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The Maytag Zoo
The zoo opened in Papago Park on 21 November 1962. It was founded by Robert Maytag, who died a few months before it opened, and was first called the Maytag Zoo; it became the Phoenix Zoo the following year.


The World Herd
In 1963 the zoo became home to the World Herd, a breeding herd of Arabian oryx begun with animals shipped to Phoenix. The species died out in the wild in 1972, and from 1982 oryx were returned to the wild in Oman; most wild Arabian oryx today descend from Phoenix Zoo animals.
A non-profit zoo
The zoo is run by the Arizona Center for Nature Conservation, a non-profit organisation. It covers 125 acres, cares for about 3,000 animals and welcomes more than a million visitors a year.

