I have to thank you my friend for sending me to looking for this history. I found this on nola.com which is the modern day incarnation of our (almost) lately departed daily newspaper the Times Picayune-long story there.
At any rate the zoo goes back to 1916.
If you go to the website and put in history of audubon zoo in the search box there is a nice write up there.

I found it and enjoyed it greatly, thank you so much Joyce. This photo below seems very special to me, there is a tinge of nostalgia about it.

Yes they are special. I love black and white photography, it takes me emotionally back to a very lovely time. I can remember things that I didn't know I knew. That second one reminds me of my grandpa on his farm. I spent my early summers there before I had to start going to school. I distinctly recall giving all of the animals names.
The last time I went out there they killed "my" pig-so I was clearly not meant to be a farm girl!

I digress:)
New Orleans will celebrate its' tricentennial in 2016 so I hope you check in often to see the build up-oooh la la it should be tres fun!

So sorry to learn about that, I mean 'your' pig. I love animals, have always loved them and when I turned thirty, after careful consideration, I became a vegetarian. I have never regretted my decision.

LOL-that pig incident was more than 60 years ago so I've gotten over it.

But I made an error telling you about the tricentennial of New Orleans.
It's in 2018.
Three hundred years in 1718 the French got here, followed by the Spaniards then sold it to the Americans.
A lot of very interesting stuff going on in between.