Information AboutAudubon Zoo |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT AUDUBON ZOO | |
| new orleans, louisiana | |
| zoos in louisiana | |
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Some of the exhibits at the zoo include Gorilla s, Orangutan s, and the Louisiana swamp exhibit. The zoo is also home to two rare white Tiger cubs and rare white Alligator s. HISTORY While there had been animal exhibits on and around this site for the World Cotton Centennial Exhibition 1884 World's Fair , the origins of the current zoo are found in the early 20th century. A flight cage has been in the park since 1914. In the boom of the 1920s many additions were made; the Sea Lion pool with Neo-classical columns from 1928 can still be seen today, as can a few ''art Nouveau'' buildings later used as a reptile exhibit. During the Great Depression a $400,000 expansion of the zoo was conducted by the Works Progress Administration . Many new cages were constructed, along with an artificial Hill known as "Monkey Hill", built to show the children of flat New Orleans what a hill looks like. Local folklore calls Monkey Hill the highest point in New Orleans, although another artificial hill in New Orleans' City Park also competes for that title. By the early 1970s, the zoo was in a state of decay. The small prison-like brick and steel bar cages constructed by the WPA were no longer considered apropriate environments for many of the animals displayed in them. A study suggested that the zoo be closed down unless the city could make a major commitment to upgrade it. City government, local businesses, and private citizens rallied in support of the zoo, and in 1975 the city's voters (generally loath to approve taxes for civic improvements) approved one to finance the rebuilding of the zoo. Zoo grounds were expanded from 14 acres (5.7 ha) to 50 acres (20.2 ha). By the end of the decade, the Audubon Zoo was already well on its way to becoming one of the finest zoos in the United States. More improvements and expansions continued into the 21st century, making Audubon Zoo popular not only with locals but also drawing substantial numbers of Tourists visiting from other states and nations. In 1987 an Alligator nest was discovered with 18 freshly hatched alligators with white hides—an extraodinary natural mutation (they are not Albino ). The white alligators received much attention when they went on display and became a symbol of the zoo. The Audubon Institute, which manages the zoo, opened the Aquarium Of The Americas in 1990, in a different section of town, at the edge of the French Quarter . Some of the white alligators were transferred to that facility, and a Riverboat began service taking visitors between the facilities. The WPA-era Monkey Hill, a favorite landmark of generations of New Orleans children, underwent extensive renovation in the early 21st century, including the addition of a waterfall for young children to play in, a rope web that goes to the summit (which now has statues of lions), and a 20-foot (6 m) high "safari outpost" at the base of the hill. For posterity's sake, a portion of the hill was left as grass, so that children on the school field trip to the zoo can still roll down Monkey Hill. |
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