Jinan Zoo (), formerly known as Taurus Park was founded in October 1959. It opened 1 May 1960, and was renamed Jinan Zoo on 8 September 1989. Jinan Zoo is one of China's largest zoos in it is located in Shandong province. History Jinan zoo is located in the northern part of Jinan. It opened its doors to the public on 1 May 1960. Jinan is one of the most pronounced zoos in China. In 1995 it was named one of the top 10 zoos in China. It is now a large scale zoo which is involved in activities such as breeding, tours, zoology, entertainment and catering. It contains more than 300 different species of animals with over 5000 animals in total. The zoo features four unique zones: animal display, entertainment, education and catering. In 1999 it constructed an open peacock area where peacocks can roam free. In 2000, US$800,000 was raised to construct China's most advanced herbivore natural habitat exhibit. Visitors are able to walk-through this exhibit. In 2001, they once again raised over US$1,000,000,000 to construct a facility that allows young people to interact with animals. The flow to the zoo has reached over one million visitors a year. Park introduction Employees at the zoo have contributed in many types of great achievements such as the knowledge of animal science, animal protection and animal breeding research. Major species on display Valuable species originated from China include: giant panda, golden monkey, Asian elephant, takin, kiang, Thorold's deer, hoolock gibbon, Francois' leaf monkey, fox, red-crowned crane. Breeding In 1992, they introduced a pair of Sichun golden monkeys which they have successfully bred. Making Jinan zoo one of the few zoos that can successfully breed domesticate golden monkeys. In 1998, an area of 3000m2 was created for the hundred-bird paradise that contains over 150 different species of birds to promote breeding. To meet the giant pandas and red pandas living needs, Jinan Zoo in the 1970s introduced large amounts of bamboo, which has grown into five hectares of bamboo forest. Jinan Zoo strives to create a natural environment between the animals and their caregivers to best simulate life as it would have been in the wild. Imported precious species African elephant, gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, white tigers, giraffes and zebras. A group of professionals from Jinan Zoo that specialize in zoology have successfully bred Asian elephants, golden monkeys, gibbons, langurs, takin, black