# Blank Park Zoo

- **Country:** United States
- **Coordinates:** 41.519300, -93.624200
- **Area:** 49 acres
- **Opened:** 1966
- **Members:** Association of Zoos and Aquariums
- **Exhibits:** Aquarium, Australia Adventure, Big Cat Complex, Discovery Center, Hub Harbor Pinniped Pavilion, Jaama Kwa: Connection to Africa, Kids' Kingdom, The Cave, Tropical Aviary
- **Location:** Des Moines, Iowa, United States
- **Zoo Name:** Blank Park Zoo"Iowa's Wildest Adventure"
- **Logo Width:** 250px
- **Date Opened:** May 8, 1966
- **Num Animals:** 1500
- **Num Species:** 100
- **Publictransit:** DART

Notable residents of the pavilion include Ross and Meru, two harbor seals that came to the Blank Park Zoo from British Columbia. They were rescued off the coast of Canada when they were just five days old, severely malnourished and dehydrated. The Vancouver Marine Mammal Rescue Center nursed them back to health. After examination, the center declared that they were non-releasable due to health disabilities. They found a permanent home at the zoo after the reconstruction of Hub Harbor, where they now reside.

![Photo of Blank Park Zoo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/Blank_Park_Zoo_Entrance.jpg)

**Source:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blank_Park_Zoo (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)