Audubon Zoo's Jaguar Jungle Updates Underway

Major renovations are underway at Audubon Zoo’s popular Jaguar Jungle exhibit and part of the well-traveled walkway is closing while work is done in the area. 

Starting this week,  the wooden path through the South American pampas will close to make way for an expansion of the zoo’s spider monkey exhibit and improvements to that part of the zoo. Some of the animals that lived in that area have been relocated to other exhibits at the Zoo, a few will move to Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center while the construction is underway. 

Guests will still be able to enjoy the majority of Jaguar Jungle, which opened in 1998. Visitors can wander through a misty Mayan rainforest, past ruins and get glimpses of endangered jaguars, playful spider monkeys, anteaters and other jungle creatures as they venture through the lush foliage. The jungle path ends at the Zoo’s popular Nocturnal House and alpaca yard. 

The “Criaturas de la Noche" (Creatures of the Night) Bat House will remain open for visitors to see hundreds of bats, ringtail cats, poison dart frogs and owl monkeys. The playground in that area is also open for the youngsters to explore. 

“The renovation at Jaguar Jungle makes way for exciting updates we’ve wanted to incorporate for some time, including enlarging the spider monkey yard to give them more room and climbing space,” said Daine Appleberry, Senior Vice President and Managing Director at Audubon Zoo & Audubon Park. “Adding new poles for the spider monkeys to climb will allow visitors to see them scampering overhead.” Spider monkeys were the featured animal for the 2023 Hancock Whitney Zoo-to-Do. 

The renovated space in Jaguar Jungle’s South American yard will feature a lagoon and a new boardwalk leading to an island with an interactive boat. Animals native to South America will move into the upgraded space, including capybara, tapirs, rhea, peccary and anteaters. 

Construction is expected to be completed by spring 2025.