Hattiesburg Zoo facts for kids
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| Date opened | 1950 |
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| Location | Hattiesburg, Mississippi, United States |
| Land area | 12 acres (4.9 ha) |
| Coordinates | 31°19′25″N 89°18′55″W / 31.323736°N 89.315275°W |
| No. of species | 55+ |
| Annual visitors | 125,792 (2014) |
The Hattiesburg Zoo is a fun place to visit in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is sometimes called the Kamper Park Zoo. This zoo covers about 12 acres and is inside Kamper Park.
The Hattiesburg Convention Commission runs the zoo. It is also recognized by important groups like the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. This means the zoo meets high standards for animal care.
Contents
Zoo History: How It Started
Kamper Park, where the zoo is located, has a long history. John Kamper gave 40 acres of land for the park in 1902. The city of Hattiesburg received the land in 1908 to create a public park.
The Hattiesburg Zoo first opened its doors in 1950. It was built on about 12 acres of Kamper Park. In 2025, the zoo celebrated its 75th birthday with a special year-long event!
Amazing Animal Exhibits
The Hattiesburg Zoo is nestled among beautiful oak and pine trees. It is divided into different sections, each showing animals from specific parts of the world. You can see many types of animals here. These include amphibians, birds, insects, mammals, and reptiles.
Africa: Wild Animals of the Savanna
The northern part of the zoo takes you to Africa. Here, you can see many exciting animals.
- The exhibit starts with a shared home for African Hornbills and porcupines.
- You can also find a Fennec Fox exhibit.
- A large open area, called a veldt, features Grant's zebras, bongos, ostriches, and East African Crowned Cranes.
- Other animals in this area include servals, sulcata tortoises, and DeBrazza guenon monkeys.
Wallaby Walkabout: Meet Australian Friends
In 2018, the zoo opened a special area called the Wallaby Walkabout. This exhibit lets you walk right through it without barriers. You can get up close to some amazing animals from Australia and New Zealand.
- Visitors can interact with Bennett's wallabies.
- You can also see emus, which are large birds.
- Friendly kunekune pigs are also part of this fun walk-through experience.
Learning and Discovery
Asbury Discovery Center: A Place to Learn
The Asbury Discovery Center opened in 2014. This building is 2,200 square feet and is a hub for learning. It has a laboratory, a classroom, and offices.
The center offers many chances for both kids and adults to learn about animals. It also provides homes for some of the zoo's special animals. These include reptiles, a Galapagos tortoise, a family of sloths, and a prehensile-tailed porcupine. You might also see a Von der Decken's hornbill and other "ambassador animals." These are animals that help teach people about wildlife.
New Adventures at the Zoo
The Hattiesburg Zoo has grown a lot over the years. In 2021, the Africa area expanded even more. This new section brought exciting new animals to the zoo.
- New exhibits were created for giraffes and colobus monkeys.
- You can also see spotted hyenas in this expanded area.
- Other new additions include Chilean flamingos, a Giant Anteater, and a Lowland Tapir.
- Genets, Spider Monkeys, and Miniature Donkeys also joined the zoo family.
The Hattiesburg Zoo continues to improve and offer new experiences for its visitors.
