About Honolulu ZooThe Honolulu Zoo is the only zoo within a radius of 2,392 miles. It is also the only zoo in the United States that originated in a Kingbs grant of royal lands to the people. In 1876, King David Kalakaua, Monarch of Hawaibi, made lands of the Leahi Crown Holdings available, "to the people of Hawaibi."The 300 acre parcel was primarily a marshland of old fish ponds, lagoons and islands. In 1877, it was officially opened as Queen Kapiolani Park. Appointed Park Association members developed the unpromising land with the help of royal subsidies to display the Kingbs private bird collection and to feature a horseracing track.In 1914, the City of Honolulu assumed responsibility for the park and the first Park Director, Ben Hollinger, began collecting animals. He began with a monkey, bear and an African elephant "for the children of Hawaibi." With a world-wide reputation for its Bird-of-paradise collection, in 1938 "Kapiolani Bird Park" grew to include three large aviary complexes. E.H. Lewis, noted ornithologist and superintendent of the bird park on Santa Catalina Island, Ca. was brought in to supervise the establishment of "modern" techniques for breeding and bird care.In 1947, 42.5 acres within Kapiolani Park, was designated as the Honolulu Zoo. Paul Breese was hired as the first Zoo Director and worked to developed its first Master Plan In 1952, the zoo was converted to a "popular" layout showing animals in taxonomic groupings of bird, reptile and mammal exhibits. The first director was succeeded by Jack Throp, and the staff increased to twenty-eight. Jerome S. Marr became the third director in 1979.The modern Honolulu Zoo originated in 1984, when a second Master Plan was developed for a Tropical Zoological Garden. It organized all exhibits into three tropical ecological zones: the African Savanna, Asian and American Tropical Forests, and Pacific Islands.It was during this time that Don G. Davis became the fourth director with Ken Redman as his assistant. Zoo staffing grew to between 80-85 employees. In 1993, Ken Redman, was named to the Director's position. Until his retirement in 2008, he worked on updating the zoobs Master Plan and re-formulating the mission statement:The mission of the Honolulu Zoo is to inspire stewardship of our living world by providing meaningful experiences to our guests. The Zoo emphasizes Pacific tropical island ecosystems and our traditional values of malama (caring) and ho`okipa (hospitality).Operated by the City and County of Honolulu, the Waikiki land on which it is located belongs to the Kapiolani Charitable trust by an agreement between the Republic of Hawaibi and the Kapiolani Park Association. The aim of the agreement was for the now 220 acres of Kapiolani Park to remain a place of natural beauty and ornamental landscaping, and to ensure free, recreation grounds for the benefit of Hawaibibs residents and visitors.Honolulu Zoo BeginningsLike other oceanic islands, Hawaii has birds to thank, in large part, for the introduction and dispersal of seeds that grew to create our diverse island ecosystems. In response to this diversity, one common finch-like ancestor evolved into dozens of colorful honeycreepers especially suited for Hawaiibs forests.Originally, this site was mostly marshland covered with lagoons The native Hawaiians developed the area into an ahupua`a, a wedge of land extending from the mountain to the sea, following the natural boundaries of the watershed. Each ahupua`a contained the resources the human community needed, from fish and salt, to fertile land for farming taro or sweet potato, to koa and other trees growing in upslope areas. In 1877, the marshes, ponds and lagoons in this ahupua`a were drained and became part of Queen Kapi`olani Park. This was to honor Julia Kapi`olani, Queen Consort of David Kalahaua, King of Hawaibi. It was then used to house their personal collection of exotic birds. The Zoobs earliest history was that of a bird