Earlier on during the pandemic, before most zoos had reopened, I spent an hour or so musing what it might be like if things never quite got back to normal, and if zoos had to permanently adapt to a world of social distancing. Apparently, the St. Louis Zoo was having similar thoughts. The difference between me and them, of course, is that they were actually able to put theory into practice.
Saint Louis Zoo to close children's zoo permanently
"It was a heart-wrenching decision to close the Children's Zoo, however, safety is our highest priority. The Children's Zoo was designed for high-touch and interactive experiences, which is not conducive to a COVID or post-COVID environment."
- Dr. Jeffrey Bonner, President, St. Louis Zoo
The Emerson Children's Zoo will close this fall, to replaced with... who knows quite what yet? To start with, a temporary dinosaur exhibit will fill the space, buying the zoo some time to reimagine what comes next. I'm sorry to see it go. I have a lot of fond memories of that Children's Zoo, which was home to all sorts of cool wild animals in addition to the usual domestics. I'm sure that whatever St. Louis puts its collective mind to will be spectacular.
It's just sad that the decision had to be made under these circumstances.
No comments:
Post a Comment