Zapopan’s mini zoo, the Villa Fantasia, is set for a grand reopening at 11 a.m. on Friday, September 21 after a one-year renovation project.
Located a stone’s throw from the municipality’s famous arches, the zoo will no longer house “exotic” animals but operate more like an “urban farm,” says Zapopan Mayor Pablo Lemus, who begins his second consecutive term of office next month.
Lemus conceded that the space is not suitable for housing “large” animals such as “lions or tigers.”
Some of the older animals that previously resided in the zoo have already been transferred to the Unidad de Manejo Ambiental in the city of Pachuca. Other animals, including a black bear, a crocodile and a mandril, are expected to be moved shortly.
In the future, Lemus believes the facility will best function as a refuge for injured animals and a educational center for children.