Madera Zoo

Madera Zoo. . In the year 1912 a Mr. William King Heiskell built an aviary with its first inhabitants being a green parrot and several species of birds from around the world. The zoo also had several ponds and water fountains and a bandstand. Although the Madera Zoo wasn’t full of many species of animals, there are several stories about a famous parrot named “Polly” and a alligator named "Galahad". , Polly was most popular for his colorful vocabulary that he learned from his miner friends and his ability to mimic them. Galahad - A nine-foot alligator spent most of his early years in a small bathtub behind a saloon owned by a Mr. Glass, who used to kid with the Chinese and tell them that he was actually a little Chinese dragon. , Polly nearly met his demise when he and another occupant of the park (a raccoon) had encountered each other and the raccoon’s intention was to have Polly for dinner. The raccoon was banished from the zoo and Polly lived his remaining years with Mr. Heiskell's daughter. After his death, he was sent to a taxidermist, stuffed and resides in the present Courthouse Museum.