Why does Huntsville and North Alabama need it's own zoo and aquarium?  

 

Modern Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited zoos and aquariums are not those menageries of times past, nor are they those roadside attractions portrayed on sensationalized TV shows.  They don't take wildlife from the wild to make a quick dollar showing off exotic animals.  Instead, the majority of the wildlife in AZA zoos and aquariums have been born and raised with humans.  Those that do come from the wild are brought to zoological institutions for health or preservation reasons in which the animal would not otherwise survive in the wild.  The AZA has strict, high standards of care that a zoo and aquarium must abide by.  The primary and ultimate goal is to preserve these species so that we don't lose them to extinction.  All the money and effort goes towards that.  We don't make a profit.  We don't want zoological institutions to be the last place on Earth that a species survives extinction.  Because of this we also work to conserve wildlife habitats so that future generations will be able to continue seeing these species in their natural environments.   The key to all of this is providing a connection experience between people and the animals.  

 

People in turn receive secondary benefits from these interactions.  It is proven that interacting with animals at zoos and aquariums improves the emotional and mental health of their visitors.  Zoos and aquariums are often categorized as community attractions together with museums.  As community attractions, they have positive economic impacts (see Economic Impact Study) on other businesses in the community.  Due to their nature as nonprofits, they typically spend all the revenue they bring in.  With these expenditures and the draw of out-of-town visitors, the local economy can receive up to 3 times the revenue of a zoo and aquarium.

​

These are great reasons for a community to want to bring about a zoo and aquarium.  Here are a couple of our reasons for wanting to bring a zoo and aquarium to our community:

​

"My family and I have traveled to visit many zoos and aquariums across the country and it has given us some of our fondest memories. We have always been envious of locals in these cities having such a treasure to visit whenever they please. I knew I had to get involved and do everything I could to bring this opportunity to life for my family and so many others."

- Orry Moody

Google

NALZS General Board of Directors

​

"Growing up, going to a zoo for me was driving 2.5 hours to Tulsa, Oklahoma from my home in Arkansas. I don’t remember much, other than it not being relaxing. We had to quickly walk through to see everything before taking the long drive back home. Now, as an adult, I still have to drive  long distance to visit a zoo, that is not only in another city, but usually another state. That is why we want to 'Bring a Zoo to You, North Alabama'.

- Lacy Laster

Jeff Benton Homes

NALZS Marketing/PR Manager

​