Zoo:
Brad Nading/Telegram
African elephants Chana and Moki perform for Lee Richardson Zoo visitors in 1990.
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them a light pink color. In the middle of monkey island is where the monkeys would play and swing. There were doors and holes that the monkeys would climb in and out of. There was no fence around Monkey Island, just a big mote,” Angie Pappas, Garden City, said. “I remember the pink butts on the monkeys too.” Because the exhibit was open, safety concerns eventually resulted in the demolition of Monkey Island in 1982. It was replaced by the primate exhibit. Kathy Sexson, director of Lee Richardson Zoo, said that the island was also difficult for keepers to clean. “I’m sure when it was built, it was probably the norm or the typical exhibit that was going around so people could view things like that, but we’ve come a long way since that in design, and people have become a lot more safety conscious and regulations have greatly increased, so lots of changes between now and then,” she said. One thing hasn’t changed: Zoo animals are still fixtures in the community. One such animal was Twinkles the Asian
courtesy Finney County Historical Museum
Monkey Island at Lee Richardson Zoo. elephant. She replaced Penny, the zoo’s very first elephant that arrived in 1956 and remained there until 1969, when she was sold to a circus because
30 Discover SW Kansas 2013-2014
of difficulty finding personnel who could handle her. During Twinkles’ stay at the zoo, she was moved to the existing elephant yard. She died
in 1986 and was replaced by two African elephants, named Mokala (Moki) and M’sichana See Zoo, Page 32
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