In Search of Eden – Chapter 7

The Lowry Park Zoo

When we announced the rebirth of Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo in 1984, we heard from plenty of nay-sayers. They questioned the need for another zoo when we already had Busch Gardens. They scoffed at the idea of paying admission to a city zoo that had always been free. And they really took exception to the multi-million dollar price tag that was attached to the venture – a price that seemed to be escalating. But as the plans were unveiled, minds began to change. Mayor Bob Martinez had a vision that was shared by the Lowry Park Zoo Association, a group that was led by Lowry family member Sally Lowry Baldwin. Momentum was building. We went from one of our first donations of $207 from the Zonta Boys and Girls Club in June of 1984 to regular six figure donations. We raised millions of dollars in a few short years. 

The mid-1980’s was a time of dramatic change in a number of zoos around the nation. In February of 1984, for example, Parade Magazine named the Atlanta Zoo one of the ten worst zoos in the nation. After a subsequent investigation, the Zoo lost its accreditation. In response to the public uproar, Mayor Andrew Young assembled an emergency crisis team, appointed a new director, and privatized the zoo. The rebounding institution emerged with a fresh new name – Zoo Atlanta – and, thanks to an impressive capital campaign and an ambitious renovation plan, the Zoo was in redevelopment mode by 1986.

The Toledo Zoo went through a similar crisis in the early 1980’s that also resulted in privatization and a renaissance. One of the more dramatic results was the opening in 1986 of a 360,000 gallon aquarium with underwater viewing of hippopotamus. The HippoQuarium would be the only exhibit of its kind in the world for years to come.

The City of Indianapolis closed its old zoo and, like Toronto moved its zoo to a new site. But unlike Toronto, the new site was in the heart of downtown. They broke ground in the fall of 1985 and the new $64 million Indianapolis Zoo opened in June 1988.

The zoo revitalization trend that had begun in the 1970’s continued into the 1980’s with dramatic results. Animals, it seems were big business and were attracting donors in droves. In a June 8, 1987 article in the Tampa Tribune, Michael Dunn explored this topic saying that “America’s zoos are abandoning conventional concrete jungles to explore new – and costly – ideas in how to keep and display animals”. Dunn notes specific improvements at some zoos, like the cross country ski trails through the Minnesota Zoo, the “ten types of bioclimatic zones” at the San Diego Zoo, and the expansive, 65 acre Serengeti Plain at Tampa’s Busch Gardens, as zoos begin to consider “not only physical but the psychological needs of animals”.

A Temporary Zoo

Lowry Park, at that time, consisted of picnic pavilions, an outdoor amphitheater, and an amusement park with rides. The zoo was almost an afterthought.  It was a place of live oaks, palm trees, and big-leafed philodendrons; sandy soil, concrete pathways, and box-like chain-link pens. It was so unlike its cross-town rival at Busch Gardens as to be almost laughable – if it wasn’t so sad. The cages were mostly chain-link boxes of various sizes. Visitors were held away from the animals with another chain-link fence making for a stark, sterile environment. Otters and alligators lived in pits that were six feet deep and with the sides painted blue to simulate water. It was a free zoo, which is probably why it was necessary to post crude, wooden signs on most cages that warned: City Code: cruelty to or harassment of animals is prohibited & subject to imprisonment & fine.

 Since Lowry Park’s plan was to build a new zoo on the site of the old one, the animals needed to be relocated. In March of 1985, the zoo was closed to the public and the relocation process began. The plan was to build a temporary site at the North end of the property. One of the advantages of having animals in such primitive conditions was that their new temporary facilities could hardly be worse and, in some cases, the temporary cages were actually better.

We installed concrete slabs, sidewalks, and other temporary infrastructure. After shifting the animals into holding areas, we cut the cages from their floors, picked them up with a giant crane, swung them to the new location, and welded them to their floor in the new location. Animals were transferred into new cages out of the way of construction.

In the summer of 1985 we tranquilized the 2 chimps, Herman and Gitta, and moved them to their temporary cage using a crude stretcher made of a section of chain-link fencing strung between two metal poles. Their new space was a big improvement over the old cage – a 40 x 60 block building with some holding cages inside and an exhibit space attached to the outside of one end. The old exhibit was about 15 feet by 20 feet and it had a double layer of chain-link attached inside and outside of the pipe frame of the structure, making is nearly impossible to see the animals. The new cage, though only temporary, was more spacious and it was open on all sides instead of being backed-up to a building. It wasn’t an ideal situation but it was a slight improvement and, in a few years, things would get even better.

Herman Walks on Grass

By late 1985, all of the cages had been moved and all of the animals transferred. It was time for the serious construction to begin. Cavernous holes were dug, massive footings were poured, and the outline of a new zoo began to take shape. The first phase would be built around three themes. We would have an Asian Domain, a World of Primates, and a walk-through aviary. The public areas would consist of new ticketing, entry, and offices; as well as an impressive central plaza.

For nearly three years, workers poured concrete, sculpted artificial rocks, and installed caging. By the end of 1987, we were planting grass, testing waterfalls, and moving animals into their new homes. It was during this time that the Toledo was opening the first phase of its African Savanna exhibit and Zoo Atlanta was regaining its accreditation. And it was at this time that the Lowry Park Zoological Society was making plans to assume operational control of the zoo, plans that included hiring a new Director. In December, they announced that they had selected Dr. Gil Boese, Director of the Milwaukee Zoo (who later declined the position). My days at Lowry Park were numbered.

Jane Goodall opens the new chimp exhibit

The new chimpanzee area was not especially large, but it was an interesting and varied space for animals who had only known concrete and chain-link. A long, grassy yard was broken up by large logs and an artificial, concrete termite mound. A deep dry-moat barrier afforded the chimps an unobstructed view of their human visitors and the landscape beyond. One of the highlights of my zoo career was seeing Herman walk on grass for the first time and climb atop what would become his favorite perch on the termite mound to gaze back at me. Coincidentally, the famous Atlanta Zoo gorilla, Willie B stepped outside onto grass for the first time that same year, in May of 1988. Willie B had been one of the animals I had seen at the Atlanta Zoo on that fateful day in 1970 when I decided to launch my career taking care of animals.

As the first phase of the Lowry Park Zoo neared completion in February 1988, the Zoo Association became the Lowry Park Zoological Society, a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to the management and ongoing development of a superior zoological garden. The rejuvenated Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo formally opened to the public on March 5, 1988 and in April I announced my resignation to begin the next phase of my career as Executive Director of the Great Plains Zoo and Delbridge Museum of Natural History in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.