Bronx Zoo the wild. In December 2012, five Chinese yellow-headed box turtles, a critically endangered species, were born. In December 2015, the zoo rescued a juvenile Indian cobra which had stowed away on a cargo ship destined for New Jersey. The snake was found in poor condition being dehydrated, cold, and exposed to oil residue. The animal was brought to the zoo for recovery. It's unclear how the snake got onto the ship since it set out from Singapore, which is outside of the species' natural range. On July 29, 1985, two female Amur tigers killed 24-year-old animal keeper Robin Silverman after
Beijing Zoo collection. Leading Chinese universities also established a research presence in the zoo to study animal behavior and to breed endangered species. The zoo's development came to an abrupt halt during the Cultural Revolution as zoo staff were purged, research work stopped, and contacts with foreign zoos were severed. In the 1970s, as China forged diplomatic relations with the Western bloc, the zoo received animal gifts from the Australia, France, Mexico, Nepal, Spain, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The zoo also organized a four-year mission to Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania, which brought back 157 species and 1,000