Cameron Park Zoo was initially established in 1955 as the Central Texas Zoological Park by a group of wildlife enthusiasts who wanted to create an area for recreation and education opportunities. In 1981, a master plan was established to expand the zoo, and in 1989 a countywide bond was issued to redevelop a area of Cameron Park, into the Cameron Park Zoo. The project was completed, the old zoo was closed, and the new zoo was opened to the public on July 18, 1993. The Cameron Park Zoo features species from
North and
South America,
Africa,
Asia and
Europe. Including a large
reptile house, an African
lion display, and Lemur Island, a large open
lemur habitat. In 2005, a large new area was opened called the
Brazos River Country, featuring a saltwater
reef aquarium, a large swampland habitat, and many other native Texas type habitats, featuring numerous species found within the state. The exhibit is so large, it nearly doubled both the animal population and the overall size of the zoo. In 2009, the zoo added the Asian Forest, expanding its collection to include endangered species such as
orangutans and
Komodo dragons. These species joined the Sumatran tigers in the Asian Forest. ==Cameron Park==