The animals displaced as a result of last month's barn fire will not be returning to Storybook Gardens.
The city has decided that the upwards of $160,000 in insurance money will be spent on different and new attractions throughout the park.
The donkeys, sheep, goats, chickens, rabbits and a rooster housed in the historic barn were all taken to nearby farms following the February 3, 2015 fire. Now, permanent homes will be found for the animals.
"While the animals are part of the attraction value, they had a very small part of the retention value. When people came to see the animals, because it's not a petting zoo, the average length of stay was very, very small. It was somewhere in the five to seven minute range," says Manager of Parks and Recreation Bill Coxhead. "For us to build something more appropriate for housing a small number of animals, we think the money could be much better spent. We're about interactive play, literacy enhancement and outdoor experiences."
The barn was built in 1958 and was the last attraction with live animals on display.
