Idaho Falls zoo receives grant to renovate barn

The Tautphaus Park Zoo is getting some badly-needed money to renovate one of the barns in the Children’s Zoo.

The zoo received a $21,000 grant from the CHC Foundation to make repairs to the aging structure, which is home to donkeys, llamas and yaks.

“The barn is over 20 years old, and we discovered a lot of wood rot over the last couple of years, and there’s no drainage in the barn, so we were getting a lot of standing water,” said zoo Superintendent Beth Rich. “These are all things that aren’t good for barn structure and aren’t good for animal welfare.”

The zoo will use the grant money to demolish all of the barn’s exterior walls, but Rich says zoo officials will try and salvage as much of the barn as possible. They’ll also install a drain in the barn floor, which they hope will cut down on the standing water.

The zoo is currently closed for the season, but you’ll be able to drop by Dec. 20 through Dec. 23 for “Christmas with the Critters.” You can find more information at idahofallszoo.org.