On Monday morning, April 27, the Amarillo Zoo & Sanctuary opened to the public for the first time under its new name, to a curious and grateful crowd.
The opening drew a large number of grateful animal and naturalists scurrying to get a glimpse of the new Amarillo Zoo & Sanctuary, now under the management of Stephanie Brady, who also acts as the founder and executive director of Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.
The Amarillo Zoo’s future hung precariously in the balance until a deal was struck between the City of Amarillo and wildlife manager Brady in early April. Paperwork was signed, changing the Amarillo Zoo to the Amarillo Zoo and Sanctuary and making it a nonprofit organization with backing from the city for several years.
To implement much needed cleaning and revision, the zoo was closed from April 3 to April 26 to scrub and revitalize the now beautiful surroundings.
Brady said she had been working non-stop with her crew to do the necessary clean up and repair, repainting and other neeeded updates for the zoo.
“It was hard work and I didn’t get much sleep, but it was worth it,” said Brady, as people came pouring through the doors with smiles on their faces and kids happy.
Special TAC 18+ team from AISD helps keep zoo clean
Special workers from AISD, called TAC 18+, visit the zoo daily with their teacher, Stephanie Castillo, who is a job coach for the group. One of the dedicated members of TAC 18+ told Brady that he liked to clean bathrooms, and she had no objections. The workers stay busy and are very dedicated and proud of their work, according to Castillo.
“I take my students, which are adults, to job sites and transition them into life after graduation,” Castillo said. “We have different job sites like Kid’s Cafes where they put on lids or Catholic charities where they break down boxes.” Castillo said they also help at a church — cleaning — and they learn how to cook, budget, pay bills, all the things they need to know.
“We come here (to the zoo) Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.,” she said.
Sloth released into new jungle-like home
Many of the zoo animals were being released into their new surroundings during the opening day, including a sloth.
The sloth had been housed in a small, white building with a tree trunk and white walls during the cleanup, which is “prison for a sloth,” as Brady put it. The shed was kept humid, but white walls and a closed in space was not practical for a sloth, who needs heights to climb with a jungle-like setting.
Reaux, a female, two-toed sloth or Choloepus, seemed very at home with her new setting, which includes low lighting (sloths are mostly nocturnal), special bulbs with infrared heat, and humidity provided by a fogger that runs constantly. She also has lot of hammocks she can bask in during the day and night.
One of the biggest tasks left to the WWWRC was cleaning up the moat, according to Brady. “It took all three weeks to get the muck and buildup out of there and power wash it and redo the background, though the mural behind it stayed.”
The monkeys were released and showed their appreciation by chattering and jumping from tree to tree in their new surroundings.
Brady was quick to give credit to her awesome crew who did so much of the work and continue to show up and keep things going.
The original front gate, when the zoo was known as Storyland Zoo, held displays of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves when it was built in the ‘50s. Now, it is affectionately referred to as The Mountain and may become a sanctuary for insects and bugs, according to Brady.
Muralist paints ‘Solomon’ memorial in gift shop
Shirley Cole, who painted a beautiful mural of “Solomon,” the former lion who died recently at the zoo, was at the opening to see all the improvements. She said she was visiting earlier when the zoo was being remodeled and offered to paint the mural, which was warmly welcomed by Brady. When she was painting it, some students from Wolflin Elementary School visited, and she mentioned them in her signature of the mural.
As time goes on, the Amarillo Zoo and Sanctuary will be adding more animals and improvements to welcome groups of new places for people and visitors to go to and enjoy.
Hours of operation will be 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Sunday. Admission is $7.50 for adults and $5.50 for children ages 2-12. They are looking at having a membership program or discounts in the future.
Zoo manager gets a hug, thanks
While Brady was explaining the operation and the renovation, a woman walked up to her and said, “You don’t know me, but I want to hug you.”
Brady obliged, and the woman hugged her and told her how grateful she was to finally be able to take her grandson to the now revitalized zoo. “He used not want to come anymore,” she said, “but now he doesn’t want to leave.”
As the two hugged, Brady shed a few tears and said that people being happy and grateful made the work all worthwhile. Later, the woman who identified herself as Tandy Clark, said, “Stephanie Brady has done wonders for this zoo and wildlife. We are so lucky to have her. Amarillo needs this.”
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: New Amarillo Zoo and Sanctuary opens doors to eager crowd
Reporting by Nell Williams, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
