In its heyday, the zoo contained a bear and an alligator, plus many smaller animals. It was famous for its hundreds of squirrels and small lizards, which are still on campus. The bear and alligator were eventually moved upriver and became the core attractions for what is now the Lowry Park Zoo. The creek's name derives from a later period in its history, when students from the university used its water to conduct various biology experiments. Finally, a statue called "Au Coup de Fusil", meaning,"The Shot" (as in gunshot or rifle shot), can be found right outside the hotel. These two bronze hounds represent two fine pointers being alerted by the sound of a gunshot. They were sculpted by famed canine sculptor Eglantine Lemaître (French, 1852–1920) and were cast in France by Maurice Denonvilliers in 1890. Originally, they faced south rather than north, and their rapt attention was focused on a small bronze squirrel placed in a low hanging oak limb. However, this was a misinterpretation of the piece, as evidenced by the hounds' attention being diverted in different directions. The squirrel eventually was stolen and the dogs were moved to their current location. Supposedly the two dogs represent Mr. Plant's personal favorite hunting dogs, and the hotel itself had kennels stocked with hunting dogs for guests use on hunting expeditions. The Friends of Plant Park (FoPP) is a Florida non-profit corporation with the mission to (a) assist with the restoration, preservation and maintenance of The Henry B. Plant Park, Tampa, Florida, as a botanical garden open to the general public, (b) research and publicize the Victorian history of The Henry B. Plant Park, and (c) educate the public and cultivate community interest in and support for the foregoing activities. This group was formed in 1993. Since 1997 the FoPP has hosted the annual 'GreenFest' activities in Henry B. Plant Park to raise money. To date those funds, along with contributions from individuals, organizations, the City of Tampa, and Hillsborough County, have allowed for the restoration of and new exhibit of the cannons, the Victorian star-shaped garden bed, and a replica of the 112 foot flagpole with a 12X18-foot replica of the 45-star American flag (1891). The original flagpole was probably a ship's mast and a Florida state flag and a University of Tampa flag will fly from the replica's crossbars.