Audubon Zoo is an American zoo located in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is part of the Audubon Nature Institute which also manages Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, Audubon Louisiana Nature Center, Freeport-McMoran Species Survival Center, Audubon Park, and Audubon Coastal Wildlife Network. It covers and is home to over 2,000 animals. It is located in a section of Audubon Park in Uptown New Orleans, on the Mississippi River side of Magazine Street. The zoo and park are named in honor of artist and naturalist John James Audubon who lived in New Orleans starting in 1821. History The site of the zoo has housed animal exhibits since the World Cotton Centennial 1884 Exhibition World's Fair, though the current incarnation of the zoo was not built until the early 20th century. In 1916, a flight cage was added, and during the boom of the 1920s, many other additions were made such as a sea lion pool in 1928. This pool, along with a few other art nouveau buildings, can still be seen today. During the Great Depression, a $400,000 expansion of the zoo was conducted by the Works Progress Administration. Many new cages were constructed, along with an artificial hill known as "Monkey Hill", built as an attraction for children in the relatively flat New Orleans area. Locals claim Monkey Hill to be the highest point in New Orleans, although another artificial hill in City Park actually competes for that title. By the early 1970s, the zoo had fallen into a state of decay. The small prison-like brick and steel bar cages constructed by the WPA were no longer considered appropriate environments for many of the animals displayed within them. A study suggested that the zoo should be closed down unless the city could make a major commitment to upgrade it. City government, local businesses, and private citizens rallied in support of it, and in 1975 the city's voters approved a measure to finance its rebuilding. Zoo grounds were expanded from 14 to 50 acres (57,000 to 200,000 m2). The same year New Orleans funk band The Meters released the song "They All Ask'd for You," which references Audubon Zoo and has become the zoo's unofficial theme song. By the end of the decade, the Audubon Zoo was already well on its way to becoming one of the finest in the United States. More improvements and expansions continued into the 21st century,