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Michigan City Zoo details exhibit repairs, donations and rising feeding costs
Summary
Zoo Director Jamie Huss updated the Parks and Recreation Board on exhibit refurbishments, equipment upgrades, recent births and donations, and discussed rising animal food costs; board members acknowledged the high cost of specialized diets.
Jamie Huss, director of the Michigan City Zoo, gave an extended operations update at the Nov. 19 Parks and Recreation Board meeting about capital work, donations and the zoo’s operating needs.
Huss outlined completed and ongoing projects: replacement and improvement of the Penny Barn fence (a multi-year project), new access gates and yard expansions to allow mechanical access for substrate work, erosion mitigation and a new, sturdier zebra fence with concrete posts, and an expanded Cadbury House exhibit that now includes an indoor pool. She said the zoo installed split HVAC units in buildings including the Mud Jack Barn and Wolf Den to improve winter climate control and reduce staff labor.
Huss thanked community donors and volunteer groups. She said a donor identified as “Billy” contributed $15,000 for improvements to big-cat and wolf facilities; Myra Glass donated four window panels that likely saved the zoo an estimated $20,000 in labor and replacement costs; Old Navy, Horizon Bank and local volunteer groups provided repeated on-site assistance. Huss also said DNR and fair organizers provided substantial food donations (including an approximate 500-pound pick-up of meat after the county fair), and that local businesses and farmers supplied supplemental produce and meat to help offset food costs.
A board member highlighted an information slide showing an African lion’s annual food cost at $11,000 and noted high feeding costs across large species. Huss said animals require specialized diets with baseline pellet feeds supplemented by fresh foods and that some animals require medical diets (for example, a diabetic capuchin that needs medication). She emphasized that donations and in-kind support remain critical for managing rising costs.
The board thanked zoo staff and volunteers; members asked for clarification on counts and budget impacts during the finance presentation that followed. The zoo report concluded with seasonal programming reminders and community partnership acknowledgements.
