History
Even as far back as 1960, the Recreation and Parks Commission had a vision for what would become the Baton Rouge Zoo. Because of this, the facility could be built. The voters in 1965 approved a millage election that supplied more than three-quarters of a million dollars. During that period, a Zoo Director was recruited to assist in formulating and executing plans for the zoo. The Bureau of Outdoor Recreation was able to provide funding in the form of a match.
The Baton Rouge Zoo at BREC didn’t initially open its doors to the public until Easter Sunday in 1970, although construction on the facility started in 1966. Buckskin Bill, a well-known television personality, was instrumental in encouraging the people of East Baton Rouge to feel ownership over the new zoo. Consequently, the residents of East Baton Rouge have shown that they support the zoo concept. Residents of East Baton Rouge Parish were motivated to take action after seeing Buckskin Bill announce on the last segment of his television program that the city of Baton Rouge needed a zoo. This prompted East Baton Rouge Parish community members to take matters into their own hands.
Mission
The Baton Rouge Zoo seeks to establish a connection between humans, the natural environment, and the creatures that live in it by providing visitors with highly engaging experiences and conservation efforts that have an effect locally and globally on their planet.
Entertainment And Culture
People can form relationships with many animals in the zoo. In the previous 51 years, the Baton Rouge Zoo has developed into the city’s most popular family attraction, open throughout the year. The zoo receives more than 200,000 visitors annually, making it a destination for people of many ages and walks of life. Many people who go to zoos of all ages want to learn more about the animal world.
Conservation
The Zoo takes an active role in the preservation of the environment. It is a full participant, together with other zoos from around the world, in roughly 30 global Animal Survival Plans (SSP) for species that are regarded as having a great danger of becoming extinct. The Guam Rail, the Arabian Oryx, and the Golden Lion Tamarin were the three species from the SSP that were successfully returned to their natural environments. They serve as live testimony of their long-term dedication to the process of reintroduction, which aims to enhance and replenish the wild populations of endangered and vulnerable animals.
Education And Research
In addition to its educational programs, the Zoo is also involved in several outreach activities in the local community. The general public is the audience for which this piece of writing is intended. These programs have the goal of increasing people’s awareness of the problems that are harming animal populations all across the globe. Tens of thousands of children learn something new each year as a direct result of the educational activities that they provide. Reading programs, community outreach activities, animal and artifact encounters and demonstrations, live animal interactions, artifact encounters, artifact demonstrations, day camps, weekend courses, teacher training, and more are now included in the educational offerings. The number of individuals who are interested in their academic programs is constantly growing on an annual basis.
In addition, they work closely with the School of Veterinary Medicine at Louisiana State University to conduct research on a wide variety of animal species. Studies of human behavior are also shown in other departments at Louisiana State University and other universities in our region. Some of these institutions may be found in their area.
Facility Of BREC
The Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge (BREC), a public government entity, is the owner of the Baton Rouge Zoo and the organization that oversees its operation. BREC was established in 1946 due to an act passed by the State Legislature of Louisiana, and its current administration is comprised of nine individuals nominated to the Commission. BREC is supported financially through grants, gifts, and contributions in addition to ad valorem taxes, fees, and levies. The Park and Recreation Accreditation Commission has approved the BREC system. The esteemed National Gold Medal Award for excellence in Recreation and Park Administration was presented to BREC on two separate occasions, in 1975 and 1991. In 1998, BREC was one of the organizations that competed for the prize.
Community Support Organization
The group known as Friends of the Baton Rouge Zoo provides financial assistance to the BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo. The purpose of Friends is to provide financial aid to the zoo and the many activities it runs. The Friends collaborate closely with BREC to generate money for the capital projects, enhance attendance at events, and encourage community participation.
Learn At The Zoo
Allow us to serve as teachers for only one day! Your kids will learn much more about the world and themselves if you take them to a site where people may interact with animals.
Field Trip
At the Baton Rouge Zoo, thousands of kids, teachers, and parents come through their gates yearly on educational field trips. Some visitors have traveled as far as 250 miles to get here. It gives us great pleasure to report that those numbers and the scope of their geographic reach have been expanding yearly.
Every education program they provide is designed to help fulfill their purpose: to foster a connection between humans and animals. In today’s world, the next generation needs to know, appreciate, and respect their natural resources and the environment in which they live. The zoo is crucial to the continued existence of several animal species that are now housed here but would otherwise be extinct in the wild. Seeing one of the animal representations of nature up close and personal couldn’t be a more effective technique.
Continue reading about Baton Rogue.
If this is your first time viewing their website or if you have been coming to the Baton Rouge Zoo for years, they cannot stress enough how important it is to go there at least once. It is likely to be a vacation that stands out in one’s mind because of the over 800 species that may be seen and the programming designed to meet the needs of the state curriculum.
Visit Their Website or Dial (225) 775-3877 for More Details.