Dear Audubon Zoo, While We Have Your Attention…

Dear Audubon Zoo, While We Have Your Attention…

When my first article about the Black Friday “sale” on memberships was posted, the comments came fast and furious. Parents had A LOT to say about not only the egregious price increase but also the recent zoo experience itself. This piece was inspired by those comments. Consider this an informal survey of New Orleans parents—and I’m sure I missed some things, too! Many of us grew up frequenting our beautiful zoo, and we would love to continue making memories there with our own families. So, as long as you’re listening, we have some feedback for your consideration.

Environment

A big part of the reason we enjoy the zoo is because it’s an easy way to get our families outside—not just out of the house but outdoors. Therefore, if we are going to be immersed in nature, then show it off! There is so much to appreciate in addition to the animals. There is no excuse for overgrown grass, dead plants, litter, and debris. The zoo grounds should be sacred.

The playground where so many little ones burn off energy while their parents rest needs to be safe and clean. It should be regularly inspected for hazards and repaired as needed. If you can’t keep up with it, then remove it. Otherwise, you’re disappointing toddlers and frustrating parents who have to mitigate meltdowns.

When is the last time the restrooms were updated? Actually, let’s just start with clean. Can we just have sanitary restrooms that are regularly stocked with toilet paper, paper towels, and soap? And then, if you can find some extra dollars, can we get updated facilities with stalls large enough to accommodate a parent and a toddler?

Can we press pause on any additions? Can we repair and update what is currently there before adding anything new? Why spend money on animatronic dragons when there are priorities for actual living animals that need to be handled? It’s kinda like how I make my family clean the house before we decorate for Christmas. I don’t want a beautiful tree next to piles of laundry and a sink full of dishes. It just doesn’t look right.

Exhibits And Animals

The animals are obviously the stars of the show. They deserve the best of the best. Their enclosures need to be sparkling. The environment surrounding their enclosures should be something to be proud of. I’m thinking specifically of the Komodo dragon, sea lion, and elephant exhibits. They look ROUGH.

This may be difficult—and I am not a zoo keeper, so perhaps it’s not feasible at all—but the nocturnal exhibit is, well, dark. I’m not ignorant; I get why it needs to be, but is there anything that can be done? You really can’t see the bats or the sloth. Just wondering if there is any room for improvement in this area.

We’d love more opportunities to get up close and personal with the animals. My son and I enjoyed our Wild Encounter with the alpacas in 2023 and appreciate the options for other animals. However, these Wild Encounters are not affordable for many families, and some families just simply do not want to be that close. With that said, can we think about bringing back the petting zoo? Or, do we ever have “creature features” anymore? I haven’t seen any lately, but when I worked at the aquarium once upon a time, I used to bring out the iguana, cockroaches, snakes, etc. If this no longer exists, can we start it again?

Can we get a heads up about which animals are not out/which exhibits are closed? I would personally love a list on the website as well as a board at the entrance so that everyone has realistic expectations up front. If an exhibit is closed for repairs, or if it’s hibernation season for a tortoise or something, can we get a timeline of when the exhibit will be ready again? Explanations and transparency go a long way toward customer satisfaction.

Food

Let’s talk about the policy prohibiting outside food and drink. It’s downright difficult for some families to manage this. If it’s a concern for animal safety, I get that. Maybe we can just ban straws or any other particularly hazardous items. But, if you can’t adjust this policy, then here’s the deal. All the restaurants/cafés need to be open during all zoo hours. That’s how it has to be. You can’t tell customers not to bring food but not have restaurants open. It’s common sense. It’s non-negotiable.

If you’re not going to allow outside food and drink, then please provide gluten-free options as well as options for those with food allergies. If you can’t do that, then people need to be able to bring items from home.

And let me just throw this out there: if you want me to really spend money, switch over to Coke products. We’ll for sure grab an ice-cold Coke, but if Pepsi is all you’re offering, I’ll stick to my water bottle.

Membership

As you re-evaluate membership structure and pricing, we have some ideas. Can we get membership options that are only good for one facility as opposed to the Nature Center, Zoo, and Aquarium? Could there be a top tier that includes EVERYTHING (Cool Zoo, dragons, Boo at the Zoo, etc.)? You could even have preferred parking as an add-on. How about a membership that is discounted and only good for non-holiday weekdays (I see stay-at-home parents and homeschoolers loving this option). What about an option that only includes one adult and one child for single-parent households? Could there be a Build Your Own option that allows families to customize? Getting creative and giving parents options will give more families access AND show that you truly heard our concerns.

If there is one thing to be learned from this whole debacle, it’s that you don’t mess with people’s money and people’s children. The people will speak up. You’ll be able to get the funding if you can get our buy-in first. Ideally, that would start with taking ownership and an apology, but if we’re never going to get that, then start here. Start by listening to local families and loyal patrons, who, at the end of the day, do want to see our zoo thrive.

Sincerely,

Hundreds Of Local Parents Who WANT To Support Audubon