©Wildlife Conservation Society
October 20, 2016
100th Anniversary of the Bronx Zoo’s First Animal Hospital
- as seen by -
Madeleine Thompson
In fall of 1916, the Bronx Zoo opened its Animal Hospital—arguably the first such facility at a US zoo. Its 2,111 square feet included space for a surgical room, animal holding areas, a morgue, offices, and a small museum. In 1985, a new Animal Health Center became part of the Bronx Zoo in 10 times the space, and updates and additions have been made to the Health Center since that time.
Just as the old Animal Hospital has long been replaced by a modern building served by advanced medical technology, the Wildlife Conservation Society’s commitment to wildlife health has continued to evolve throughout the history of the organization, expanding from the care of WCS’s zoo and aquarium animals to wildlife across the world.
To celebrate the centennial of the first Bronx Zoo Animal Hospital opening, we’re looking back on images and materials from the WCS Health Program’s history here and on the WCS Archives’ blog, Wild Things. Pictured above is veterinarian Leonard Goss with a lion cub in 1941 standing next to the Animal Hospital’s brand new ambulance.
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