The oldest continuous zoo site in Texas, the Fort Worth Zoo was founded in 1909 with one lion, two bear cubs, an alligator, a coyote, a peacock and a few rabbits. From these humble beginnings, the Zoo has grown into housing more than 350 native and exotic species, and has been named as a top zoo in the nation by Family Life magazine, the Los Angeles Times and USA Today, one of the top zoos in the South by Southern Living Reader's Choice Awards, and has been placed in the top 10 zoos in the United States.