Riverside Park and Ralph Mitchell Zoo — Attraction in Independence

Management and supervisory positions are poor. Zoo has went severely down hill the last 5 years or so. Animals are barnyard pets, injured or animals any normal person can own in their home other then a few bears. I almost laughed seeing a bearded dragon on exhibit. Or pot bellied pigs.Which would be fine for a rescue or shelter... Habitats have not been ideal for animals. Depressing if u know what ur looking at and what the animals need. Baboon stuck in concrete cage for years never on exhibit til death due to laziness on getting him an exhibit. Pythons being in a plastic bottom cage too small for them leading to constant illness then death...they have a few good employees that really care and want to do good but the zoo needs appropriate funding and help to be better for the animals. Luckily i guess for them most people go in blindly not seeing anything wrong. But i guess if u throw a new shade of paint on some statues people wont notice the negative. The zoo could be amazing with some funding. Wish the money for that silly skatepark no one uses could of went to the zoo instead. I wish riverside consider doing fundraisers and such. Or maybe consider changing from a...

This zoo used to be every child's fondest memory growing up. We couldn't wait to finally load up in the car after the parents loaded the coolers and stuff needed for a picnic. After making our way through zoo which seemed to be humongous when you were small. We'd get to the park for a family picnic and quality time together. The drive home we would be sacked out from exhaustion from our big day at the zoo. I came here for the first time today with some friends and their children and I'm just baffled at how run down this place has become. Half of the animals had no water and looked ragged. Half the habitats were with animals but without water. I know we are in a time of craziness and covid ridden quarantine, but seriously our trip to this zoo could have been so much more magical for the little girl excited to go..... Very...

Have not been in the park in many moons. Was very surprised at the improvements at Lone Cheif Cabin where we enjoyed our Christmas dinner. Big big positive improvements including new bathrooms and heating inside building. I worked for City many years ago and have seen thinhs being worked on since I was employed, but this one even surprised me. Good to see all the excessive dollars we pay out to the city and county be put to something good. I don't understand all we have to pay on our bills, especially the waste water plant. I help build that plant and it should cost hardly nothing to operate, and maintenance should be minimal if done correctly. That plant could be making money off the biosolids that could be used for fertilizer. It was built with that in mind..I know..I was a foreman for...