes Melman and Mandela | Trinidad Express Newspaper | News". Archived from the original on 23 December 2013.
  5. "Trinidad Express Newspapers: | Two tiger cubs born at zoo". Archived from the original on 21 February 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  6. Santoo, Sandhya (14 October 2016). "Emperor Valley Zoo gets six young llamas". Daily Express. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
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