Mayagüez Zoo (Dr. Juan A. Rivero Zoo)

Puerto Rico's only zoo opened in Mayagüez in 1954 and spent decades as the island's one place where a kid could stand in front of a giraffe or a lion. Hurricane Maria closed it to the public in 2017. Funding collapsed, animal welfare violations mounted, and federal permits were not renewed. The permanent closure came in February 2023, and the remaining animals were relocated to sanctuaries across the United States. The site is now planned for transformation into an environmental research center.