Information
Landmark: Jackson ZooCity: Jackson
Country: USA Mississippi
Continent: North America
Jackson Zoo, Jackson, USA Mississippi, North America
Overview
The Jackson Zoo has stood for generations in Mississippi, carrying a rich and tangled past-its weathered gates hint at stories stretching back more than a century.Let’s take a closer look at the zoo-how it runs day to day, and the hurdles it’s up against now, from feeding the elephants to keeping the paths clear after rain.The Jackson Zoo traces its roots back to 1919, when firefighters at the Central Fire Station in downtown Jackson cared for a modest handful of animals-a goat, a few birds, maybe a curious raccoon.The collection, featuring local wildlife such as deer and the snap of an alligator’s jaw, expanded fast; by 1921, it had settled into Livingston Park, becoming one of the nation’s oldest zoos.The city bought the park in 1916, back when its paths were still just dirt trails.Over the years, the zoo grew to house everything from bright-feathered parrots to sleek, prowling big cats.It hit its peak in the ’70s and ’80s, drawing crowds and laughter, and stood proudly as the city’s “crown jewel.”AAA Magazine honored it as a “Southern Travel Treasure,” and in 2007 the Mississippi Tourism Association named it “Travel Attraction of the Year,” praising its standout quality and charm.In recent years, the zoo’s struggled with tough financial hits and day‑to‑day problems, from rising feed costs to broken heating in the reptile house.Attendance has plunged, falling from 170,000 people in 2003 to barely 16,000 a year now-about enough to fill a small-town stadium.In 2016, the zoo lost its accreditation with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums after years of tight budgets, poor management, and bare-bones resources that left empty food bins and peeling paint in its enclosures.In 2019, the city of Jackson stepped in and took the reins, handling everything from budgets to street repairs.Despite the hurdles, the Jackson Zoo keeps its gates open, tending to about 250 animals-from a playful lemur to a towering giraffe-representing more than 120 species.It’s the second-biggest zoo in Mississippi, a place where conservation meets education, with the chatter of parrots echoing through its shaded paths.The zoo’s exhibits follow themes from around the world, and in the African Rainforest you’ll wander a wooden boardwalk surrounded by dense, green canopy.You’ll find pygmy hippos, chattering chimpanzees, black-and-white colobus monkeys, and even red river hogs wandering here.African Savannah, which opened in 2005, spreads out like a sunlit plain, giving its animals a space that feels far closer to their wild home.Here, you’ll spot massive creatures-a southern white rhino lumbering past, a striped Grévy’s zebra grazing nearby, and antelopes and bright-feathered birds scattered across the field.The Asian Garden sits just inside the entrance, where you can see Sumatran tigers padding through shaded grottos and Asiatic black bears lounging in the cool stone.You’ll also find other creatures here, including sleek fishing cats and agile lar gibbons swinging through the trees.Wilderness Mississippi showcases the state’s native wildlife and rich ecosystems, from the call of a barred owl to the rustle of cypress leaves in the breeze.You might spot American alligators basking in the sun, sleek North American river otters slipping through the water, and red wolves watching from the shade, along with several other creatures.The zoo’s home to all kinds of creatures, from bright-feathered parrots and sleek green snakes to mammals like the black-headed spider monkey and the rust-colored red ruffed lemur.On the zoo’s official website, you can browse a detailed list of every animal they have, from roaring lions to tiny darting frogs.Most of its animals were born and raised right in the zoo, and it works with Species Survival Programs to help protect endangered creatures such as the Sumatran tiger and the pygmy hippopotamus, whose small ears flick at the slightest sound.If you’re visiting, you’ll find the Jackson Zoo tucked inside Livingston Park at 2918 West Capitol Street, right past the row of old oak trees.You can visit Tuesday, Thursday through Sunday, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and for now, bring cash-no cards-when you pay at the gate.The zoo offers hands-on learning, with discounted tickets for school groups and a busy volunteer program that hums with activity.Because of money troubles and a short staff, a few exhibits might be roped off, and you could find an empty enclosure where a red panda should be.Before you plan a trip to the zoo, check its official website or social feeds for the latest details-like whether the tiger enclosure’s open.Right now, the Jackson Zoo’s future is sparking heated public debate, with voices clashing over what comes next for its worn wooden gates and aging habitats.Recent reports say the zoo’s finances are in trouble, with millions still owed to the city for water-enough to keep the fountains dry for years.Attendance has dropped sharply, and the city’s $1.2 million annual funding barely covers daily expenses, let alone fixing the leaky roof and worn-out seats.City leaders and neighbors are weighing whether to breathe new life into the zoo where it stands-on a street lined with boarded-up shops-or close it for good.Some proposals call for moving the zoo to a new site with state funding, but that would mean walking away from its century-old stone gates-a tough decision and an expensive one.The zoo has weathered its share of challenges, yet it still carries a rich history and a team that works tirelessly for conservation and education-keepers who’ll pause to share a quiet fact while feeding a red panda.The city and state are still wrestling with what to do next, and the future of this long-standing institution hangs in the balance like a question no one can quite answer.
