The Audubon Zoo is a zoo located in New Orleans and is part of the Audubon Nature Institute. The zoo is 58 acres (235,000 m²) and is home to 2,000 animals. It opened in 1938, as the Merz Memorial Zoo in the Audubon Park, prior to this there had been a flight cage in the park since 1914. In the 1950s the zoo was renamed in honor of artist and naturalist John James Audubon who lived in New Orleans starting in 1821. The National Zoo in Washington, D.C.. A zoological garden, or zoo for short, is a place where wild animals are encaged in an artificial environment and exhibited to the public. ... New Orleans (local pronunciations: , , or ) (French: La Nouvelle-Orléans, pronounced in standard French accent) is a major U.S. port city and historically the largest city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. ... The Audubon Nature Institute is family of museums and parks dedicated to nature based in New Orleans, Louisiana. ... Audubon Park is a city park located in New Orleans. ... John James Audubon John James Audubon (April 26, 1785 – January 27, 1851) was a Franco-American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter. ...

Some of the exhibits at the zoo include gorillas, orangutans, and the Louisiana swamp exhibit. The zoo is also home to two rare white tiger cubs and rare leucistic alligators. Type species Troglodytes gorilla Savage, 1847 Species Gorilla gorilla Gorilla beringei The gorilla, the largest of the primates, is a ground-dwelling herbivore that inhabits the forests of central Africa. ... Type species Simia pygmaeus Linnaeus, 1760 Species Pongo pygmaeus Pongo abelii Orangutans (also spelled orang utan, orang-utan, sometimes incorrectly orangutang) are two species of great apes with long arms and reddish, sometimes brown, hair native to Malaysia and Indonesia. ... State nickname: Pelican State Official languages None; English and French de facto Capital Baton Rouge Largest city New Orleans at last official government census, but probably Baton Rouge since Hurricane Katrina Governor Kathleen Blanco (D) Senators Mary Landrieu (D) David Vitter (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 31st 134,382 km... Tigers (Panthera tigris) are mammals of the Felidae family and one of four big cats in the Panthera genus. ... A form of albinism. ... Species Alligator mississippiensis Alligator sinensis An alligator is a crocodile in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. ...

The Zoo was expected to have suffered great damage as a result of Hurricane Katrina. On September 1, 2005, the Dallas Morning News reported that zoo director Ron Forman said the vast majority of the animals were fine (only three died) and the only major damage appeared to be downed trees. However, the zoo was short on food and other necessities, and pumps were overheating. During the hurricane, zoo staff found refuge in the zoo's reptile house, which was apparently designed to withstand a major hurricane. Wikinews has news related to this article: Category:New Orleans Disaster Disaster recovery American Red Cross: Official donation site www. ... September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Dallas Morning News is the major daily newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas area. ... Orders  Crocodilia - Crocodilians  Rhynchocephalia - Tuataras  Squamata   Suborder Sauria- Lizards   Suborder Serpentes - Snakes   Suborder Amphisbaenia - Worm lizards Testudines - Turtles Superorder Dinosauria  Saurischia  Ornithischia Reptiles are tetrapods, and also are amniotes, animals whose embryos are surrounded by an amniotic membrane. ...

The zoo's minor damage can be attibuted to disaster planning and its location on high ground. Zoo curator Dan Maloney was quoted as saying, "The zoo had planned for years for the catastrophic storm that has long been predicted for New Orleans."

The affiliated Aquarium of the Americas also survived the hurricane, but suffered significant loss of life in the ensuing week due to flooding and power loss. Aquarium of the Americas is a renowned aquarium in New Orleans. ...

External links

• Audubon Zoo - official website
• Some landmarks took a beating, Dallas Morning News
• Audubon Zoo damage/recovery updates via: Zoo-talk.com

The Audubon Zoo is also home to the legendary Monkey Hill, which is supposedly the highest point in the city. While Monkey Hill was originally built by the monkey cages (hence the name), it is now mere feet away from the giraffes in the Africa themed section of the zoo. The hill recently underwent extensive renovation, including the addition of a waterfall for young children to play in, a rope web that goes to the summit (which now has statues of lions), and a 20-foot high "safari outpost" at the base of the hill. For posterity's sake, a portion of the hill was left as grass, so that children on the school field trip to the zoo can still roll down Monkey Hill.