On a gorgeous morning at the Alexandria Zoo last week, a romantic peacock and a peahen, about 50 yards apart, were loudly squawking at each other in their grassy pen.
“It’s spring and love is in the air,” said Landon Proctor, who’s a little more than a year in as the zoo’s executive director. He stopped a golf cart for a few moments to take in the flirting ritual.
Let’s stop for a few moments and take in what’s been happening at the zoo in the last year since Proctor took over on May, 5, 2025 as the zoo director.
Attendance in the last year is up by more than 20 percent, said Proctor, from 1,200 to more than 1,800. The zoo’s philanthropic partnership guide reports over a 12-month period, it has hosted visitors from 398 Louisiana cities and all 64 parishes in the state, along with guests from all 50 states and 12 countries outside the U.S.
“Actually, he said, “we’re already up to 14 countries in 2026. We had a couple from Italy here yesterday.”
Proctor, 39, comes to the zoo with impressive credentials, working most recently as the senior director of operations at the Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans for a year, working his way up to that position over a few years.
A native of Rockwall, Texas in the Dallas area, Proctor “fell in love with the natural world” while studying entomology (insects) at Texas A&M, and his first post-graduate job was as an entomologist at Epcot in Disneyworld. For the last decade he has been a manager of various business operations. He’s a savvy communicator with the media, too, which might not be surprising considering he has been recognized as a “Distinguished Toastmaster” by Toastmasters International.
“I loved working at the Audubon Zoo,” he said, “but I realized when you work at a large city zoo with a large staff, that movement Is slow.” He was looking for opportunities to work for a smaller zoo – where you can move projects faster or change plans more quickly — at a time when Alexandria was looking for a director, and “that’s what brought me to Alexandria.”
Dr. Max Lakes, the previous director, left in mid-2024 to become director of the Peoria zoo in Illinois. That same year, the local zoo was denied its accreditation status by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), which it had held since 1986.
Credit that long period of accreditation to the leadership of Les Whitt and his widow, Lee Ann. Les was the beloved director from 1974 to 2008, when he died at age 56, 14 years after having a heart transplant. Lee Ann then took over the job until her retirement in August of 2020.
“We’re on a path to get our accreditation again with the AZA,” said Proctor. “We’re dedicated to following the rules of the AZA and working with AZA to get up to standard.”
Various things contributed to being denied accreditation, Proctor said, “but to sum up, they needed to modernize, and that’s what we’re doing.”
Proctor points to the zoo’s longevity (104 years) at the same site and its widespread recognition for so long as a top attraction as positives, and he was pleased to meet Lee Ann Whitt during his interview process.
“Lee Ann is why I decided to come here instead of another opportunity,” he said, explaining she spoke about zoos and conservation and education “the way I do.”
Although he didn’t know Les Whitt, he said they share not only the same passion for animals and nature and conservation but also the same birthday, August 22, when he will turn 40.
“I still talk to Lee Ann for advice,” Proctor said. “There is exactly one person who knows what this job takes, and that’s Lee Ann. We talk through things at lunch sometimes.”
Proctor said he has about 40 paid staff members through the year, with that number expected to grow to 50 during the summer, with some extra workers in the shop and café. That doesn’t include numerous volunteers, FOTAZ board members and some LSUA students working to earn some college credits.
The zoo spans 33 acres but only 18 are being used for walk-thorough visitors. Many ideas have been discussed as to how to take advantage of the undeveloped area, “but nothing is set in stone.” Some tantalizing future possibilities are tigers and giraffes and maybe a hippopotamus.
They’re also looking to upgrade some exhibits with additional animals, and Landon is particularly eager to improving some of the landscaping.
The pay-extra aviary has closed since it didn’t attract enough visitors, and he expects to turn that area into an attraction with bigger animals, possibly by the end of the year.
The popular train (40 percent participation) now has three conductors who alternate times on the job, and there are new personal interaction opportunities with animals near the entrance, with workers showing off smallish animals or reptiles that visitors can stop and pet.
Based on feedback they have received, they’re also looking at upgrading birthday packages and adding or continuing new events such as last fall’s inaugural pickleball tournament at the city courts and a new Dungeons and Dragons event.
Arguably the biggest newsmaker for the zoo in the last year was getting a baby Jaguar, Solana, the only jaguar born in the country last year.
“People from all over the country called us,” Proctor said, “offering congratulations and resources from other zoos, like the San Diego Zoo and zoos in New York and Florida and, of course, the Audubon Zoo. It’s good to see us hitting at the national level.
“It took 13 years to breed,” he went on, “and now we have a female that is a new generation to keep the population going.”
Cue the music to “The Circle of Life,” and let’s salute Landon Proctor for what he’s done to enliven the popular old place again.