Page "Chapultepec" Paragraph 11

The Chapultepec Zoo is the most visited attraction of the park, especially on Sundays when many Mexico City families come ; it is estimated that half of all park visitors come to the zoo.

The zoo was established by its Alfonso L. Herrera, a biologist, and opened in 1924.

Herrera's intention was to reestablish the zoo tradition of the old Aztecs emperors and improve upon it.

He began with species native to Mexico and then added others from the rest of the world.

Native animals came from states such as Sonora, Veracruz and Campeche, with foreign animals from India, France, Peru, Brazil and the United States.

He modeled the zoo after the " Giardino Zoológico e Museo de Zoología del Comune di Roma " in Rome, Italy.

Between 1950 and 1960, the zoo expanded, adding new species.

In 1975, the zoo obtained two pandas from China.

Since then, eight panda cubs have been born at the zoo, making it the first institution outside of China to breed the species.

From 1992 to 1994, the zoo was completely remodeled, categorizing exhibits by habitat rather than type of species.

Some of the most important Mexican species at the facility include a rabbit native to only a few volcanoes in Mexico, zacatuche ( or teporingo ), the Mexican Wolf, ocelot, jaguar and ajolote.

Today, it has 16, 000 animals of 270 species, separated into four sections according to habitat: tropical forest, temperate forest, desert and grassland.

About one third of the animals are native to Mexico.