The Chattanooga Zoo announces the addition of a new Honduran milk snake to its collection. This snake was generously sponsored by Mr. Allan Jones of Cleveland on behalf of his granddaughter, who is graduating 5th grade from EL Ross Elementary School. In her honor and the appreciation of a $5,000 donation by the Allan Jones Foundation, the snake will be named “Gincy Pendergrass.”
Born on March 1, 2014, “Gincy“ came to the Chattanooga Zoo from the Audubon Zoo located in
New Orleans, La. The Audubon Zoo is a part of the Audubon Nature Institute, which includes the Audubon Zoo, Aquarium of the Americas, and the Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium.
“Gincy” was originally acquired by the Audubon Zoo in October 2014, and donated to the Chattanooga Zoo in April 2017.
This addition to the Chattanooga Zoo collection was made possible by the zoo’s partnership with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. This connection allows the zoo to work with other AZA accredited institutions and submit requests for acquiring and surplussing animals.
“Gincy” will be housed in the zoo’s Log Cabin, which is used for birthday parties, camps, and special events.
Mr. Jones, the founder and CEO of Check Into Cash and the entrepreneur who rescued Hardwick Clothes from bankruptcy in 2014, has also had a lifelong interest in snakes. “As a child I was fascinated with snakes and even now, as an adult, I believe it is important that people know the good things that snakes can do,” Mr. Jones said. “The milk snake, for instance, helps keep down the rodent population.”
Mr. Jones’ adult daughter and the mother of Gincy Pendergrass, Courtney Pendergrass recalls growing up with a father who loved snakes and noted that her father helped her write a biology report in high school titled, “The 10 Greatest Snakes in the World.” Ms. Pendergrass said Mr. Jones once had a boa constrictor – “Cricter-Cricter” – that was given to him as Christmas gift.
“The present was wrapped up under the tree for several days,” Ms. Pendergrass recalled. “On Christmas morning, my dad opened the gift at 5 a.m. with his family witnessing the event. When he opened the present, a 5-gallon can was inside. Inside the can was a pillowcase with a knot on top of it.”
Ms. Pendergrass said her father opened the pillowcase and could not tell what was inside, so he dumped it into the floor. “Out came a large boa constrictor that instantly went into strike mode,” Ms. Pendergrass said. “The Jones family, who were sitting around in their pajamas, scattered. My dad, who was sitting on the floor, had to do a back somersault to get away from the snake.”
When Jones left for college at Middle Tennessee State University in 1972, Ms. Pendergrass recalled, he left directions for his parents to buy a guinea pig each week and feed it to Cricter. Soon after Allan headed to college, the snake was removed from his room and transferred to the basement.
“After Cricter was fed his second guinea pig, my dad’s two sisters - Amy and Anne - went to check on the boa and found the guinea pig half eaten,” Ms. Pendergrass laughed. “They were traumatized.
My grandfather, Bill Jones, decided that the snake would be donated to the Bradley Central High School biology department. My dad never saw his beloved snake again.”
To learn more about animal sponsorships, please visit www.chattzoo.org.