Reviving Hope Zoo

Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor

It has been said time and time again that where there is no vision, the people will perish. Strangely enough, however, there's a new normal, where the people try to crucify those with vision.

For decades now, Kingston, as the premier capital of this region, has been in a state of decline. This is evidenced by the ramshackle neighbourhoods, creeping decay and stagnation, and, of course, the rampant disregard for and inability to maintain public spaces - monuments, institutions, historical buildings, and, more interestingly, green spaces.

The cultural seat of the Caribbean, with a history that is comparable to any nation of the old world, was fast becoming a shadow of her once illustrious self. She has been raped and pillaged daily by some in business and commerce who use and abuse the city, treating it and its infrastructure with very scant regard, in their quest for self-aggrandisement and to accoutre themselves and their supposed loved ones with the latest bling.

This country, particularly Kingston, has been bereft of caring and concerned individuals and business leaders for quite some time now. The new normal for many was the drinking of the milk without the caring for the cow that provided the milk. Consequently, the city became comatose, needing re-energising sustenance and maintenance. Its inhabitants, particularly those living in cramped and overcrowded spaces with little or no recreational outlets or facilities for creative endeavours, were the primary victims of the urban decay.

All was not lost, however, as Kenny Benjamin, a shrewd and astute businessman who parlayed his hobbies into a multimillion-dollar regional business, has always sought to provide such a space. A man who understood and appreciates the value of preserving the environment while making it work for the benefit of all; and who understands the import of having green and/or recreational space as central to the well-being and continued developmental cycle of both the individual, family and the country.

First, there was his farm and mini zoo, just outside Spanish Town, that was the ultimate family getaway. Hundreds of families visited on weekends, and especially on public holidays when the demand for recreational spaces is in demand. And now, this philanthropist and environmentalist has turned his attention and resources to the rehabilitation of the Hope Zoo.

Now, if ever there was a place in need of care and protection, it was definitely the Hope Zoo. The once vibrant zoo that served as Kingston's primary family attraction was so neglected, it fell into near-fatal stupor.

So here we were, the leading city in the region without a zoo! This was status screaming for intervention. Today, Hope Zoo is no longer on life support. Since being given the go-ahead to add the zoo to his portfolio, Benjamin, has been dogged in his perseverance as he, with the determination and zeal associated with zealots, goes about the restoration of the Hope Zoo. His vision is not limited to bringing it back to its former glory, but to make the facilities, bigger, better, more interactive and educational than they have ever been.

No easy task here, but one that Benjamin is equal to, as is evidenced by the work now under way to rehabilitate, reposition and replenish the zoo, making it a safe haven for families or others out for a stroll, a picnic or an educational tour.

I visited the Hope Zoo as a child, as part of a summer excursion, and revisited years later as an adult, only to swear never to return because of the paltry state of the zoo and the pitiful appearance of most of the animals then.

Well, with relatives visiting recently, and word of the improvements under way, when my sister suggested we visit the zoo, I was only too happy to do so. And dears, what a beauty of an experience it proved.

To begin with, the Hope Zoo is a work in progress, as Benjamin's expressed view is of developing a safari park, inclusive of a fishing village. But dears, work has transformed the once-dilapidated zoo into a thing of beauty, augmented by the gardens that rival the Hope Botanical Gardens next door.

There was a new addition to the growing family of animals - a lion named Lucas - who was clearly the favourite of the hundreds of children touring the zoo, who all knew him by name before entering the zoo itself.

There were some zebras, deer, a simply awesome collection of birds, miniature horses, reptiles, and even a few donkeys. There was no escaping the new sense of serenity occasioned by strategically placed buddhas; ponds with a giant koi; lily ponds, plus a number of picnic areas - all adding to the charm and beauty of the once-derelict space.

But the best part of the tour was running into friends: Robert MacMillan, touring with his nephew; Chris Nakash, his wife Zein Issa-Nakash, and their children Jordan and AJ; Riley and Liz Betancourt; Miguel Bernard and his companion the fab Nicky Channer; Richard and Megan Budhoo; Norman and Jacinth Douglas; plus dozens more - out for a day of fun and education.

Dears, with word being two lionesses plus a number of other animals set to be added to the roster of animals there, a return visit is on the cards.