Southwick's Zoo EARTH's animal ambassadors which include macaws, a bush baby, porcupine, turtles, snakes, bearded dragons, and other reptiles. These animals are used in EARTH's education programs including live presentations at the zoo, ZooMobiles, and Wild Adventure Programs for younger students. Southwick's Zoo has four big cat exhibits; lions, bengal tigers african leopard, and the recently added cheetahs. Southwick's Zoo opened their larger, updated giraffe exhibit in 2011. In 2010, the zoo also began offering giraffe encounters on weekends. The zoo has the largest primate collection in New England. Species of primates found at Southwick's Zoo include chimpanzees, white-handed gibbons, siamangs, mandrills,
Riga Zoo 88 species at the time. Many animals were donated to the zoo; in 1914, the zoo received 538 animals. During World War I the zoo experienced hardships and closed in August 1917 after German army occupied Riga city; after the war a camp for children of low income families was established at the site. On 29 December 1932 a society was established, which renewed the zoo and it was reopened on 24 September 1933 housing 124 animals of 48 species; by 1938 number of species had increased to 106. During World War II the development of the zoo stalled; however,