By Kevin Lavery, WKAR News
LANSING, MI – Administrators are holding a workshop Tuesday night to gather public input on the future of the Potter Park Zoo.
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The last time the zoo updated its master plan was 1995 -- 12 years before Ingham County residents started paying the millage that now runs the facility.
Director Gerry Brady says its time for a new vision for the zoo.
Preliminary plans feature geographically themed exhibits depicting animals native to South America, Africa and Asia. But Brady says a key element will be species from cold climates.
"And Michigan fits so well," Brady says. "You know, people don't see cougars, black bear, wolves, elk every day but they can come to the zoo and see true Michigan species. So I think that's going to be probably our top priority."
There's no cost estimate yet for the plan. Brady says the upgrades will be funded through private donations and grants, not public tax dollars. The final master plan is expected to be complete by the first of the year.