Jackson Zoo improvements draw families from across metro area  ...Middle East

Volunteers with the Zoo Area Progressive Partnership, a nonprofit led by west Jackson residents, were shocked when they pulled up to the Jackson Zoo to find families lined up at the ticket booth. 

It was 9:50 a.m. on Saturday. The zoo – and its renovated splash pad – wouldn’t open for another 10 minutes. 

“We’re excited that y’all are here,” said Heather Logan, a ZAPP board member, who took a video on her phone to remember the moment. 

A number of events on Saturday drew families from across the metro area to the Jackson Zoo – from Pocahontas to Pearl – including many who said they couldn’t remember the last time they’d visited. About 175 people went to the zoo last weekend, Logan said. 

The turnout encouraged volunteers, local leaders, city officials and zoo employees who’ve been working to revitalize the struggling west Jackson attraction. Earlier this year, Jackson Mayor John Horhn announced his Planning and Development department would seek developers for the Jackson Zoo and the adjoining Livingston Park, but the city has yet to open bids. 

Nonetheless, improvements are underway. After three years, kids can once again wade in the bright-blue splash pad, featuring a tiger-tongue slide and a pelican that dumps water from its orange bill. 

“I’m so excited about the splash pad that I don’t know what to do,” said Pamela Junior, the director of the city’s Human and Cultural Services department. 

ZAPP volunteers also spruced up the entrance of the 100-year-old zoo. With the help of a $5,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Mississippi, they installed signs featuring some of the zoo’s prized animals, including Big Mike, the rare white rhino. 

“It’s a great day in Ward 5, a great day for west Jackson,” Ward 5 Council Member Vernon Hartley said. 

Two local artists painted colorful murals featuring birds, trees, and a magnolia flower. Justin Ransburg, one of the two muralists, said he wanted to capture “how peaceful it is here.” 

Deanna Crews, a 35-year-old teacher, said she could tell ZAPP’s work had freshened up the historic property. Her son, 4-year-old Issan, loves animals and is “a young scientist in the making,” but the last time she brought him to the zoo was a year ago. 

As they walked past the gibbon exhibit, Crews and her friend remarked that the zoo seemed like it had more animals than it did last time. 

The zoo also has at least 10 prairie dog pups that were born within the past few weeks, said Dave Wetzel, the deputy director. 

The prairie dogs – which Wetzel said don’t have names, because there are so many – are the only animals the Jackson Zoo is currently breeding. Wetzel said the chimpanzees are partially related, so they take oral birth control. The black-necked swans are brother and sister. The ostriches are too old. And don’t get Wetzel started on those gibbons, Buster and Emma. 

“The gibbons, they do everything but breed,” he said. “They are allowed to, if they so choose to.” 

Instead, Buster and Emma prefer to groom each other and snuggle. Wetzel speculated their relationship has remained platonic because Buster was hand-raised. 

“He didn’t get to see those movies,” he said. 

 A 7-year-old boy named Keylon and his 9-year-old sister named Lyniah toured the zoo with their parents, who did not want the family’s last name published. With lips stained from a blue raspberry snow cone, Keylon hollered in excitement at the ostrich exhibit. The Gluckstadt boy loves to recite facts about animals that he learns from watching YouTube videos, and the large bird reminded him of his favorite type. 

“That’s a dinosaur,” he shouted.

Lyniah was more critical of her time at the zoo. Standing in front of a shady exhibit housing a kookaburra, she said she thought some of the animals looked sad and that the $5 snow cone was too expensive. 

“Me and my brother had to share,” she said. 

There might be a grain of truth to Lyniah’s observation. Wetzel said the animals are happier when lots of people visit the zoo – especially Mathan, the North American black bear that Wetzel affectionately calls “Buddy.” 

“He likes company,” he said. “He likes people to sit there and talk to him.”

Ray McCants, the president of ZAPP, said the zoo is holding another family friendly event this coming Saturday, the “Kidtrepreneur Youth Marketplace” where dozens of kids will set up vendor booths. 

“Hopefully we repeat the traffic again next week,” he said.

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