Zoo Miami Shuts Down Monorail After Four Decades of Service

Zoo Miami's “Zoofari" monorail system has been decommissioned after four decades of service, officials announced Friday.

When the monorail opened in 1982 it consisted of three trains that took passengers on a 2.2-mile elevated trek around the zoo. Additional trains were added in 1987 after the World's Fair in New Orleans.

The monorail was damaged in 1992 by Hurricane Andrew, and it took several months to make repairs, a news release said.

The original manufacturer went out of business and replacement parts became unavailable, the release said. In 1987, the zoo began using one of the trains for parts to keep the others moving.

But it eventually became cost-prohibitive to maintain the system and officials made the decision to close it down.

The monorail's track will be removed from the zoo, possibly by the end of the year, officials said.

The zoo has several other means of transportation, including regular tram tours and safari cycle rentals.