‘Midsummer’s Night’ puts more money in the bowl for new zoo toilets

After years of fundraising efforts, the community has finally raised enough money for the Pocatello Zoo to get some much-needed facilities for zoo-goers.

On Saturday night, the Portneuf Greenway Foundation helped host the annual Midsummer’s Night for the Zoo fundraiser, where they presented a check for $45,000 to the zoo so it can finally make those upgrades they had been vying for.

Zoo Superintendent Peter Pruett said they now have enough money to start breaking ground for phase one of the two-phased zoo renovation project. The first phase will include putting-in a new ticket booth, giving the entrance a giant makeover, and even building toilets – something the zoo has desperately needed for quite some time.

But, Pruett said these aren’t just ordinary toilets.

“They are compostable toilets, meaning no water, no electricity,” Pruett said. “We’re thinking of even putting in a vegetable garden as well so that we will use the compost to fertilize the vegetable garden which will then be used to help feed our critters.”

He said the second phase will be building a second ticket booth, a gift shop and a snack shop.

He said the zoo is expected to break ground on the new project this October.