The Buenos Aires Zoo covers 18 hectares (44 acres) in the Palermo district in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Zoo contains 89 species of mammals, 49 species of reptiles and 175 species of birds, with a total of over 2,500 different animal species. The institution's goals are to conserve species, produce research and to educate the public.
President Domingo Sarmiento was responsible for the laying out of the Parque Tres de Febrero in land previously owned by Juan Manuel de Rosas. The project was begun in 1874; the park was opened on November 11, 1875, and included a small section dedicated for animals. This area was owned by the Federal Government until 1888 when it was transferred to the City of Buenos Aires. In that year, Mayor Antonio Crespo created the Buenos Aires Zoo, and separated it from the rest of the park.
Its first director was Eduardo Ladislao Holmberg, who was appointed in 1888 and stayed in that position for 15 years. He was the major designer of the area. Holmberg completed the assignment of the different parks, lakes and avenues, and began the exhibition of the 650 animals that the zoo had at that time. In that period zoos around the world did not have the same function as they do today; their main goal was recreational, and they had less space for animals and a large recreational area for visitors.
Clemente Onelli was the director from 1904 to 1924 and promoted the Zoo Gardens. Onelli added a pedagogical aspect to the zoo by implementing pony, elephant and camel rides, increasing the amount of visitors (from 1,500 to 15,000) during his first year of office.
