The site of the zoo has housed animal exhibits since the
World Cotton Centennial 1884 Exhibition
World's Fair, though the current incarnation of the zoo was not built until the early 20th century. In 1916, a flight cage was added, and during the boom of the 1920s, many other additions were made, such as a
sea lion pool in 1928. This pool, along with a few other
art nouveau buildings, can still be seen today. During the
Great Depression, a $400,000 expansion of the zoo was conducted by the
Works Progress Administration. Many new cages were constructed, along with an artificial
hill known as "Monkey Hill", built as an attraction for children in the relatively flat New Orleans area. Locals claim Monkey Hill to be the highest point in New Orleans, although another artificial hill in
City Park actually competes for that title. By the early 1970s, the zoo had fallen into a state of decay. The small prison-like cages made of bricks and steel bars constructed by the WPA were no longer considered appropriate environments for many of the animals displayed within them. A study suggested that the zoo should be closed down unless the city could make a major commitment to upgrade it. City government, local businesses, and private citizens rallied in support of it, and in 1975 the city's voters approved a measure to finance its rebuilding. Zoo grounds were expanded from 14 to 50 acres (57,000 to 200,000 m2). That same year, New Orleans funk band
The Meters released the song "They All Ask'd for You," which references Audubon Zoo and has become the zoo's unofficial theme song. By the end of the decade, the Audubon Zoo was already well on its way to becoming one of the finest in the United States. More improvements and expansions continued into the 21st century, making the Audubon Zoo popular not only with locals but also drawing substantial numbers of tourists visiting from other states and from abroad. In 1987, an
alligator nest was discovered with 18 freshly hatched babies with white hides—an extraordinary natural mutation called
leucism, not to be confused with
albinism. They received much attention when they went on display, and the white alligator became a symbol of the zoo. In 1990, the Audubon Nature Institute, which manages the zoo, opened
Audubon Aquarium in the
CBD at the edge of the
French Quarter. Some of the white alligators were transferred there, and a
riverboat began service taking visitors between the facilities. The WPA-era Monkey Hill, a favorite landmark of generations of New Orleans children, underwent extensive renovation in the early 21st century, including the addition of a waterfall for young children to play in, a rope web that goes to the summit, and a "safari outpost" at the base of the hill. For the sake of posterity, a portion of it was left as grass for children to play on. In 2005,
Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, followed by severe consequences in the
devastating aftermath of the storm. During the hurricane, zoo staff found refuge in the reptile house, which was designed to withstand major weather events. Located on high ground atop an old natural river
levee, the building was not flooded. Most of the animals survived—only three died—and the only major damage was downed trees. However, the zoo was short on food and other necessities in the days after the storm, and pumps were overheating. The fact that the zoo sustained only minor damage can be attributed to disaster planning and its location on high ground. Zoo curator Dan Maloney was quoted as saying, "The zoo had planned for years for the catastrophic storm that has long been predicted for New Orleans." The zoo reopened for
Thanksgiving weekend in November 2005 and initiated a weekends-only schedule due to financial constraints. On March 1, 2006, it began a Wednesday-through-Sunday schedule, and eventually expanded to Tuesday through Sunday. For a period around 2011 the
Lycée Français de la Nouvelle-Orléans (LFNO) used three rooms at the zoo as classrooms on a temporary basis. On July 14, 2018, a
jaguar named Valerio escaped through the roof of its enclosure, killing six animals and injuring another three before being recaptured. The incident occurred before the zoo had opened. ==Notable attractions==