Historic parts of the Pueblo Zoo have continually been restored over the past several years, beginning with the restoration and transformation of the old Animal House, reopened in April of 2007 as The Islands of Life. In conjunction with that grand reopening, historic Monkey Island was also reopened, and lemurs were reintroduced to Monkey Island.

During work on The Islands of Life, a sculpture of three seals, which was made as part of a fountain in the 1930s by W. P. A. sculptor, Jonathan Sutton, was uncovered. The sculpture was buried when cages for lions and tigers were constructed inside this historic building during the 1960s, and the sculpture was recovered in 2004 when work began on The Islands of Life. Supported by a generous contribution, the sculpture was restored by artist Richard Montano. Restoration included fixing broken flippers and replacing one of the heads that had been damaged over the years. The completed sculpture is displayed on the north side of The Islands of Life and is dedicated in honor of Jess and Esther Hunter by their children Jack Hunter, Diane Hunter Larkin and Bob Hunter.

The Pueblo Zoo is a not-for-profit organization and is an accredited member of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA). Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things.

From Labor Day to Memorial Day, the Zoo is open from 9am to 4pm Monday through Saturday and noon to 4pm Sunday. For more information, call 561-1452 or visit www.pueblozoo.org.