The Michigan City Parks and Recreation Board on Wednesday heard a report from zoo director Jamie Huss detailing recent capital work, large private donations and strains on operating budgets that staff say require continued fundraising.

Huss described two years of projects including fence replacement and expanded exhibit access, new indoor pool space for the Cadbury House exhibit, added HVAC split units for animal spaces and erosion-mitigation work near exhibit fencing. "We probably did it, like, 25" of an estimated $72,000 savings on one fence project by leveraging volunteer labor and in-kind help, Huss said, and she thanked community partners for donated materials and labor.

The superintendent also told the board that the city participates in a regional initiative that secured a Lilly Foundation award. "We were awarded $20,000,000," Superintendent Eason said, adding that Michigan City expects to receive "about $4,000,000" for a cultural corridor linking the train station, City Hall and the Singing Sands Trail.

Huss emphasized the cost pressures of animal care and specialized diets. A board member summed up a slide on feed costs, saying, "an African lion eats $11,000 worth of food a year," and Huss explained the zoo relies on a baseline of specialized feeds plus fresh donations to meet nutritional needs. The director also detailed examples of in-kind support the zoo receives — confiscated fish from the DNR, processed meat from the county fair (about 500 pounds collected in one instance), and regular donations from businesses — and thanked donors including GAF, Kroger's giveback program and a private donor who contributed $15,000 earmarked for big-cat and wolf improvements.

Board members and staff framed the upgrades and donations as part of maintaining attractions that generate gate revenue while acknowledging ongoing budget constraints. Eason said next steps on related capital work include moving the Millennium Fountain demolition to bid after the council's second and third readings, and Huss said she would continue to report progress to the Parks Board.

The board received the reports and did not take any separate formal action beyond accepting the superintendent's and director's updates.