CLINTON, Tenn. — It has been several months since the founder of The Little Ponderosa Zoo passed away. But state lawmakers wanted to make sure he is not forgotten, and neither is all the work he did to help animals.
Officials with the zoo said they received a proclamation from the state of Tennessee on Thursday saying that lawmakers were honoring his memory.
"I, Cameron Sexton, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the 112th General Assembly of the State of Tennessee, at the request and in conjunction with Representative John Ragan, do hereby proclaim that we honor the memory of James Michael Cox, reflecting fondly upon his impeccable character and his stalwart commitment to living the examined life with courage and conviction," the proclamation says.
Officials with the zoo said that the last few months have been difficult since he passed away.
"It is a special honor and it warms our hearts to know how much James meant to so many," they said in a post on Facebook.
The Little Ponderosa Zoo started as a zoo and evolved into an exotic animal rescue serving people across the U.S. They have an extensive list of mammals, birds, reptiles and have also been licensed as a white-tail deer rehabilitation facility.
Cox also helped establish the "Zoo Crew" at the zoo, helping inmates learn life skills while volunteering at Little Ponderosa. The program was part of a partnership with the zoo that started in 2018, officials said.
As the founder and director of the Little Ponderosa Zoo, Cox said that there was a lot that people could learn from animals.
"They know it's time for them to have their morning meal. In the evening, they're all waiting for their evening meal. They live in the moment. That's what we need to do, live in the moment," he said in April 2020.
