2017-2018 Annual Report

2017-2018 ANNUAL REPORT our mission engaging people with the wonder of the living world through personal encounters that foster lifelong harmonious relationships with nature When visitors come to The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, they see animals whose wild cousins are walking across frozen sea ice at the top of the world, congregating on rocky islands off the African coast, chilling at the bottom of fast-running streams in western Maryland, prowling the open savannah, and adapting to life everywhere in between. These animals inspire visitors to think beyond the streets of Baltimore, imagine a vast and varied world, and wonder at the Earth itself, the only planet known to sustain life. The Zoo’s mission is not only to inspire wonder but also to inspire action on behalf of wildlife and wild places. That is a mission that Zoo staff puts into practice every day. We provide the best possible care to all animals at the Zoo, we educate hundreds of thousands of people annually about issues that affect wildlife and the environment, and we are working harder than ever to advance conservation efforts around the globe. Guided by the Zoo’s Conservation Department, we tie exceptional in-house husbandry, medical care, research, and education programs to conservation action in the field through our Signature Animal Programs, Conservation Action Programs, and Wildlife Response Fund. This annual report catalogues the work of the Zoo over a 12-month period from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018. During that time, 430,223 guests visited the Zoo and more than 13,500 member families supported the Zoo. 2 Letter from the Chairman ese are currently very exciting times at e Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. During 2018, we started the largest construction project in our history, the upgrade and expansion of the elephant, lion and girae habitats. It has been over 30 years since the Zoo moved its elephant exhibit from the Main Valley to the existing location, and we now have one of the premier African Elephant programs in the country. Another highlight of 2018 was the hatching of the Zoo’s 1,000th African penguin chick. ese two events are prime examples of the Zoo fullling multiple areas of its mission: species survivability, conservation, education, sta welfare, and visitor experience. I have been on the Zoo’s Board of Trustees for nine years and am honored to now serve as its Chair. All this time, I continue to be amazed and incredibly gratied by the professionalism and passion that each person in the organization delivers. To a person, sta and volunteers are committed to providing the highest level of care for the animals and an excellent experience to all those who visit the Zoo or participate in a Zoo program in the community. I could not be more delighted to associate myself with such a committed group of people. I am also grateful to the men and women who serve alongside me on the Board of Trustees. ey are committed to the Zoo and its future and they channel their own passion and professionalism in support of this great community asset. ere is always something new to learn about the Zoo. For example, I was thrilled to learn that in FY18, more than 71,000 Maryland school students, teachers, and chaperones were given free or reduced-price admission to the Zoo, and more than 67,000 Zoo guests participated in on-grounds educational experiences. If your school has not participated in the free eld trip program at the Zoo, your students are missing something special! is past scal year, more than 44,000 children and adults also enjoyed interactive education programs delivered by the Zoo’s Outreach sta at schools, senior centers, libraries, and other community venues across Maryland. is is a powerful example of the Zoo extending its reach and fullling its education mission well beyond the boundaries of our own Druid Hill Park campus. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I also want to acknowledge the tremendous support of the JAMES WITTY City, the State, and the citizens and leaders of Baltimore and Howard Counties. We remain grateful CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES for their continued support of the Zoo. We also thank the many foundations and corporations that value the Zoo and provide support in the way of grants, sponsorships, and corporate memberships. You have helped propel the Zoo forward in countless ways. I hope that you enjoy reading about the Zoo’s progress in the pages of this annual report and that you will continue to show your support for the Zoo. It is a privilege to serve as Chair of the Board of Trustees, and I look forward to great things to come in 2019. James Witty, Chair, Maryland Zoological Society, Inc Letter from the President Fiscal Year 2018 will be remembered for many reasons, but to my mind the most signicant will be breaking ground on new and improved habitats for lions, giraes, and elephants in African Journey. is renovation project represents the Zoo’s most ambitious undertaking in our history and will result in tripling the size of the elephant habitat, extending and improving the Elephant Barn, expanding and re-grading the girae habitat, and upgrading the lion habitat. In this case, as with every naturalistic habitat project that we undertake, we have planned carefully and executed strategically in order to address the needs and desires of three dierent constituencies: animals, sta, and guests. We always prioritize animal welfare and sta safety while doing our utmost to create an engaging guest experience. e current project in African Journey furthers our commitment to meeting or exceeding the highest standards established by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). It also represents another step forward in making e Maryland Zoo a leader in conservation and species survival research. After many months of planning, construction is well underway and we expect to complete the project in the summer of 2019. ere are surely dozens of reasons why the Zoo draws so many people, but the #1 reason has never changed and never will. It is the animals. People are amazed by the animals that they encounter here, as are we on a daily basis. We never forget what a privilege it is to care for them. Many new animals were born, hatched or moved to the Zoo in FY 2018. Most notably, fourteen African penguin chicks were hatched at Penguin Coast, including our1000th penguin chick, named “Millie” by popular vote. You may know that e Maryland Zoo has the largest African penguin colony in North America and has hatched signicantly more African penguin chicks than any other zoo or aquarium in the United States. Penguin Coast provides a great home to our colony and is truly the centerpiece of our zoo. I have always said that our sta and volunteers bring incredible passion and professionalism to every aspect of their work, be it guest services, veterinary and animal care, marketing and public relations, events, or education. ey all truly care, and for that I am grateful. DONALD P. HUTCHINSON I am also grateful to those who support the Zoo and help it remain a vibrant and vital part of Druid Hill Park, the city of Baltimore, and the state of Maryland. I say this often because it’s true. PRESIDENT/CEO We could not do it without you, so thank you for your support, and we hope to see you here in the months and years to come. Donald P. Hutchinson, President/CEO TORRENTIAL RAIN WAS A HALLMARK OF FY 18, BUT WHILE STORMY WEATHER MILDLY SUPPRESSED ZOO ATTENDANCE, IT DID NOT DETER EXCITING NEW DEVELOPMENTS AND OFFERINGS ON OUR DRUID HILL PARK CAMPUS. new at the zoo Between July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018: • e Zoo hosted its rst-ever kids concert, Zoo Bop! • e Zoo began construction on what is arguably the most extensive exhibit renovation • e Zoo added to its popular in its history, encompassing the lion, girae, Breakfast with the Animals series with and elephant habitats in African Journey. is two new breakfasts, Celebrity Birds project will nearly triple the elephant habitat, and Animal Ambassadors. increase the girae habitat by 33% and open up • e Zoo launched Field Talks, the lion habitat with a new cul-de-sac pathway a lecture series hosted on the to increase viewing, as well as provide a training Mansion House Porch that features wall where guests can learn how we use positive real-life eld biologists, wildlife reinforcement to train animals to participate in conservationists, and Zoo sta their own healthcare. talking about the work that • “Millie,” one of fourteen penguin chicks hatched they do around the world on behalf during the 2017-18 “chick season” at Penguin of wildlife. Coast, became the 1,000th African penguin • e Zoo hosted its rst-ever chick ever to hatch at the Zoo. adult summer camp, which quickly • Several other animals were born or hatched at sold out! the Zoo, including 4 sitatunga, 2 Von der Decken hornbills, and scores of Panamanian golden frogs. • Many new animals joined the Zoo’s collection, including 1 tawny frogmouth, 1 zebra, 1 prehensile tailed porcupine, 1 blue duiker, 8 Nigerian goats, 2 kunekune pigs, and 1 chimpanzee. • e Zoo’s Commissary team introduced new feeding programs for Zoo animals, including large carcass feedings for carnivores and more extensive browse feedings made possible by a new partnership with BGE. 5 ALWAYS READY FOR ANYTHING, THE ZOO’S ANIMAL MANAGEMENT AND VETERINARY TEAMS WORK CLOSELY AND COOPERATIVELY EVERY DAY TO DELIVER SUPERIOR CARE TO ALL ZOO ANIMALS.

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