New Aquarium and Petting Zoo Coming to The Valley

by I. B. Lyon

Exciting news was announced yesterday about a new aquarium and petting zoo coming to the Strong River Valley. The aquarium and petting zoo will be built in D’Lo on the Strong River; the property was acquired from a private land owner. The funding is being provided by a federal grant and the Central MS EcoAlliance, and the total cost of the facility will be approximately $5.5 million. Construction will start within the month, and it’s expected to be completed by August of 2024. The facility will be named The Strong River Valley Aquarium & Petting Zoo.

The state of the art facility will be approximately 9,500 square feet, and it will house multiple exhibits. The exhibits will showcase all the fish and wildlife of The Valley. The main attraction will probably be Rusty the river otter. You can expect to see plenty of catfish, a few alligators, some water moccasins, and plenty more. The petting zoo will be situated right next to the aquarium, and it will have cows, ponies, goats, rabbits, and more.

The facility will bring about 35 full time jobs to The Valley, and they will also need volunteers. Jane Irwin Cousteau, the PR director for the facility, said, “We’re so excited about opening this facility in The Valley. It’s going to be one of the nicest freshwater aquariums in the South, and the petting zoo is the icing on the cake. It’s going to bring jobs and a lot of tourists and visitors to The Valley.”

D’Lo mayor, Don Berry Henry, talked with us about the facility. He said, “This is going to be great for D’Lo and The Valley. I can’t wait to see how it grows and improves our community. This is going to put D’Lo back on the map. We’re moving on up!”

Valley residents are thrilled about the news, and they can’t wait to visit the facility next year.