Auckland Zoo is a zoological garden in Auckland, New Zealand, situated next to Western Springs Park not far from Auckland's central business district. It is run by the Auckland Council with the Zoological Society of Auckland as a supporting organisation. Auckland Zoo opened in 1922 experiencing early difficulties mainly due to animal health issues. By 1930 a sizeable collection of animals had been assembled and a zoological society formed. The zoo consolidated during the Second World War and was at that time under the leadership of Lt. Col. Sawer. After the war the collection was expanded, and in the 1950s chimpanzees were acquired to provide tea parties for the public's entertainment, but this practice ceased in 1964. In 1973 the zoo expanded into the adjacent Western Springs park. From the late 1980s to the present day, many old exhibits were phased out and replaced by modern enclosures. In 2011 the zoo opened its largest development, Te Wao Nui, which exhibits native New Zealand flora and fauna. The zoo is separated loosely into areas defined by the region of origin of the species exhibited, its taxonomy, or by biome. The zoo plays a part in conservation (mainly of New Zealand species), research and education. It has many modern features such as the New Zealand Centre for Conservation Medicine (NZCCM). Auckland Zoo is a full institutional member of the Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA), and received ISO 14001 accreditation for its Environmental Management System in 2007. History & Major Events Early history In February 1911 businessman J.J. Boyd purchased 6 acres in Symonds Street, Onehunga for the purpose of establishing Auckland's first zoological facility. Boyd had established an earlier zoo in 1910 at Upper Aramoho near Wanganui (in the southern part of New Zealand's North Island). Boyd's Onehunga Zoo was a constant source of aggravation for the local council, local residents would complain regularly about the sounds and smells, with regular attempts to close it in the following years by the Council, which prompted a successful run for mayor of Onehunga by Boyd. Finally a change in the By-laws by the Onehunga Borough Council forced Boyd to close the zoo in 1922. The Auckland City Council used £800 to purchase the remainder of the animals, Boyd had not already sold to other individuals, as the basis for a group that would form the nucleus of the permanent zoo at Auckland's Western Springs.