Jackson Zoo facts for kids
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| Date opened | 1919 |
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| Location | Jackson, Mississippi |
| Coordinates | 32°19′13″N 90°13′15″W / 32.3202°N 90.2207°W |
| No. of animals | 250 |
| No. of species | 120 |
| Annual visitors | 120,000 |
| Memberships | ZAA |
The Jackson Zoo is a fun place to visit in Jackson, Mississippi. It first opened in 1919 and is home to about 250 animals from over 120 different species. Here, you can see amazing wildlife from all over the world and from right here in Mississippi!
The zoo is located inside the historic Livingston Park, which is about 110 acres big. Each year, around 85,000 people visit the zoo, including about 20,000 school children who come to learn about animals.
When you visit, you can grab a bite at the Elephant House Cafe or find cool souvenirs at the Jackson Zoo Trading Company. You can also have a picnic in Livingston Park. Don't forget to take a ride on the Endangered Species Carousel or the Livingston Train! In the summer, there's even a Splash Pad to cool off.
The Jackson Zoo is the second largest zoo in Mississippi. It's also the only zoo in the state that is officially recognized by the Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA), which means it meets high standards for animal care.
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The Jackson Zoo's Story
The story of the Jackson Zoo began in 1916 when the city of Jackson bought 79 acres of land from Samuel Livingston. This land was outside of town back then. By 1919, a group of firefighters started collecting different animals, keeping them at the central fire station.
In 1921, their collection grew from small animals like rabbits and squirrels to include more exotic ones like zebras. So, the city decided to move them to the new land, and that's how the Livingston Park Zoo was created!
In the 1930s, many new buildings were built at the zoo. This happened with help from the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression. The WPA was a program that helped create jobs for people during tough economic times. Thanks to these projects, the zoo got many buildings that are still standing today, like the Monkey Castle and the Elephant House Café. The zoo grounds were also a park where visitors could enjoy a lake during hot summers.
In 1948, the zoo got even more animals! Dr. Jacob L. Reddix, who was the President of Jackson State College, helped the zoo get several rainforest animals from Liberia. These included chimpanzees, rare mangabey monkeys, a colobus monkey, a lemur, and pythons.
In 1962, the Jackson Zoo, like other public places in the city, became open to all visitors. This was an important step towards fairness and equality for everyone.
The 1970s brought new additions, like a children's petting zoo, which later became the Discovery Zoo. An animal hospital was also built to help care for the animals. In 1975, James L. Swigert became the zoo director and helped create the first big plan for the zoo's future.
In 1985, the zoo expanded into more of Livingston Park, which allowed for the creation of the African Rainforest Exhibit. In 1989, the zoo received special recognition from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), showing its commitment to excellent animal care.
In 1995, the state government provided $4 million to improve the zoo. This led to big projects like the African Savannah and Mississippi Wilderness Exhibits, which were the largest improvements in the zoo's history.
In 2004, the Friends of the Zoo added a new Endangered Species Carousel. This carousel is special because it features animals like zebras, leopards, giraffes, and tigers instead of traditional horses!
In 2005, the African Savannah Exhibit opened, letting visitors feel like they were on an open plain in Africa. In 2006, the Wilderness Mississippi area opened, showcasing animals from our own state. The zoo was also named a "Southern Travel Treasure" by AAA Magazine.
In 2007, the Jackson Zoo was recognized as the "Travel Attraction of the Year" by the Mississippi Tourism Association. This showed how much the zoo had grown and improved. Also, a new education center, the Gertrude C. Ford Education Center, began construction.
In 2010, the zoo's two popular elephants moved to another zoo to join a larger herd. This was done because the Jackson Zoo didn't have enough space for them to live comfortably as a big group. The Southern White rhino then became the largest mammal at the zoo and moved into the elephant's old home.
In 2017, the orangutans at the zoo moved to new homes at other facilities. This was because their enclosure needed updates, and there wasn't enough money to fix it quickly.
In 2019, the zoo temporarily closed to the public to update its licensing. Zoo staff stayed to care for the animals. As of August 2020, the zoo is open on weekends with limited hours due to COVID-19 rules.
Animals and Exhibits
The Jackson Zoo is currently home to about 225 animals, representing more than 120 different species from around the world. The zoo plans to keep updating its exhibits to meet modern standards for animal care. Some of the zoo's buildings are even historic landmarks, like the Elephant House Cafe and the Monkey Castle. While these buildings are old, they are no longer home to living animals.
The zoo has several areas that show animals from specific parts of the world. These include the African Rainforest, African Savannah, Asian Garden, and Wilderness Mississippi.
African Rainforest
The African Rainforest is a special boardwalk that makes you feel like you're deep inside a dense jungle.
- Pygmy Hippopotamus Pool - The first exhibit you'll see in the African Rainforest is a large lake. Here, you can find three pygmy hippos swimming with native red-eared sliders, river cooters, and fish. Pygmy hippos are smaller than their larger cousins, the Nile hippopotamus. You might see them in the lake or rolling around in mud holes!
- Chimpanzee Island - The zoo has four chimpanzees who live on a large island in the African Rainforest exhibit. They are very smart and fun to watch!
- Red-tailed Guenon and Colobus Monkey Exhibit - This exhibit has two different species of monkeys living together. It shows how different animals can share the same environment and help each other.
- The rest of the African Rainforest has other exhibits with animals that live in different parts of the rainforest ecosystem. These include Diana monkeys and red river hogs.
African Savannah
The zoo's African Savannah exhibit was built in 2005. It has two large open plains that make you feel like you're on a real field trip in the open Savannah!
The Savannah is home to many kinds of antelope, birds, and even reptiles. The zoo has a big field with places for the animals to sleep or hide if they need to. You can see animals like sable antelope, zebras, wattled cranes, and ostriches living here.
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A wattled crane
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Zebras grazing in the Savannah exhibit
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A sable antelope
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An ostrich
Wilderness Mississippi
In 2006, the Jackson Zoo opened a special section just for Mississippi's amazing creatures. This area has new exhibits that show off many of the state's natural ecosystems. You can see some of Mississippi's most well-known animals here, including black bears, mountain lions, and rattlesnakes.
The first building in this new area is the Backyard Creatures house, which is home to venomous snakes.
