Editing Audubon Zoo (section)

==History==
[[File:Odenheimer Sea Lion Pool, Audubon Park Zoo, New Orleans 1924.jpg|left|thumb|Odenheimer Sea Lion Pool, 1924]]
The site of the zoo has housed animal exhibits since the [[World Cotton Centennial]] 1884 Exhibition [[World's fair|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,<ref>{{cite web|title=NOLA History: Audubon Park|last1=Branley|first1=Edward|date=May 20, 2013|website=GoNOLA |url=http://www.gonola.com/2013/05/20/nola-history-audubon-park.html}}</ref> and during the boom of the 1920s, many other additions were made, such as a [[sea lion]] pool in 1928.<ref>{{cite web|title=Audubon Zoo|website=neworleans.com |url=https://www.neworleans.com/listing/audubon-zoo/3513/}}</ref> This pool, along with a few other [[Art Nouveau|''art nouveau'']] buildings, can still be seen today.

[[File:Audubon Zoo Monkey Island WPA 1936.jpg|left|thumb|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 (New Orleans)|City Park]] actually competes for that title.

By the early 1970s, the zoo had fallen into a state of decay.<ref>{{cite web|title=A Time of Challenge|website=auduboninstitute.org |url=http://www.auduboninstitute.org/content/time-of-challenge|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106032606/http://www.auduboninstitute.org/content/time-of-challenge|archive-date=November 6, 2013}}</ref> The small prison-like cages made of bricks and steel bars constructed by the WPA were no longer considered appropriate environments for many of the animals displayed within them.<ref>{{cite web|website=neworleanspubliclibrary.org|url=http://neworleanspubliclibrary.org/~nopl/gallier/zoo.htm|publisher=New Orleans Public Library|title=Building N.O.: The Audubon Zoo|access-date=2014-09-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140909031012/http://neworleanspubliclibrary.org/~nopl/gallier/zoo.htm|archive-date=2014-09-09|url-status=dead}}</ref> 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 m<sup>2</sup>). That 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.<ref name="tm-ziggy-2011interview">{{cite web |author=Nick Deriso |title=Zigaboo Modeliste on the Meters' 'They All Ask'd For You,' 'Funkify Your Life,' others: Gimme Five |url=http://somethingelsereviews.com/2011/08/04/one-track-mind-zigaboo-modeliste-funkify-your-life-desitively-bonaroo-they-all-askd-for-you-others/ |website=Something Else |publisher=Something Else! |access-date=January 25, 2019 |date=August 4, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190125073426/http://somethingelsereviews.com/2011/08/04/one-track-mind-zigaboo-modeliste-funkify-your-life-desitively-bonaroo-they-all-askd-for-you-others/|archive-date=January 25, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> 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.

[[File:Audubon Zoo, New Orleans USA - panoramio.jpg|thumb|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 from abroad.

In 1987, an [[American alligator|alligator]] nest was discovered with 18 freshly hatched babies with white hides&mdash;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.<ref>{{cite web|website=wwltv.com|url=http://www.wwltv.com/news/Rare-white-gators-got-their-start-in-Terrebonne--267042591.html|publisher=WWLTV|title=Rare gators got their start in a Terrebonne swamp &#124; WWLTV.com New Orleans|access-date=2014-09-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140716125637/http://www.wwltv.com/news/Rare-white-gators-got-their-start-in-Terrebonne--267042591.html|archive-date=2014-07-16|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:Gator Demonstration.jpg|thumb|Educational demonstration featuring alligators at the Audubon Zoo's Wetlands Express]]
In 1990, the Audubon Nature Institute, which manages the zoo,<ref>{{cite web|title=Audubon Institute|website=auduboninstitute.org |url=http://www.auduboninstitute.org/about}}</ref> opened [[Audubon Aquarium]]<ref>{{cite news|work=Times-Picayune|date=June 15, 2014|last=Stroup|first=Shiela|title=Aquarium of the Americas: A 24th anniversary shared, a labor of love for aging animals |url=http://www.nola.com/living/index.ssf/2014/06/aquarium_of_the_americas_a_24t.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207013726/https://www.nola.com/living/index.ssf/2014/06/aquarium_of_the_americas_a_24t.html|archive-date=December 7, 2017}}</ref> in the [[New Orleans Central Business District|CBD]] at the edge of the [[French Quarter]]. Some of the white alligators were transferred 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 {{convert|20|foot|4=-high|adj=mid}} "safari outpost" at the base of the hill. For the sake of posterity, a portion of it was left as grass for children to play on.<ref>{{cite web|title=Monkey Hill, which turns 80 this summer, isn't the highest spot in New Orleans, but it's one of the most beloved|date=July 9, 2014|last=Campanella|first=Richard|website=nola.com |url=https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/home_garden/article_dbdf317c-651c-5c8c-985e-d9fbf1eb66a9.html}}</ref>

In 2005, [[Hurricane Katrina]] hit New Orleans, followed by severe consequences in the [[Effects of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans|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&mdash;only three died&mdash;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.<ref>{{cite news |first=Diane |last=Jennings |url=http://www.dallasnews.com/s/dws/news/katrina/stories/090105dntexkatlandmarks.129acef6.html |title=Some landmarks took a beating |work=[[Dallas Morning News]] |date=2005-08-31 |access-date=2006-03-20}}</ref>

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."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4223288.stm |title=New Orleans zoo survives Katrina |work=[[BBC News]] |date=2005-09-07 |access-date=2006-03-20}}</ref>

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.<ref name="expanded_hours">{{cite web |title=Audubon Zoo and Audubon Park Golf Course expand days of operation |work=[[Audubon Institute]] |format=PDF |url=http://www.auduboninstitute.org/site/DocServer/Press_zoocoursexpansion.pdf?docID=404 |date=February 2006 |access-date=2006-03-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060623022827/http://www.auduboninstitute.org/site/DocServer/Press_zoocoursexpansion.pdf?docID=404 |archive-date=2006-06-23 |url-status=live }}</ref>

For a period around 2011 the [[Lycée Français de la Nouvelle-Orléans]] (LFNO) used three rooms at the zoo as classrooms on a temporary basis.<ref>{{cite news|last=Morris|first=Robert|url=http://uptownmessenger.com/2011/11/lycee-francais-november-board-meeting/|title=Lycee Francais nearing deal for new school building|work=Uptown Messenger|date=November 14, 2011|access-date=August 3, 2012}}</ref>

On July 14, 2018, a [[jaguar]] named Valerio escaped through the roof of its enclosure, killing six animals and injuring another three before being recaptured.<ref name="CBS Silverstein 2018">{{cite news |last=Silverstein |first=Jason |work=[[CBS News]] |title=Jaguar escapes, kills 6 animals at New Orleans zoo |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/audubon-zoo-new-orleans-jaguar-escapes-kills-6-animals-2018-07-14/ |date=2018-07-14 |access-date=2018-07-15}}</ref><ref name="Nola2018">{{cite news |last=Krueger |first=Hanna |work=NOLA.com |title=6 animals dead, 3 injured: What we know about the jaguar escape at Audubon Zoo |url=https://www.nola.com/expo/news/erry-2018/07/bad7f252531544/6-animals-dead-3-injured-what.html |date=2018-07-14 |access-date=2018-07-15 |language=en-US}}</ref> The incident occurred before the zoo had opened.