June is the perfect month for people to take a trip to their local aquarium or zoo. Why? Well, one reason is that this month is when summer officially begins, so the weather is usually quite nice for it. The second reason is that this month is National Zoo and Aquarium Month.

A month that encourages people to head out and see all of the animals and aquatic wildlife that they may not ordinarily get a chance to see. This is the perfect opportunity for people to learn more about animals and the conservation efforts that help protect them—an education that can be obtained in some cases for free or for a nominal fee.

The History of National Zoo & Aquarium Month

National Zoo and Aquarium Month was first proclaimed in 1982 by then-President Ronald Reagan. It was proclaimed to raise awareness about the many excellent zoos and aquariums that exist all over the U.S. Since this month’s creation, it has been observed every year and has helped to drive people to aquariums and zoos, especially during the past few years.

Some Amazing Facts About Zoos and Aquariums

Who wants some extra facts about aquariums and zoos? Well, anyone who does can check out the following factoids that we discovered while researching National Zoo & Aquarium Month. We thought the following facts were pretty amazing, and we feel everyone else will feel the same. Let’s take a quick look at them before moving on, shall we?

• The World Association of Zoos & Aquariums has estimated that over 600 million people visit zoos every single year.
• In the U.S., there are almost 400 zoos.
• Of all the U.S. zoos, only about 30 of them have more than a million visitors each year.
• Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has over 4.5 million visitors each year.
• The Saint Louis Zoo has over 3 million visitors each year.
• The Saint Louis Zoo is one of the few free zoos in the entire U.S.
• Studies have shown that visiting a zoo can be good for a person’s physical and mental health.
• The oldest zoo in the U.S. is the Philadelphia Zoo. It opened on July 1, 1874.
• The Berlin Zoo in Germany has the largest number of species of any zoo in the world.

Observing National Zoo & Aquarium Month

The main way to observe this month is by visiting a local aquarium or zoo. It’s also a good idea to visit conservation centers or sponsor endangered creatures. And, of course, people can spread the news about this month online using the hashtag #ZooAndAquariumMonth on their social media feed.