Hattiesburg Zoo

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Hattiesburg Zoo
Hattiesburg Zoo Sign.jpg
Hattiesburg Zoo
31°19′25″N89°18′55″W / 31.323736°N 89.315275°W / 31.323736; -89.315275
Date opened1950 [1]
Location Hattiesburg, Mississippi, United States
Land area12 acres (4.9 ha)
No. of species55+ [2]
Annual visitors125,792 (2014) [3]
Website www.zoohattiesburg.com

The Hattiesburg Zoo (sometimes also called the Kamper Park Zoo) is a small 12-acre (4.9 ha) zoo located within Kamper Park in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, United States. The zoo is operated by the Hattiesburg Convention Commission. As of 2019, the Commission's executive director was Rick Taylor. [4] [5] The Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the Zoological Association of America.

Contents

Entrance area at Zoo H Zoo Tag.jpg
Entrance area at Zoo

History

KamperPark.jpg

The 40 acres (16 ha) for Kamper Park was donated to the Daughters of the Confederacy by John Kamper in 1902, and was given in turn to Hattiesburg in 1908 for a public park. The zoo was opened on about 12 acres (4.9 ha) of the 40-acre (16 ha) park in 1950. In 2025, the Zoo presented a year-long 75th Anniversary celebration.

Exhibits

The zoo is located within Kamper Park among a grove of oak and pine trees, and is divided into several geographical sections. Animal exhibits include amphibians, birds, invertebrates, mammals, and reptiles. [6]

Africa

The zoo's northmost area, the exhibit starts off with a mixed exhibit for African Hornbills and porcupines, a Fennec Fox exhibit, and a large veldt area featuring Grant's zebras, bongos, ostriches, and East African Crowned Cranes. Other exhibits include servals, sulcata tortoises, and DeBrazza guenon monkeys.

Wallaby Walkabout

In 2018, the zoo opened a barrier-free walk through, where visitors can interact with Bennett's wallabies, emus, and kunekune pigs. [7]

Education

Asbury Discovery Center

In 2014, the 2,200 sq ft (200 m2) Asbury Discovery Center opened to serve as a combined laboratory, classroom, and office space. [8] The education center provides learning opportunities for children and adults. This building also provides habitats for the zoo's reptiles, Galapagos tortoise, a family of sloths, a prehensile-tailed porcupine, a Von der Decken's hornbill, and numerous other ambassador animals (animals used in educational programming).

The future

On January 5, 2018, Rick Taylor, the executive director of the Hattiesburg Convention Commission, advised the Hattiesburg City Council of the expansion of the Africa area to include new exhibits for [9] giraffes, colobus monkeys, and spotted hyenas. This new area opened in 2021. [10] Several additional exhibits feature Chilean flamingos, a Giant Anteater, a Lowland Tapir, Genets, Spider Monkeys, and Miniature Donkeys. [11] In 2025, The Hattiesburg Zoo switched to Connect&GO's Attraction Management System to modernize their operations. [12]

References

  1. ↑ "Zoo Membership Application" (PDF). zoohattiesburg.com. Hattiesburg Zoo. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 23, 2012. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
  2. ↑ "Visiting the Zoo". zoohattiesburg.com. Hattiesburg Zoo. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Zoo Facts". jacksonzoo.org. The Jackson Zoo. Archived from the original on February 6, 2010. Retrieved February 21, 2010.
  4. ↑ Morgan, Jeffrey (September 25, 2019). "Hattiesburg Zoo seeks accreditation". wdam.com. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Hattiesburg Zoo jaguar makes brief getaway". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Hattiesburg Zoo – Animals" . Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  7. ↑ ""G'Day Mate!" Hattiesburg Zoo opens interactive Australia exhibit". wdam.com. February 16, 2018. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Hattiesburg Zoo unveils Asbury Discovery Center". Hattiesburg American. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  9. ↑ "Giraffes coming to Hattiesburg Zoo: 'It will be a wow factor'". Hattiesburg American. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  10. ↑ Bonelli, Cam (September 25, 2020). "Hattiesburg Zoo delays giraffe, hyena exhibits opening to spring 2021". Hattiesburg American. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  11. ↑ Herrington, Charles (January 23, 2021). "Hattiesburg Zoo to get giraffes, will seek accreditation in 2021". wlox.com. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  12. ↑ Friedenthal, Andrew (June 2, 2025). "Connect&GO: Integrated software solutions and customer-centric culture|Hattiesburg Zoo modernizes operations with new, flexible platform from Connect&GO". InPark Magazine. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
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