▁bl asts ▁from ▁his ▁huge ▁tr unk ▁w ail ▁very ▁rarely .... ▁Z ig gy ▁ref uses ▁to ▁face ▁his ▁visitors ▁and ▁turns ▁toward ▁the ▁back ▁wall , ▁s way ing ▁back ▁and ▁forth , ▁occasionally ▁pick ing ▁up ▁st ray ▁articles ▁of ▁food ▁thrown ▁at ▁him ." ▁The ▁article ▁caused ▁a ▁sens ation , ▁and ▁Brook field ▁Z oo ▁was ▁in und ated ▁with ▁letters ▁about ▁Z ig gy . ▁Peter ▁Crow cro ft , ▁who ▁had ▁recently ▁become ▁the ▁zoo ▁director , ▁announced ▁that ▁he ▁wanted ▁to ▁let ▁Z ig gy ▁go ▁out do ors ▁again . ▁However , ▁he ▁explained ▁that ▁the ▁zoo ▁would ▁need ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁new ▁$ 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁facility ▁to ▁accommod ate ▁the ▁ele ph ant , ▁something ▁they ▁could ▁not ▁afford ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁ ▁In ▁response , ▁people ▁throughout ▁the ▁Chicago ▁area , ▁particularly ▁school children , ▁began ▁collect ing ▁money ▁for ▁the ▁" Z ig gy ▁Fund ". ▁Many ▁elementary ▁schools ▁and ▁high ▁schools ▁organized ▁fund rais ers , ▁and ▁the ▁Bell wood ▁Boys ' ▁Club ▁made ▁a ▁five - foot - t all ▁pap ier - m â ché ▁statue ▁of ▁Z ig gy , ▁which ▁they ▁par aded ▁through ▁the ▁streets ▁while ▁collect ing ▁qu arters . ▁A ▁number ▁of ▁don ations ▁also ▁arrived ▁from ▁over se as , ▁including ▁several ▁from ▁American ▁soldiers ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁station ed ▁in ▁Vietnam . ▁In ▁August ▁ 1 9 7 0 , ▁the ▁zoo ▁received ▁a ▁major ▁boost