Dr. Juan A. Rivero Zoo, officially named the Dr. Juan A. Rivero Zoo of Puerto Rico, also known as the Mayagüez Zoo, was a

zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zoo ...

located in Mayagüez,

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...

, owned by the

Government of Puerto Rico The government of Puerto Rico is a republican form of government with separation of powers, subject to the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the United States.Department of Natural and Environmental Resources. It was named in honor of Juan A. Rivero, its first director. It was Puerto Rico's only zoo and had an extensive collection of animals from all continents. The zoo closed after the impact of

Hurricane Maria Hurricane Maria was a deadly Category 5 hurricane that devastated the northeastern Caribbean in September 2017, particularly Dominica, Saint Croix, and Puerto Rico. It is regarded as the worst natural disaster in recorded history to affect ...

in 2017 and fully ceased operations in 2023 after much scrutiny in its final years due to questionable health and treatment of their animals, many of which are being relocated to sanctuaries across the United States.

History

The zoo was originally opened in 1954, when legislator Benjamin Cole authored the law that created the zoo. The zoo was given the name of its founder and first director Dr. Juan A. Rivero. Starting in 2003 the zoo went through a major upgrade with the addition of the aviary, arthropodary and a butterfly exhibition. In March 2008 the zoo acquired two new giraffes and two

desert warthog The desert warthog (''Phacochoerus aethiopicus'') is a species of even-toed ungulate in the pig family (Suidae), found in northern Kenya and Somalia, and possibly Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. This is the range of the extant subspecies, commo ...

s to augment the African collection. The animals were brought from

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

and

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

. The economic crisis related to the government debt crisis in Puerto Rico, which began in 2014, led to issues with zoo maintenance and animal care. Within the last ten years alone, the zoo had been cited for several violations of inhumane killings, including a puma, coatimundi, and a baboon that were "not fit for exhibition". Two guinea pigs on exhibition were fed alive to reptiles, and deer on exhibition were fed to big cats after having their jugulars cut without using a humane slaughter method. There were also accounts of the zoo using expired medications and having inadequate vet care. The

United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

investigated the zoo, and has not renewed the zoo's federal permits. Despite the zoo being closed to the public after the passing of

in September 2017, the zoo still has animals with workers caring for them, and two heathy lion cubs were born at the zoo in 2019. FEMA has assigned $6.2 million for repairs related to the Hurricane. Since at least 2019 volunteers have helped maintain the Zoo and began preparations for the planned reopening of the facilities, including by painting a mural in the entrance area. The Department of Natural Resources has announced a planned reopening date for 2021. Caiman zoo 332-favorite

On May 23, 2022, it was announced that the zoo's chimpanzee, Magnum, had passed away at the age of 39. Although the official cause of death given was his advanced age, animal rights activists asked for his death to be investigated, as they claim he had cardiac ailments for which he received no treatment. On February 27, 2023, it was announced that the zoo will be closing down permanently, with many of the animals being moved to sanctuaries.https://www.elnuevodia.com/noticias/locales/notas/cerraran-de-manera-permanente-el-zoologico-de-mayaguez/

Conservation programs

Committed to animal welfare, especially those facing extinction, the zoo has several conservations programs for the following species: *

Puerto Rican crested toad The Puerto Rican crested toad (''Peltophryne lemur''), or simply Puerto Rican toad, is a species of toad found only in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. It is the only species of toad native to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The species fo ...

* '' Paloma sabanera'' (plain pigeon) *

Andean condor The Andean condor (''Vultur gryphus'') is a giant South American Cathartid vulture and is the only member of the genus ''Vultur''. Found in the Andes mountains and adjacent Pacific coasts of western South America, the Andean condor is the larg ...

Facilities

After the passing of Hurricane Maria the zoo with the following facilities remained closed to the general public: * Recreational areas * Souvenir Shop * Museum * Aviary * Mammal, birds, reptile and amphibian exhibits * Arthropodary

Adoption program

In an effort to promote conservation, the Dr. Rivero Zoo has started an adoption program in which citizens can "adopt" one of the zoo's animals, and donate to contribute in conservation efforts.

References

External links

{{Commons category
Zoo Webpage at National Parks Company Website
Zoos in Puerto Rico Buildings and structures in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico Tourist attractions in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico Zoos established in 1954 1954 establishments in Puerto Rico