Just about every child gets excited about a trip to the zoo. Your first zoo experience makes a lasting impression, and for most kids, helps to cultivate a love and appreciation for animals from across the globe. The Brandywine Zoo in Wilmington’s Brandywine Park is a great way to introduce your child to the wide variety of wildlife our planet has to offer.
Brandywine Park is a member of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) and one of over 200 accredited zoos and aquariums in North America. The small 12-acre zoo features animals from North America, South America, Asia, and Africa. They’re also involved in conservation programs which help protect the health of our wildlife and our planet as a whole. Some of our Delaware adoption professionals‘ favorite aspects of the Brandywine Zoo include:
Animals
The Brandywine Zoo is home to 28 species of wildlife, including various mammals, birds, reptiles, and invertebrates. During the winter months, some of these creatures may not be present at the zoo.
Mammals
There are 12 species of mammals currently residing in the zoo, hailing from all corners of the globe. These include:
- North American Porcupine
- Two-Toed Sloth
- Swift Fox
- Serval
- Red Panda
- Prehensile-Tailed Porcupine
- North American River Otters
- Llama
- Golden Lion Tamarin
- Capybara
- Florida Bobcat
- African Pygmy Goat
Birds
There are also 12 species of birds on display at the Brandywine Zoo, from both temperature and tropical climates. The diverse selection includes:
- Wood Duck
- Sandhill Crane
- Ringed Teal Duck
- Hooded Merganser
- Greater Rhea
- Cinnamon Teal Duck
- Burrowing Owl
- Black-Crowned Night Heron
- Andean Condor
- American Kestrel
- Blue & Yellow Macaw
- Bald Eagle
Reptiles
The zoo currently has three types of reptiles on display:
- Green Tree Python
- Mossy Prehensile-Tailed Gecko
- Prehensile-Tailed Skink
Invertebrates
The Brandywine Zoo only has one invertebrate in its collection: the Italian Honey Bee. This species of bee can be found in all but the coldest climates of the world and is one of the most widely distributed species of honey bees on earth. They’re on display in the zoo from early May through mid-September each year.
Conservation Programs
While anti-zoo advocates may see zoos as immoral, facilities like the Brandywine Zoo actually work hard towards protecting our planet’s wildlife and environment as a whole. The Brandywine Zoo is active in several local conservation programs:
Delaware Kestrel Partnership
Since 2014, the zoo has been running a monitoring project for the American kestrel in Delaware. The population of kestrel has been in steady decline in the state, and this project seeks to study breeding and populations here to determine why this decline is occurring and how it can be reversed.
Delaware Wildlife Rehabilitators Association
The zoo consistently works with and offers support to the Delaware Wildlife Rehabilitators Association by providing them with supplies, advice, and funding. This group works to care for sick, injured, and abandoned animals.
Tristate Bird Rescue & Research
The Zoo and the Tristate Bird Rescue & Research program have had a cooperative relationship for many years. The research program offers medical and nutritional care and advice for the Zoo’s bird collection, while the Zoo offers a home to some the research program’s rescue birds, helps place birds at other zoos, purchases hard-to-find food and supplies, and provides freezer space for the research program’s large quantities of frozen fish.
The Delaware Clean Water Alliance
The Zoo works with several other organizations in stakeholders in a coalition for securing funding for clean water initiatives in Delaware. This group works to educate the population on the importance of making sure our water supply is clean.
The zoo is also involved in a few international conservation programs, including:
- The conservation of Andean Condors in Colombia
- The study, preservation, and protection of Lion Tamarins in Brazil
- The preservation of Central America’s ecosystem’s through a program called Paso Pacifico in Nicaragua
