Little Ponderosa Zoo hasn't been able to welcome visitors for nearly a month now, but on Monday got a couple of special visitors hoping to help them along through the reopening process.
Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs and Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank took a tour of the Clinton zoo Monday to learn more about its current situation as it weathered a month without business due to COVID-19 closures.
Zoo Director James Cox sad that on any other day during spring, the parking lots at the zoo would be full and a line would be forming at the entrance before it opened. On Monday, it was just the mayors and staff.
The mayors were introduced to animals in the exhibits as well as the rehabilitation facility. Cox said many animals approached their fences and welcomed the mayors -- saying it was evident they were as eager to reopen as the staff is.
The non-profit exotic animal rescue and zoo receives most of its support through ticket sales, particularly through school trips. With the onset of COVID-19, Little Ponderosa had to cancel 40 field trips in the first week of school closures.
“We suffered a great loss with a devastating fire several years ago,” Cox said. “Our construction is finished, and we’ve made some fun new additions to the zoo. This was going to be our year to get everything back where we want it to be.”
The zoo is working on a plan to reopen as soon as they can meet health guidelines, saying it is ready to premiere new exhibits and activities when it does eventually reopen -- including a plastic glass tunnel that will allow some visitors to crawl through the middle of the wolf habitat.
The zoo said it is trying to stay positive and care for the animals, but would still benefit greatly from any form of community support.
“I know that a lot of people stepped up to help us after the fire and we hate to be asking for more at a time like this,” said Mr. Cox. “But we do need all the help we can get.”
To donate, visit their website or call the facility at (865) 457-5536 to see how you can help.