Jackson Jambalaya

"Turn over any remaining assets to the city..." that is, after they've already been looted. Sounds like a good time to cut the city's losses and close the zoo; and

You should've had the ZooBQ when you had the chance. Now none of us will get a taste of that succulent exotic meat!

And with this so ends the zoo

Who actually owns the land where the zoo is located? Will the city finally cut its losses and sell the animals/land?

So, when the agreement and the transfer takes place, will the City have the required permits to own and operate a zoo? I'm surprised that the company that's been awarded the contract hasn't bailed yet. They obviously are in no hurry and have no experience since they don't have a permit even though they've "applied" for one. There is NO WAY the city can afford to operate a zoo. The only reason they were kicking in money every year is because zoo revenues never matched zoo expenses and the city wanted to keep it open. The new operator is profit motivated and will certainly want the city to contribute even more so they can make their numbers. In addition, every zoo in the country relies on a solid corporate donor base. Good luck with that. Time to find a new home for the animals and disperse them to other zoos.

The NEXT Farish Street.

The city owns the land but there's no market in that area for land unless you sell it really, really cheap. Someone with more money than sense might buy it then.

Now Melvin can get that Hippo job he's been coveting.

Holy shit. Am I reading this correctly? With a wave of his hand Antar is making $6,000,000 in unpaid water bill AR due to the city just go away? Meanwhile he and Miller are shaking people down all over town to pay past due water bills? Where the hell does he get off!

Dibs on the train!!!

They obviously are in no hurry and have no experience ...

Gone now is BabyChok's boasts and bravado to the City Council and public that impressive national zoo operators had contacted him about bidding on the next contract to operate the Jackson Zoo.

It was bullshit then and has been all along. Lumumba flat out lies through his teeth. The would-be Baby Emperor wears no clothes.

Four years from now we'll still be looking for a zoo operator just like we are for a convention center hotel operator. Once the true costs of running a zoo with declining membership are calculated, the city will have to bail and close it down. In the meantime, I'm sure the animals are enjoying the quiet and solitude (they're used to the "firecrackers"} now that the zoo is "temporarily" closed.

Does anyone know where I can buy a zebra rug?

"The City will will now own the animals".

Where is the SPCA ?

This is tragic for those poor beasts.

this is really, really bad. now that the city owns them, they are completely responsible for their health--vet bills, food, water, safety. it's not going to end well.

and yes the 'national' company coming in--not a chance they are able to keep it open either..

so sad--pride and arrogance got in the way of saving the idea of a zoo in the area.

Once the animals are gone, loaned or sold to other zoos, the odds of a zoo at LeFleurs Bluff drop dramatically. Our city leaders are total idiots. They should have embraced the idea of moving the zoo, kept the new zoo open until moving day and watched the zoo attendance take off in a new, more visible and safer location. Unless they embrace a new zoo now and keep the animals lodged at the old location until moving day, it's over. The current zoo adds ZERO to the west Jackson economy. I would argue, and I think I'm spot on here, that not one tank of gas, one restaurant meal, one candy bar or soft drink is bought off premises by a single visitor to the zoo. The zoo has NO economic impact on that area. NONE.

This is just a bit of humor being played on us gullible readers. Right? Right????????

Heresy to say this BUT Lefleur's Bluff is a great location but a bad site. For only 25 acres, hilly, and it floods. Current zoo is 33 acres.

Having been to several out of state zoos, the Jackson Zoo seems more of an embarrassing reminder of how low the city has sunk.

Unless they can take over the ballfields and Mayes Lake. Move the ball fields to the woods across from River Hills. Probably unaffordable at that point. Expensive bridges, expensive roads to get across the creek.

Mayor Gumflapper effectively just paid $6.35m for an assortment of exotic animals being housed in a crumbling facility that should have been replaced 20 years ago. He's living a total delusion believing he can drop a couple hundred thousand in bond dollars to renovate the zoo in only 60-90 days. Because he owns the animals now he's put the already cratering Jackson treasury on the hook to fund the monthly zoo operational budget for an undetermined period of time long into the future. Lumumba's over-sized ego just made a gigantic mistake. One of too many he's already made but likely his most financially stupid move yet.

Put these poor animals in a zoo that isn't a hood. At some point, zoos will go the way of the circus world-extinct. Put on a VR hood and let the animals live freely.

Does the city have the proper accreditation to run the zoo or care for the animals?
What happens if a medical emergency happens? Birthing different types of animals and caring for newborn animals is no walk in the park?
Feeding venomous snakes is similar to catering for city council but even more dangerous.

With one stupid comment, 5:43, you have shown exactly why you SHOULDN'T be on the zoo board.

"Unless they can take over the ballfields and Mayes Lake. Move the ball fields to the woods across from River Hills. Probably unaffordable at that point. Expensive bridges, expensive roads to get across the creek."

I've been saying this for years. Move the ballfields over to where the soccer fields are off of Old Canton are, work with the state to lease the land the golf course is on (neither the ball fields or golf course get much use) and develop that whole area into a zoo. Have fewer animals, but better exhibits. There is a small creek to work around, it could wind down to the Pearl or around to Mayes Lake. That area would explode in commercial activity.

Thinking ahead - after they sell the animals to other zoos and send the proceeds to the water department, they have the making of one of the most innovated homeless shelters in the nation.

Now the zoo will be in good hands !

Will not be many animals left after the packs of wild dogs find there way into this now defunct facility. It is sad to think what will happen to these poor animals.

Geez. What is so hard about this. Sell the animals! Sell the land (if you can find buyer) and cut your losses. Take what money is received and pave a street or two. Focus on the needs...not the wants, or what we think we should have. Do we really need Dave Ramsey to come down here and teach a course to city council twerps?

I'll be at the clean-up in the morning.

Prediction: The Zoo will be closed within 6 months.

We need a betting pool here!

Been staying quiet about the Zoo but Kingfish is right. The Leflure move isn’t as cut and dry as people try to make it out to be. Once it floods a couple of times you guys will be on here saying that move was stupid. Just slow down a little.

Prediction: The new zoo managemeent company won't get a permit from the USDA anytime soon. I have had experience with this agency when I liquidated a small private facility in Florida that had a couple of hippos, bunches of crocs (not alligators) and snakes and elephants. The big problem was an old gorilla that when I tried to sell it the USDA told me I would go to jail if I moved that animal. It was endangeered and its facility was approved, air conditioned and had lots of creature comforts. No, they said. You don't move that without our permission..and you aren't going to get it. They inspected the facility several times a year. The current zoo facility won't meet the standards. These people are government employee3s and take themselves seriously. Bottom line -- no zoo permit.

12:41. Yes it is as cut and dry. We went to the moon in 1969 with a 64 K Tandy computer. Zoo folks and city planners can figure this out, and not "keyboard experts" like you, me and the owner of this site. One acre is the size of a football field. 25 acres is the size of 25. They can make it happen.

What happens if a medical emergency happens? Birthing different types of animals and caring for newborn animals is no walk in the park?

I'm not an apologist for the City of Jackson. But I can assure you that animals are perfectly capable of giving birth to their young without human assistance. The only requirement captivity creates is make them dependent for food.

The zoo needs to be moved to all Jackson owned land around the Airport so you can still call it the Jackson Zoo. Consolidate the Zoo board and JMAA.

And dont worry. The animals got used to daily small arms fire and hip hop subwoofers so they can also get used to jet wash and engine noise from a Embraer Regional Jet.

9:28 -- this is 9:20. This isn't about the size of the site, or a potential site. This is about $$$$ and I mean lots of $$$$. Those folks in Washington are going to demand upgrades and want to see cash reserves and the ability to pay for food -- and I don't mean a bag of Ole Roy from Walmart. And they require a plan for medical procedures from vets who have specific expertise. I had an elephant with a broken tusk -- $10,000 vet bill. Even the feral dogs are a problem. The government requires the animals to be enclosed in safe facilities and the day of looking them up in cages is history. The zoo won't generate enough revenue to accomplish any of this. What is the city going to do-- float a bond issue. Even if you could sell it how would it be paid back?

And 9:28 don't tell me I am a "keyboard expert." I hae actual experience, more than the wizard city planners and zoo folks" you think can "figure this out." Best thing tha can be done is work with the USDA and move the animals to approved facilties and cut the $$$ bleeding.

Uh, you apparently don't know the dimensions of a football field. 25 football fields is 33 acres.

So much for Jackson being The Bold New City

10:58. A football field, not including end zones, is an acre, give or take a little. I will not do the math for you.

10:53. The proposal to move the zoo to LeFleurs (with the other museums) had the potential financial backing of the state some 6 or 7 years ago. Moving it there was the state's idea. The city passed it up because the leaders are stupid and everything is about race, not smarts. If you are not aware of that you are ignorant of the situation, and arguing with you is a futile waste of time.

6.5mil? Is there actual proof of this? This is just a shakedown to "take" the animals. A typical democrack playbook. Free and reparations.

Meanwhile another body was found stabbed in the neck.

10:23 PM is one of the few who understands it. It is time to cut out the bull crap and focus on water, sewer, streets, etc. We don't need zoos and convention centers. We need some fiscally conservative management, and a focus on the necessities. But it ain't gonna happen.

An acre is 43,560 square feet. There are some idiots on this board.

Why did you not post my retort to 10:53 and 10:58, douche bag?

9:28 - thanks for the mathematics lesson.

Now see if you can address the real issue - who is going to write the checks for some $75 - $100 million that it would take to build a new zoo. (And that doesn't include the cost of moving any of the existing facilities.)

You think the city is going to write that check? It would, of course, bounce.

And the state is not about to cut a check for a zoo, Jackson or otherwise.

So - now that you've told us how big an acre is, and therefore how big 25 acres are, tell us how big the $100M would be and whose gonna cut that check.

Maybe because I wasn't home sitting in front of my laptop waiting for you to comment. I do have a life apart from this website, scumbag.

10:58. A football field, not including end zones, is an acre, give or take a little. I will not do the math for you.

LAME attempt at moving the goalposts. A football field w/o end zones is not a football field. Your inability to do math was apparent from the outset.

It would be REALLY nice to have a "LIKE" button for us in the peanut gallery.

I can't imagine that the City will own a zoo two years from now, or 5, or 10. Like some others have said, focus on streets, water, sewer, etc. Also, the big two - crime and education. The City of Jackson worrying about getting a zoo is like a homeless man worried about matching socks.
BUT, I might be interesting to take a poll. Kingfish can you create a poll? Exact wording of your choice. Basically do folks believe Jackson will have a zoo?

This blog is like a focus group where KF gets suggestions, good or bad, for managing the zoo.

Am I right? Am I right?