(PUEBLO, Colo.) — “Vandalized by gunfire,” the Pueblo Zoo said its sign at the corner of Pueblo Boulevard and Goodnight Avenue was apparently hit for a second time.
The Pueblo Zoo posted to its Facebook page on Tuesday, Jan. 24, that it hopes to have the sign repaired soon, “in order to provide the community with information about the Zoo and all we offer.”
FOX21 News spoke with Sandy Morrison, Marketing and Communications Manager for the Pueblo Zoo, and she said the second incident happened on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 2022, just before 2 a.m. that morning.
Morrison said the sign was apparently hit five times during the December incident and will be an out-of-pocket cost for the Zoo, which Morrison stated could be upwards of $3,000 to $5,000.
The Zoo asked for the community’s help in finding those responsible for damaging the electronic sign and stated that if anyone knows anything about the incident to contact the Pueblo Police Department.
“As your community Zoo and educational resource for animals and conservation, it is disheartening that this occurred not just once, but twice,” wrote the Pueblo Zoo.
This isn’t the first time the Zoo has had to repair the sign. Morrison said around December 2021, the sign was also hit by gunfire, before it was repaired in February 2022. Morrison said the first time the sign was hit, it was only shot at once.
The Zoo hopes to have the sign repaired in the next couple of months. Morrison said the sign is commonly used to show photos of animals to guests passing by, along with displaying important Zoo events and information, and is an essential tool in driving tourism to the Zoo.