Long-vacant Belle Isle Zoo gets the wrecking ball

A once-iconic attraction on Belle Isle is being torn down, after its closure more than two decades ago. WWJ's Luke Sloan reports.

Transcript

00:00WWJ's Luke Sloan here this morning at the site of the long-abandoned Belisle Zoo.

00:07This area sat vacant for more than 20 years.

00:10And as you can see here in front of you, and also hear the sounds in the background,

00:14the sounds of demolition have begun.

00:16They're officially tearing down the zoo after those many decades of it being abandoned.

00:20The zoo was first closed in 2002.

00:23There was a reopening effort that failed in 2004.

00:27At this site, it's going to go back to nature.

00:29There's going to be more walking trails, expanded access to the canals.

00:33The Belisle Zoo, they say, this area has just become too dangerous,

00:37even though it is historic to the island.