OT: Jackson Zoo

[johnson86-1]

The best thing I always thought for the zoo was for it to be given to Mississippi state. Let the school run it and do research and practice veterinary on “exotic animals”. This would make our vet school even more prestigious and would make the zoo better.

That's actually an interesting idea. As an MSU fan though, I don't want the school being stuck with that albatross. If it was over by the children's museum, that would actually probably be fine. I still think I'd rather it be a relationship with the vet school rather than the school being responsible for it. Too big of a chance for it to be a liability.

 

[SteelCurtain74]

Y'all should go read the zoo website. I'm not sure it's been updated in a while but a couple of nuggets I found were that according to the website, it's only open 10-4 Tuesday through Sunday. If that's true, that seems like short hours, especially on the weekend.

It also states the following:

• The Zoo has served up to 85,000 visitors annually, with 47% from the Jackson metro area, 43% from other Mississippi counties and 10% from other states. The Zoo serves every segment of the population, creating a wonderfully diverse audience.

That doesn't pass the smell test to me. I can't imagine that many people visit now.

It also states:
The Zoo’s annual operating budget is $1.2 million.

That may be but that number seems off as well especially if 85,000 people are supposedly coming through the gate annually.

I can't see how the zoo can go on much longer in it's current state.

 

[BIGDAWG44]

That's actually an interesting idea. As an MSU fan though, I don't want the school being stuck with that albatross. If it was over by the children's museum, that would actually probably be fine. I still think I'd rather it be a relationship with the vet school rather than the school being responsible for it. Too big of a chance for it to be a liability.

I agree. It should be over by the natural history museum. Then build a small satellite zoo in starkville for research/etc. it’ll never happen though.

 

[ababyatemydingo]

Hattiesburg Zoo has a water park and you can drink. Plus, it's a short walk to Keg and Barrel. They do a ton of special things like camping at the zoo etc. for the kids. Several kid programs.
It's really taken off since Johnny Dupe Free is no longer the mayor.

We take the kids to Zoo Boo at Halloween. They have it all decked out in Halloween lights and decorations. And we take them back for the same thing at Christmas. All decked out in Christmas lights and you can ride the train around and the train path is decorated in lights.

 

[Anon1697564126]

If that's the one near downtown on Hardy Street or whatever, it's actually really good. They've done a lot with it. I've been to both within the last couple of years and there's no comparison between it and the death march feeling you get walking around the Jackson Zoo. Which makes me sick, because I used to love the Jackson Zoo when I was little. There was nothing better than getting a snow cone at the little round house and watching monkeys climbing up and down that mountain. Sucks.

Wasn't it a castle that the monkeys had, not a mountain?

 

[Darryl Steight]

I agree. It should be over by the natural history museum. Then build a small satellite zoo in starkville for research/etc. it’ll never happen though.

It should, but I think the ship has sailed for that location. The Children's Museum has taken over the plans for that whole park area, and they are adding lots of new things. I think they've basically used up all the land area (at least on paper) and probably no longer have room for the zoo. I've seen a rendering of a skywalk across Lakeland to the other museums.

I guess you could use the golf course land. There's Smith Wills as well - it wouldn't hurt my feelings to tear it down, but I'm not sure how much land the city/county/state own over there around it.

There's theoretically also going to be a lot of developable land when/if the ____ Lake Project ever makes. In fact, it might make the SAVE THE TURTLES!!!1! mafia feel better about their habitat being taken if you replaced it with a home for animals that people actually care about.

 

[Darryl Steight]

Wasn't it a castle that the monkeys had, not a mountain?

Don't 17 with my childhood memories man. And yes, now that you mention it - I believe there was a castle on Monkey Mountain.

 

[thatsbaseball]

Don't 17 with my childhood memories man. And yes, now that you mention it - I believe there was a castle on Monkey Mountain.

 

[Darryl Steight]

View attachment 627952

Yep, that's it. Monkey Mountain, with a small castle on it that I had forgotten about.

 

[HotMop]

And in the mean time Newsweek named the Memphis Zoo number 2 in the US.

Memphis Zoo

That list has the "zoo" in Gulf Shores rated above the San Diego Zoo.

 

[johnson86-1]

It should, but I think the ship has sailed for that location. The Children's Museum has taken over the plans for that whole park area, and they are adding lots of new things. I think they've basically used up all the land area (at least on paper) and probably no longer have room for the zoo. I've seen a rendering of a skywalk across Lakeland to the other museums.

I guess you could use the golf course land. There's Smith Wills as well - it wouldn't hurt my feelings to tear it down, but I'm not sure how much land the city/county/state own over there around it.

There's theoretically also going to be a lot of developable land when/if the ____ Lake Project ever makes. In fact, it might make the SAVE THE TURTLES!!!1! mafia feel better about their habitat being taken if you replaced it with a home for animals that people actually care about.

Nah, no clue about the One Lake project opponents, but except when it's explicitly about extracting a payoff, people that claim to be concerned about this or that habitat are almost exclusively just against change/progress. Replacing habitat isn't going to get them to not oppose a project.