@UngulateNerd92 The magazine discusses a 1,200-acre site that would have included the Wilderness Park that was supposed to be approximately 300 acres. It would have been open to the public and appears as if it would have been a major zoo if it had seen the light of day. "Overall, we expect to raise $30 million dollars to construct and endow the facilities" is an interesting quote.
@UngulateNerd92@snowleopard - So the 300-acre “Wilderness Park” exists today and is open to the public, but it is just a series of nature trails through the native bottomland hardwood forests. This is in the upper left-hand corner of the map and is separate from the 1,200-acre Species Survival Center, which took a very different shape when it was eventually developed. Looking at the map and the apparent lack of visitor amenities, and knowing that the property continues to be owned by the Coast Guard, and thus can never be used for public tours, I highly doubt it was ever intended to be a public facility, even under this plan.
Is this the facility that is jointly managed by the New Orleans Zoo and the San Diego Zoological Society? I've read about a breeding facility near New Orleans where Whooping Cranes, Okapis, and several species of storks are raised. I believe that it's an off-exhibit area, and now that I understand that the Coast Guard owns it, it makes sense that it would be a restricted-access facility.
@Summer Tanager - This would be the place, yes! Although, the partnership between Audubon Nature Institute and the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance dissolved after COVID, so the facility is currently only funded by Audubon. It is, indeed, entirely private. They have giraffe, okapi, four species of antelope, barasingha, whooping and Mississippi sandhill cranes, saddle-billed and Abdim’s storks, and blue-billed currassow.
@Kudu21 Thank you for the additional information! I didn't realize that the partnership had dissolved recently and I didn't realize that the facility had Barasingha (which is perfect for the climate), Saddle-billed Storks, and Blue-billed Curassows! I appreciate this!
