▁when ▁William ▁Sit well , ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Ch ic ag ol and ▁Bu ick - Op el ▁De al ers ▁Association , ▁p led ged ▁to ▁match ▁the ▁money ▁raised ▁from ▁individual ▁sources . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁Brook field ▁Z oo ▁came ▁closer ▁to ▁its ▁$ 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁target , ▁zoo ▁officials ▁decided ▁they ▁should ▁see ▁how ▁Z ig gy ▁would ▁react ▁to ▁being ▁out do ors ▁before ▁building ▁a ▁new ▁facility ▁for ▁the ▁ele ph ant . ▁On ▁September ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 1 9 7 0 , ▁Z ig gy ▁saw ▁the ▁sun ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁in ▁nearly ▁thirty ▁years ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁allowed ▁to ▁walk ▁through ▁a ▁bar ric aded ▁portion ▁of ▁his ▁old ▁yard . ▁S lim ▁Lewis ▁tra ve led ▁from ▁Seattle , ▁Washington , ▁to ▁esc ort ▁the ▁ele ph ant ▁outside . ▁Z ig gy ▁stood ▁at ▁the ▁door way ▁for ▁about ▁thirty ▁minutes , ▁then ▁slowly ▁came ▁out ▁and ▁starting ▁e ating ▁a ▁b ale ▁of ▁hay . ▁After ▁expl oring ▁the ▁yard ▁for ▁an ▁hour ▁and ▁a ▁half , ▁Z ig gy ▁went ▁back ▁inside . ▁ ▁Z ig gy ' s ▁new ▁out door ▁facility ▁was ▁completed ▁during ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 9 7 1 . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁$ 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁was ▁spent ▁on ▁a ▁remote ▁control ▁door , ▁which ▁would ▁allow ▁the ▁ele ph ant ▁to ▁go ▁inside ▁and ▁outside ▁without ▁human ▁inter vention . ▁Z ig gy ▁finally