Gift 
Jean McCool
As a lifelong friend of the Zoo, Jean McCool is remembered by staff as a dedicated Zoo Parent who loved the "underdogs" most of all. Her favorite adopted animals were the cinereous vulture, reticulated python and Chinese alligator. Jean passed away last spring, but her devotion to animals will live on as the Zoo cares for her adopted family of underdogs. As a Heritage Society member, Jean made a provision for the Zoo to receive a portion of her estate when she died. Her heartfelt gift will carry on what she thought was important in life-caring for animals. As part of the Zoo's Endowment Fund, her legacy gift will support those animals she loved forever.
One example of an underdog species that needs our help is the American red wolf. The wild population has been decimated, mostly due to illegal hunting, vehicle strikes and habitat loss.
In 2021, we transformed part of our 355-acre Saint Louis Zoo Sears Lehmann, Jr. Wildlife Reserve in Franklin County, Mo., into a conservation habitat for this critically endangered species. Twenty acres have been secured to provide up to 12 mating pairs of wolves with a private and protected natural setting to live and breed. It will be closed to visitors so that the wolves can learn natural survival skills without much human interaction. With the support of our partners and friends, the Saint Louis Zoo will help build the American red wolf population, reintroduce them into the wild and help save them from extinction.
We honor Jean's thoughtful foresight in making a legacy gift to support the Zoo's animal care efforts, and thank all who have remembered the Zoo in this way.
Legacy gifts such as Jean's make up the Zoo's Endowment Fund. They provide a critical and ongoing source of support to our animal care and conservation efforts. To discuss how your gift can make a difference, please contact Lori Sullivan at (314) 646-4509 or Robin Kraujalis at (314) 646-4973, or email us at [email protected].
