The Oregon Zoo, formerly the Washington Park Zoo is located in the 
city of Portland. It opened in 1888 after a private animal collector
named Richard Knight donated his animals. It is the oldest North
American zoo west of the Mississippi.

By 1894, there were over 300 animals in the zoo’s collection. In
1925, the zoo moved to the site of the present Portland Japanese
Garden, still within Washington Park. Its current site opened on
July 3, 1959.

Rosy the Asian elephant was acquired by the zoo in 1953.