African Savanna, Asian Domain, Audubon Aviary, Jaguar Jungle, Louisiana Swamp, Reptile Encounter, Sea Lion Theater, South American Pampas, World of Primates
Audubon Zoo is an American zoo located in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is part of the Audubon Nature Institute which also manages Audubon Aquarium, Audubon Louisiana Nature Center, Freeport-McMoran Species Survival Center, Audubon Park, and Audubon Coastal Wildlife Network. It covers 58 acres (23 ha) and is home to over 2,000 animals. It is located in a section of Audubon Park in Uptown New Orleans, on the Mississippi River side of Magazine Street. The zoo and park are named in honor of artist and naturalist John James Audubon who lived in New Orleans starting in 1821.[4]
History
Odenheimer Sea Lion Pool, 1924
The site of the zoo has housed animal exhibits since the World Cotton Centennial 1884 Exhibition World's Fair, though the current incarnation of the zoo was not built until the early 20th century. In 1916, a flight cage was added,[5] and during the boom of the 1920s, many other additions were made such as a sea lion pool in 1928.[6] This pool, along with a few other art nouveau buildings, can still be seen today.
WPA work on Monkey Island, 1936
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 as an attraction for children in the relatively flat New Orleans area. Locals claim Monkey Hill to be the highest point in New Orleans, although another artificial hill in City Park actually competes for that title.
By the early 1970s, the zoo had fallen into a state of decay.[7] The small prison-like brick and steel bar cages constructed by the WPA were no longer considered appropriate environments for many of the animals displayed within them.[8] A study suggested that the zoo should 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 it, and in 1975 the city's voters approved a measure to finance its rebuilding. Zoo grounds were expanded from 14 to 50 acres (57,000 to 200,000 m2). The same year New Orleans funk band The Meters released the song "They All Ask'd for You," which references Audubon Zoo and has become the zoo's unofficial theme song.[9] By the end of the decade, the Audubon Zoo was already well on its way to becoming one of the finest in the United States.
Entrance to zoo parking on Magazine Street
More improvements and expansions continued into the 21st century, making the 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 babies with white hides—an extraordinary natural mutation called leucism, not to be confused with albinism. They received much attention when they went on display, and the white alligator became a symbol of the zoo.[10]
Educational demonstration featuring alligators at the Audubon Zoo's Wetlands Express
In 1990, the Audubon Nature Institute, which manages the zoo,[11] opened Audubon Aquarium[12] in the CBD at the edge of the French Quarter. Some of the white alligators were transferred to there, 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, and a 20 foot (6.1 m) high "safari outpost" at the base of the hill. For the sake of posterity sake, a portion of it was left as grass for children to play.[13]
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, followed by severe consequences in the devastating aftermath of the storm. During the hurricane, zoo staff found refuge in the reptile house, which was designed to withstand major weather events. Located on high ground atop an old natural river levee, the building was not flooded. Most of the animals survived—only three died—and the only major damage was downed trees. However, the zoo was short on food and other necessities in the days after the storm, and pumps were overheating.[14]
The fact that the zoo sustained only minor damage can be attributed to disaster planning and its location on high ground. Zoo curator Dan Maloney was quoted as saying, "The zoo had planned for years for the catastrophic storm that has long been predicted for New Orleans."[15]
The zoo reopened for Thanksgiving weekend in November 2005 and initiated a weekends-only schedule due to financial constraints. On March 1, 2006, it began a Wednesday through Sunday schedule, and eventually expanded to Tuesday through Sunday.[16]
On 14 July 2018, a jaguar named Valerio escaped through the roof of its enclosure, killing six animals and injuring another three before being recaptured.[18][19] The incident occurred before the zoo had opened.
After Hurricane Katrina, it was thematically decorated to mimic the scenes seen around the city. There was a small Katrina refrigerator taped up outside of the front door, a blue tarp stretched over the roof, and a marking that indicated no casualties were found in it, rather, that the eight alligators that inhabit it were fed with the notion of the number 8 and "Gators Fed".
California sea lions live in a large lagoon. Two females named Ayah and Jolee arrived at the zoo in 2017 from the Marine Mammal Care Centre Los Angeles. Both were found stranded and were rescued; Jolee was suffering from cataracts and flipper abrasions and Ayah had a small caliber bullet in her brain, resulting in the loss of her left eye.[26]
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