Warren J. Iliff Sculpture Garden

"a magical place for children to learn, wonder at, and experience the world of animals." 

With that goal in mind, Iliff began collecting animal sculptures that he thought would give children the opportunity to indulge their imaginations.

His legacy can be seen today when children play in the Warren J. Iliff Sculpture Garden across from the elephant barn at the Oregon Zoo.   

Iliff knew that, "for some children, to touch or hug a live animal would be a frightening experience, while for others a fantasy lion to be brave around will help them identify with the animal and their feelings about it." 

The sculpture garden is a way for children to experience animals in an environment that is not intimidating, and allows them to use their imaginations to develop their interest in the animal world. In doing so, the zoo becomes the magical place that Iliff hoped it would be.  

Artwork: Baby Hippo - Kubwe Sana
Artist: Thomas Augustine
Acquisition: 1976 
The baby hippo was the first sculpture purchased by the Oregon Zoo during the tenure of Warren J. Illif. The eight hundred pound hippois made of solid cast aggregate and was named after the baby hippo Kubwe Sana, who had just been born at the Oregon Zoo at the time of the installation. The sculpture cost $1000, which made Iliff comment to one local art patron that the hippo had cost only $1.25 per pound and not much more than ground beef!  

Artwork: Bighorn Sheep
Artist: Anna Bannard
Acquisition: 1980 
The big horn sheep was given to the zoo by the family and friends of Ann Huston of Portland who died suddenly during the flu epidemic in the winter of 1979. It was sculpted by Anna Bannard who already had works on display at Coventry Cathedral in England and the Tucson Museum of Art. Within minutes of its unveiling, children were playing on it and it has remained popular with small children ever since because its face is at their eyelevel.  

Artwork: Bear with Nursing Cubs
Artist: Beniamino Bufano
Acquisition Date: 1978 
The Bear with Nursing Cubs was created by well-known Bay Area sculptor, Beniamino Bufano, who was an outspoken member of the San Francisco Arts Commission. Bufano created gentle, civilized-looking animals that belonged in the natural habitat of city parks and other urban settings. After Bufano's death, Warren J. Iliff wrote to his son who contributed this piece to the sculpture garden at the Oregon Zoo.  

Artwork: Baby Camel
Artist: Beniamino Bufano
Acquisition: 1978 
Like the Bear with Nursing Cubs, well-known Bay Area artist Beniamino Bufano created the Baby Camel. The stylized two-hump camel with its gentle curves is one of the most popular play sculptures in the garden with children who love to ride on its back. The dip between its two humps is less than two feet from the ground, which lets even the smallest children play on it.   

Artwork:  Mouse - Bitsy
Artist: Roberta Kelly
Acquisition: 1979  
The mouse Bitsy was made possible through a grant by the First National Bank. The bank held a contest to name the limestone mouse for children under the age of 12. The prize was a $500 savings account. Three-year-old Kristin Madsen of Hood River won the contest after submitting the name Bitsy. Her entry was selected from approximately 2,400 entries by a three-member panel of judges made up of 1979 Rose Festival Queen Rochelle Anderson, Portland Police Chief Bruce Baker and former NBA basketball star Herm Gilliam.  

Artist: Baby Elephant
Artist: Georgia Gerber 
Acquisition: 1983 
The life sized baby elephant statue with its wrinkles cast in bronze was modeled after Sung-Surin, the baby elephant who had just been born at the Oregon Zoo. The Columbia River Girl Scout Council, which adopted the zoo's baby elephant, commissioned the sculpture. Girl Scouts and adults from the Council took part in its installation and unveiling.