Founded in 1969, the Louisville Zoo, or the Louisville Zoological Garden, is a 134acre zoo in Louisville, Kentucky, situated in the city's Poplar Level neighborhood. The "State Zoo of Kentucky" currently exhibits over 1,700 animals in naturalistic and mixed animal settings representing both geographical areas and biomes or habitats.The Louisville Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). During the 2006-07 season, the zoo set an all-time yearly attendance record with 810,546 visitors.The Louisville Zoo's mission is "To better the bond between the people and our planet."HistoryThe Louisville Zoo was founded in 1969, on land acquired by the City of Louisville in the 1960s from the estate of Ben Collins. Much of the initial funding was donated by local philanthropist James Graham Brown.ExhibitsThe Louisville Zoo has six zones within the zoo: The Islands, Africa, Glacier Run, Australia, South America and HerpAquariumGorilla ForestThe zoo was awarded the 2003 Association of Zoos and Aquariums Exhibit Award for its 4acre exhibit "Gorilla Forest". The exhibit currently houses eleven western lowland gorillas, five patas monkeys, and two pygmy hippopotamus.