Have you heard the rumor?

For years we heard a strange rumor about Jungle Land, a defunct attraction at the Great Escape. And we had to find out if it was true!

I saw an interesting thread in a Facebook group that seemed to have piqued the curiosity of many people in upstate New York, adding to the mystery of a decades-old rumor about one of our favorite theme parks, The Great Escape.

Someone heard a “rumor” about “endangered animals” living on Great Escape property, where a now-defunct Jungle Land is located.

What is Jungle Land?

I’m not sure how many of you remember Jungle Land with its African theme, but I certainly do. As a kid, I loved the rickety bridge over the mud-like water, the robot elephant, and the giant gorilla that greeted you. I can still hear the Jungle Man saying, “Do you like my jungle?”

Jungle Land disappeared in the mid-2000s, but many people – like me – have a strong nostalgic connection to it.

So what’s going on with Jungle Land?

Is the DEC protecting it from truly endangered animals? Are there plans to build on it?

These and other questions were asked on a Facebook page dedicated to nostalgia for Story Town and the Great Escape called Storytown USA (the original group).

Layla Zito, a regular contributor to the site, had some burning questions about Jungle Land and was willing to get to work and find answers to the long-standing rumors.

Layla spoke to the New York State DEC and claimed that they were not aware of any such thing. She insisted that the DEC would know if Jungle Land was on the protected site.

And what about the plans to build on Jungle Land later?

“I just got off the phone with Beth who said she was unaware of this (endangered species on the property). She also stated that “any improvements or repairs would have to go through her office and to date the park has not contacted her about repairs.”

So there you have it.

No, there are no truly endangered species on the Great Escape site, and according to the DEC, there don’t appear to be any plans to reinstate Jungle Land or build a new attraction in its place.