Improvement and rehabilitation actions at Merida’s “Animaya” Zoo

Mérida, April 17, 2021. The Mérida City Council maintains the improvement and rehabilitation actions of the Bicentennial Zoo “Animaya”, work that has been reinforced to fully recover the areas that were affected by the passage of meteorological phenomena that hit the municipality last year, said Mayor Alejandro Ruz Castro.

Accompanied by the directors of Municipal Public Services and Public Works, José Collado Soberanis, and David Loría Magdub, respectively, the Councilor visited the park facilities to supervise the progress of the work being carried out at the site, which could reopen to the public shortly.

“The Bicentennial Zoo is one of the public spaces preferred by Meridians and visitors, so we need to be sure that the park is in the best conditions to receive them,” he said.

The Municipal President pointed out that there is no specific date for its reopening and for the moment work continues in the safari area and the jetty area, where the water overflowed due to the recharge of the aquifer, causing the flood to reach a level, one level greater than 3.5 meters high.

“Now that the subsoil conditions have improved due to the lowering of the water, we are doing all the necessary work so that the park can return to normal as soon as possible,” he said.

Likewise, Ruz Castro recalled that the atypical rainfall generated in the hurricane season last year caused an approximate accumulation of 50 million liters of rainwater volume in the prairie area, equivalent to about 2,500 trips of 20,000-liter each.

Due to the situation, around 150 specimens of birds, reptiles, and mammals had to be moved to the upper part of the park for their protection, where they remain to date in order to guarantee their care, food, health, and well-being.

For his part, José Collado explained that the area most affected by the floods was the prairie since the water damaged all the compacted base perimeter material that surrounds it, as well as the electricity supply, among other things.

He mentioned that in addition to this, the City Council also carries out maintenance work on the Estela, in order to guarantee the safety and good condition of the structure.

It is worth mentioning that the rehabilitation works of “Animaya” began on February 15, after the water level dropped as necessary so as not to hinder the work.