JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Officials with the City of Jackson addressed a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) about the Jackson Zoo.

The USDA report from the end of 2024 showed two complaints that the city said were corrected almost immediately.

One of the issues was with an old walk-in fridge used to store food for animals. The USDA said the fridge was outdated and no longer safe to use. Parks and Recreation officials said it was replaced within a week.

The second issue was with the prairie dogs at the zoo, which were not located during the USDA visit. The zoo said this was due to the animals burying underground during the cold weather. Cameras and scopes were placed in the burrows to monitor the prairie dogs throughout the day.

The zoo also addressed the recent death of four Amazon parrots that were found deceased in the attic of an exhibit barn.

“We had them in there because of the frigid cold. They couldn’t be out. They were deceased, we believe, now due to a mink getting inside of the exhibit and causing them to expire. We believe it to be a mink simply because their bodies were still intact. And based upon what I was taught and what the veterinarian told us, that is the nature of how minks usually do,” said Abram Muhammad, director of Parks and Recreation.

City officials said they reported the incident to the USDA, and an official investigation is underway. The zoo is also ramping up its pest control efforts.