The Jackson Zoo is turning away visitors who don’t have cash, costing thousands in potential revenue

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The lack of modern technology at the Jackson Zoo has cost thousands of dollars in potential summer revenue from potential visitors who were turned away because the facility only accepts cash, city officials said.

The lack of an electronic payment system has hindered the zoo’s ability to earn revenue, said Abram Muhammad, director of the Jackson Parks and Recreation Department.

“In May, we had to turn away 423 potential patrons simply because we didn’t have electronic payments,” Muhammad said during a news conference Monday. “That equates to $5,000 to $7,300 in lost revenue in that month alone.”

In June, the more than 100-year-old Jackson Zoo missed $6,800 in revenue; in July $11,000, The Clarion Register reported, equating to revenues between $22,800 and $25,100, primarily due to the lack of an electronic payment system.

But, that will soon change as such a system, which accepts credit and debit payments, will be installed at the end of the month, Muhammad said.

Other factors also contributed to the zoo’s abandonment this year, he added, noting that the park had to be closed due to water problems and broken pipes, and when fiber optic cables were installed, WLBT-TV reported. In addition, the zoo’s train has been taken out of service but should be back by the end of August, which will be a boost to the revenue stream, he predicted.

“There were a lot of things that happened compared to last year, the challenges that we encountered and overcame … to get back on track,” Muhammad said.

In recent years, there has been talk of moving the zoo to LeFleur’s Bluff in North Jackson, rather than keeping it in its current home in West Jackson, the heart of Mississippi’s capital city. Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba is adamantly against the idea and reiterated that position at Monday’s press conference.

“Does Jackson Zoo Need Investment? Does he need more money? Would they benefit from this? Yes,” said Lumumba. “I don’t think I should look at the people of West Jackson and say, ‘You’re not worth investing in.’ Yes, the Jackson Zoo needs more money, it needs more investment, but it can be invested where it is, just as the notion of it can be invested in the city.”