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Lake Superior Zoo (Duluth Zoo)

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Photograph of Bert Onsgard with Billy the deer, Lake Superior Zoo, 1923.

Bert Onsgard with Billy the deer, Lake Superior Zoo, 1923.

Since its opening in 1923, the Lake Superior Zoo has evolved into a modern attraction accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) with hundreds of animals from around the world. Zoo staff work to provide close-up animal experiences that inspire connections to wildlife and action towards conservation in northern Minnesota and around the world.

The Lake Superior Zoo (Duluth Zoo) began in 1923 with a pen built by Bert Onsgard for his pet deer. He envisioned a zoo in West Duluth. The Pittsburgh Steel Company donated fencing, local citizens donated exotic animals, and school children raised money to buy a pair of lion cubs. During the Great Depression years, the Works Progress Administration built bridges over Kingsbury Creek and enclosures for the animals.

The zoo's popularity increased in the 1930s and 1940s as more animals made their debut, with some reaching celebrity status. Crowd favorites included Bessie the elephant and Valerie, a Himalayan black bear that flew as a mascot on bombing missions in World War II. An Indian mongoose named Mr. Magoo arrived in Duluth on a merchant ship and caused a stir when it was given to the zoo in 1962. It was illegal to have a mongoose in the United States. The US government ordered the animal euthanized, but public pressure resulted in an official pardon from President John F. Kennedy.

The zoo's exhibits grew to include polar bears, jaguars, a hippopotamus, hyenas, chimpanzees, and other animals. For a time, the zoo served as a polar bear breeding facility. Bison, black bears, and other North American animals became popular attractions. In the 1960s and 1970s, families enjoyed Thornton’s Kiddieland and riding the steam-powered train that ran in Fairmount Park next to the zoo.

The 1980s brought a new movement, led by the AZA. Zoos built natural habitats for animals and gave them toys and activities to enrich their lives. The Duluth Zoo's message grew beyond wildlife conservation to include concern for the environment. With better animal welfare, education, and conservation efforts, the zoo earned its first accreditation from the AZA in 1985.

The zoo's name changed to the Lake Superior Zoo in the mid-1980s to reflect its regional value. In 1987 officials shared a master plan for a modern zoo that required major renovations. The state legislature, the City of Duluth, and citizens invested $7 million dollars in improvements. Projects included natural habitats for large cats and bears and a new Australian exhibit building. The original Elephant House became the Polar Shores exhibit in 1990, housing the zoo's polar bears, harbor seals, and other arctic animals.

In the 1990s, the updated main building contained a new primate exhibit, classrooms, and other features. An observation deck overlooked the Amur tiger exhibit and zoo park. Other new facilities included a snow leopard exhibit, a primate conservation center, and the Willard Munger Animal Care Center to provide modern veterinary care for the zoo's animals.

The zoo lost its accreditation status with the AZA in 2006 but regained it in 2011 after the City of Duluth turned the operation of the zoo over to the non-profit Lake Superior Zoological Society.

On June 20, 2012, torrential rains caused Kingsbury Creek to overflow its banks and flood portions of the zoo. Fourteen animals lost their lives. Two harbor seals and a polar bear escaped their exhibits but were recovered. Due to extensive damage to the Polar Shores habitat, the zoo moved the harbor seals and polar bear to Como Park Zoo & Conservatory in St. Paul. The Great Lakes Aquarium in Duluth gave the North American river otters a temporary home. The zoo reopened on July 13, 2012, but visitation and revenue fell.

After the flood, the zoo renovated its WPA-era bluestone open-air pavilion into an indoor classroom and special event venue. The city started a new master-planning process that was completed in early 2016. During that time, the zoo moved forward with construction of a new silver fox exhibit, new enclosures for its raptors, and renovation of the two-story primate exhibit. New exhibits featuring Bennett’s wallabies, sugar gliders, and critically endangered turtles opened in the Australia and Oceania building. Grants and donations allowed the zoo to purchase a “Zoomobile” van and other equipment, and expand educational programs.

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Lake Superior Zoo. The History of the Lake Superior Zoo.
http://www.lszooduluth.org/about-the-zoo/zoo-history/

"Lake Superior Zoo History Presentation." YouTube video, 4:00. Posted by Lake Superior Zoo, May 28, 2014.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRTstln07kU

Lake Superior Zoological Gardens History Project, 2010.
Lake Superior Zoo, Duluth, Minnesota

Related Images

Photograph of Bert Onsgard with Billy the deer, Lake Superior Zoo, 1923.
Photograph of Bert Onsgard with Billy the deer, Lake Superior Zoo, 1923.
Photograph of Billy the deer at four years old, Lake Superior Zoo, ca. 1927.
Photograph of Billy the deer at four years old, Lake Superior Zoo, ca. 1927.
Photograph of Chimpanzee House, Duluth Zoo, ca. 1936.
Photograph of Chimpanzee House, Duluth Zoo, ca. 1936.
Bird’s eye view of the Duluth Zoo, ca. 1940.
Bird’s eye view of the Duluth Zoo, ca. 1940.
Photograph of the interior of the Duluth Zoo (Federal Art Project), ca. 1939.
Photograph of the interior of the Duluth Zoo (Federal Art Project), ca. 1939.
Photograph of an interior mural by Ingrid Edwards, Duluth Zoo, Duluth, ca. 1939.
Photograph of an interior mural by Ingrid Edwards, Duluth Zoo, Duluth, ca. 1939.
Photograph of the bear den at the Duluth Zoo, ca. 1940.
Photograph of the bear den at the Duluth Zoo, ca. 1940.
Photograph of Lloyd Hackl with Mr. Magoo the mongoose, 1963.
Photograph of Lloyd Hackl with Mr. Magoo the mongoose, 1963.
Photograph of a rhinoceros at the Lake Superior Zoo
Photograph of a rhinoceros at the Lake Superior Zoo
Photograph of Bessie the elephant at the Lake Superior Zoo, 1974.
Photograph of Bessie the elephant at the Lake Superior Zoo, 1974.
Photograph of Berlin the polar bear playing with a ball on her eighteenth birthday, 2007. Photo by Lake Superior Zoo.
Photograph of Berlin the polar bear playing with a ball on her eighteenth birthday, 2007. Photo by Lake Superior Zoo.
Photograph of flood damage to the Lake Superior Zoo
Photograph of flood damage to the Lake Superior Zoo

Turning Point

In 1985 the Duluth Zoo receives its first Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accreditation.

Chronology

1900

The City of Duluth begins to develop Fairmount Park.

1923

Bert Onsgard opens the Duluth Zoo with Billy the white-tailed deer as its first animal.

1930

Bessie the elephant takes up residence in the newly completed Elephant House, built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

1931

The zoo's two-story main building is completed. It houses primates and large cats.

1940

The zoo's bear den, another WPA project, is completed.

1946

The zoo receives the donation of a Himalayan black bear known as Valerie.

1959

The Arrowhead Zoological Society is formed and begins a zoo membership program. The City of Duluth begins to charge admission to the Duluth Zoo.

1963

Mr. Magoo, a mongoose who had arrived at the zoo with a merchant seaman a year earlier and was sentenced to euthanasia by the US government as an illegal alien species, is granted a presidential pardon by John F. Kennedy.

1980s

Improvements at the zoo following the release of Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) guidelines improve the living conditions of the zoo's animals and emphasize animal conservation programming.

1985

The zoo is awarded its first Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accreditation.

1990

The zoo acquires two polar bears: Bubba and Berlin.

2009

The City of Duluth turns over management of the zoo to the Lake Superior Zoological Society on March 1.

June 20, 2012

Nine inches of rain cause serious flooding in the zoo, killing fourteen animals and displacing polar bears, harbor seals, and river otters.

July 13, 2012

The zoo reopens after flood damage is repaired.

2016

The City of Duluth and Lake Superior Zoological Society work together to create a new master plan for the zoo.