Bates Friends Forever
The zoo that operated in BWP between 1956 and 1980 was started by Herbert Moran, who was also the city’s director of Parks and Recreation. The zoo had over 400 animals at its height, including hawks, deer, foxes, a pony and a chimpanzee named Rocky.
In 1912, the City of New London paid $8000 for the original 100 acres of Bates Woods Park which, as you can see in The Day article below, was planned to be "one of the most attractive pieces of parkland you can find anywhere in the country!"
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The zoo that operated in BWP between 1956 and 1980 was started by Herbert Moran, who was also the city’s director of Parks and Recreation. The zoo had over 400 animals at its height, including hawks, deer, foxes, a pony and a chimpanzee named Rocky.