Zoo Redux

For those in Northeast Louisiana, the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo provides a beautiful and cherished escape into the wilds of Borneo, the depths of a darkened cavern, and a view of the African plains. Already the favorite destination for travelers in the region, the LPG&Z seeks to entice even more visitors, and with a concerted effort to refurbish the grounds, present new species, and enhance the overall experience for first-timers and zoo veterans alike, the team orchestrating the zoo renaissance appears to be on track to help guests create special memories.

ARTICLE BY NILS BORQUIST
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KELLY MOORE CLARK

The mere mention of certain words or phrases is enough to bring a smile to the face of children. One can see the anticipation and excitement in their faces just by uttering “It’s almost Christmas,” or “We got you a surprise,” or even something as pedestrian as “Who wants ice cream?” While these certainly do the job of hyping up both youngsters, and even those who are young at heart, very few statements can match “We’re going to the zoo!” Across the country, zoos bring joy by introducing people to exotic animals as well as heighten curiosity about what other magical creatures are yet to be happened upon by wandering explorers. Unfortunately for most families, even with over 2,000 zoos in the U.S., an extensive trip must be made in order to visit even a moderately sized zoo. For those in Northeast Louisiana, though, the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo provides a beautiful and cherished escape into the wilds of Borneo, the depths of a darkened cavern, and a view of the African plains. Already the favorite destination for travelers in the region, the LPG&Z seeks to entice even more visitors, and with a concerted effort to refurbish the grounds, present new species, and enhance the overall experience for first-timers and zoo veterans alike, the team orchestrating the zoo renaissance appears to be on track to help guests create special memories.

One of the most recent changes at the zoo, and likely the most positively impactful, has nothing to do with unveiling a new plant or animal or ride. With the introduction of Tom Pearson as the Zoo Director on September 14, 2020, and his exceedingly high level of passion along with his vision for the future of the facility, the first step for injecting new life into the zoo has been met and then some. “It is no secret how much I love this place,” Pearson energetically remarked on a recent sunny autumn day while taking a break from assisting zoo staff to prepare for the upcoming re-opening. With clothes dirty from working in the extensive gardens, he exuded enthusiasm and anticipation while pointing out the various locations at which projects were being both planned and commencing. To say he loves the zoo is an understatement; Pearson’s involvement with the LPG&Z spans decades, and his unfailing desire to rebuild the long-standing train ride nearly completely in its entirety, a task he oversaw and tirelessly saw through to its fruition, stands as a monumental achievement. Even beyond that accomplishment, when considering the hours, effort, and overall commitment to the zoo, Pearson’s devotion may be unparalleled. When the possibility of taking over the reins as the new Director became a possibility, he hoped for an opportunity, and he is thankful that Mayor Friday Ellis and Monroe City Director of Community Affairs Doug Seegers offered him the position. Even during a great career as a familiar fixture on KNOE as chief meteorologist, Pearson invested a great deal of time to community events, most notably the zoo’s multiple yearly functions, so it came as no surprise to those close to him that he jumped at the chance to be involved in a prime capacity. Indeed, he has wasted no time collaborating with local contractors, garden experts, and businesses to begin extensive and much-needed renovations to a park hungry for a refreshing look.

Visitors arriving at the zoo do not even have to enter the grounds before seeing long-time fixtures at the entrance, notably the statues of giraffes that have stood guard for several decades, as well as the lime green entry buildings. The changes Pearson has envisioned start right there. The buildings are in the process of receiving fresh paint, and the giraffes are being replaced by different artwork. Fortunately, as the giraffes are part of the history and legacy of the zoo, they are only being moved to a different part of the grounds. Part of the revision involves an emphasis on the Louisiana Purchase component in the name of the zoo, an aspect that Pearson rightly believes is a unique title used by no other national zoos, despite the historic acquisition being such an enormous part of the country now. With that in mind, the original pieces that will soon be in place in addition to the landscape renovations have been designed to display the natural legacy of our beautiful state. The creation is subtle, simple, and powerful, an inviting addition that will surely be met with adoration. 

Once inside the zoo, more changes are in store. Pearson already had several trees either moved or removed in order to allow for a more panoramic view that has previously been somewhat obstructed. Fortunately, several attractions exist that will not be going anywhere, two of which are favorites of everyone who visits: the boat and train rides. Having undergone the revamping process on multiple occasions, the train ride is a nearly 50-year-old treat. Traveling throughout the entire zoo, the ride provides patrons the opportunity to see a wide range of animals from a different perspective. As one of the zoo’s highlights, it may be matched only by the boat ride, a meandering float allowing views of various plants and trees, waterfowl, and aquatic mammals from up close. While, sadly, many issues have arisen over the years that have halted the rides, the new management team promises to maintain a more hands-on approach in order to better stay abreast of potential concerns and work in a proactive manner to preclude long-term problems. Beyond the landscaping and the ride upkeep, one, of course, thinks of the animals. Thankfully, with a supremely caring and knowledgeable staff, a crew that works tirelessly year-round, the wildlife in place is in great hands, and those that will arrive in during the upcoming seasonal change, from zoos in states such as Ohio, will find their transitions seamless and their routines perfectly preserved.

With the vast amount of work that goes into running a zoo, a tremendous amount of funding, both financially and in hands-on work, is required. As previously mentioned, the LPG&Z is the number one tourist destination in Northeast Louisiana, so money definitely comes through visitation; however, donations and volunteer work are also integral to day-to-day activities. Because the citizens of Monroe and the surrounding towns love the zoo so ferociously, there is no short supply of consistent donors or extra hands to help. Groups such as JPS, Woodman, and James Machine Works have been and continue to be extraordinarily generous and sympathetic to the needs of the zoo in order for it to progress. Additionally, local artisans, woodworkers, and metalworkers have donated their skills to restore or even rebuild some of the buildings that are in disrepair. In terms of clean-up volunteers, Pearson is especially proud of the support from the community. In fact, he stated that the numbers of helpers on the prior three volunteer clean-up days were, respectively, 15, over 100, and over 200! These numbers show the community support to be exponentially growing, particularly when considering that the second of the volunteer days took place the day after Hurricane Laura. When people had their own personal and neighborhood clean-up efforts to deal with, over 100 people gave their time to helping the zoo get back in order. The volunteer work also reaches beyond the local community to the larger zoo community at large. With the winds and rains, a number of trees fell inside the zoo grounds, and some destruction was incurred. Even before Pearson utilized his zoo connections to get some advice, other zoos, aware of the situation, graciously extended their help. In particular, the Fort Worth, Texas, and Panama City, Florida, Zoo Directors came to Monroe with some of their staff members to assist in rebuilding damaged animal housing, specifically in the serval exhibit where some fencing suffered structural harm, completely free. Pearson expressed such gratitude for the support provided by these arms of the national zoo family, saying that their efforts went above and beyond what could have been expected.

Another group heavily involved with promoting the zoo and assisting with its mission is the Louisiana Purchase Zoological Society. The LPZS is a non-profit organization that assists the zoo in multiple capacities, including creating fundraisers and other promotional programs and activities geared towards furnishing the zoo with supplies, tools, and financial support, as well as participating in plans to expand or alter the zoo’s land holdings, and they even will buy animals to be housed in the LPG&Z as their forever home, as in the case most recently of Tut the camel. Led by LPZS President, Maggie Generoso, who also teaches at Cypress Point Elementary School, the group takes their job of helping the zoo seriously, and the hours they put in beyond their regular jobs shows incredible loyalty and dedication. Several great ideas have been put into effect that have been beneficial to the zoo: an Amazon wish list has emerged as a tremendously valuable asset for patrons to buy and deliver needed items. Fundraisers have brought in monies that have been used to purchase updated wheelchairs as well as new bicycles with baskets for zookeepers and maintenance staff. Plans have been put into effect to renovate the Flamin’ Flamingo Café, the concessions area, as well. Along with procuring funding, the LPZS also plays a tremendous role in promoting the zoo and its special activities, primarily through their eponymously named Facebook site as well as another Facebook site called “Quit Lion Around.” The sites are consistently updated, and following the zoo is highly encouraged. 

The LPG&Z has been closed while undergoing extensive rebuilding and remodeling first due to Coronavirus and more recently due to Hurricanes Laura and Delta. As of now, the plan for reopening coincides with Halloween and the annual “Boo at the Zoo” on Saturday, October 31st. Additionally, for those desiring to help, another volunteer clean-up day is planned for the Saturday prior to the reopening, October 24th. Due to the prolonged time of closure, the opening festivities have been re-christened “Fall Back into the Zoo,” a playful homage to both autumn as well as the lengthy layoff. Pearson and his team are expectedly excited about the new zoo season to come, and the reopening promises to be fun for all visitors as there will be treats for the kids, music, food, and the always enjoyable train ride. The amusement does not stop there, though. The regular cast of special events, including the Egg-stravaganza, the Zoo-bilation, and Jungle Bells celebrations will follow, and there are definitely plans create new events for the upcoming year. 

For those who have grown up or have lived in the Monroe regional area for an extended period, the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo owns a special place in their hearts, especially if they spent a great amount of time in the zoo over the years. The zoo is a special place, providing us with the chance to witness and interact with incredible animals and plants both from around the world and from our own backyards. In order to remain special, to be something for our kids to treasure, we need to help the zoo. We need to give our time or our money or our skills. Better yet, we need to just go visit. We need to slowly walk through, to drift in the boat, to chug in the train, and look around and listen to the sounds. It is easy to forget, with the accelerated pace of our daily lives, that we are part of the earth, part of the nature that surrounds us and is within us. Sometimes we need to remember, and going to spy on a sleeping lion, or hear the piercing yells of an animated gibbon, or even hand-feed a goat can humble us and remind us that we are a small part of this incredibly dense organism. Those at the zoo know this. Tom Pearson and Maggie Generoso and the devoted crew of workers, donors, and volunteers wish to remind us that we are an integral part of this special and unique place. They invite us to come and see, to visit, to be proud of our zoo, and to be reminded of how lucky we are to have such a wonderful refuge in our own small corner of the world.