MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Sometime between Friday night and Saturday morning, a sign advertising the Memphis Zoo was vandalized at Overton Park.
The sign holds three panels, one advertising the zoo, the other the Memphis College of Art and the other the Brooks Museum of Art.
Only the panel with the zoo was vandalized.
The word “No” was spray painted in red.
Laura Doty, with the zoo, sent the following statement, “We are working to clean the sign this weekend, and we hope it does not require reprinting. While we work with local authorities to find the responsible parties, we encourage the public and the protestors to help the police identify the perpetrators. Threats and vandalism to the Memphis Zoo are a cost and liability to the city and the people who love the Zoo and Overton Park.”
While it is not clear who vandalized the sign, tensions have been rising between the zoo and those who are unhappy with the Greensward being used for overflow parking.
A spokesperson for the Overton Park Conservancy said, “We are disappointed anytime we see vandalism in the park, and we’ll notify our cleaning crew immediately.”
The conservancy oversees most of the park and jointly owns the sign along with the zoo and the Brooks Museum.
Saturday night, a self-professed Greensward supporter was able to remove most of the graffiti from the sign.
