World-Class Care • Leading Conservation • Engaging Education 2018 ANNUAL REPORT CONNECTING AWESOME HUMANS TO THE AWE OF WILD ANIMALS INTRODUCING OUR NEW 06 PRESIDENT/CEO, BERT VESCOLANI RIO MORA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE 10 AND CONSERVATION AREA JAKE AND CHUCK JOIN THE HERD AND CONNECT WITH THE HEARTS OF 12 OUR GUESTS CONTENTS DENVER ZOO EDUCATORS DEVELOP PROGRAMS THAT ENGAGE AUDIENCES 14 WITH DIVERSE ABILITIES UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD’S GENEROSITY 16 ZIPS ALONG WITH DENVER ZOO TRAIN TABLE OF TABLE CRANBEARY AND LEE MOVE TO SUPPORT SPECIES THROUGH BREEDING PROGRAM 32 AND MAKE WAY FOR EXHIBIT UPDATES FINDING NEW WAYS TO CONNECT 34 DENVER ZOO WITH OUR COMMUNITY DENVER ZOO SENDS STAFF TO HELP 36 WITH TORTOISE CRISIS IN MADAGASCAR IN THE NEWS: DENVER ZOO STORIES THAT 38 CAPTURED THE WORLD’S ATTENTION 2018 ANNUAL REPORT 3 OUR MISSION Secure a better world for animals through human understanding PROTECT We passionately commit our expertise and resources to saving animals. HONOR We treat people, animals and nature with respect. INNOVATE We strive to discover creative solutions. ENGAGE We connect people with animals by creating life-changing memories. EMPOWER We provide people the knowledge and tools to take positive action for all species. SERVE We deliver exceptional service to our guests, animals and one another. DENVER ZOO AT A GLANCE Home to more than 3,500 animals representing 550 species Denver Zoo is a critical player in the fight to save wildlife. We help our guests as well as communities around the globe connect to wild animals and wild places. Denver Zoo is the most visited cultural destination in Colorado, committed to helping animals by bringing science education to life and providing extraordinary experiences that foster human and animal connections. Located in Denver’s City Park, Denver Zoo is a nonprofit organization accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), which assures the highest standards of animal care. With the mission to secure a better world for animals through human understanding, Denver Zoo commits nearly $2 million annually to field conservation programs helping wildlife around the world. 2018 ANNUAL REPORT OUR MISSION DEAR DENVER ZOO Secure a better world for animals through human understanding SUPPORTER, Last year marked a period of remarkable transition and progress for Denver Zoo. We took significant steps towards ensuring the Zoo is in the right position—and hands—to achieve its significant potential, and enable us to improve every aspect of the organization, from animal care to guest experience. We started the year by reorganizing our Board into two entities—a Board of Governors and a Leadership Council—in order to improve our governance effectiveness and fundraising efficiency. The Board of Governors consists of 13 highly engaged members, who serve as the fiduciary board and oversee all aspects of Zoo operations, while the Leadership Council represents a broader cross section of the community, and works to support the Zoo as goodwill ambassadors in the community. Later in the year, our nationwide search for a new President/CEO came to a successful conclusion with the hiring of Bert Vescolani, who came to Denver Zoo with more than 25 years of experience in executive positions at leading zoological and scientific institutions. I know my fellow Board members and the entire Zoo staff share my confidence in Bert’s ability to uphold our position as a world-class cultural and conservation organization, and to provide strong, steady leadership through this exciting and pivotal period for the Zoo. While we experienced a lot of change, the most important things remained the same. We continued to provide exceptional care for our more than 3,500 animals and made significant contributions to global wildlife conservation. We also had the great privilege of educating, entertaining and inspiring nearly 1.9 million people, who experienced the Zoo through visits and outreach programs, and enabled us to carry out our mission of securing a better world for animals through human understanding. The fruits of our efforts over the past year will come to bear in 2019. We are in the process of constructing a new, state-of-the-industry animal hospital. Once complete in 2020, the Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Animal Hospital will advance our ability to care for our animals and offer visitors an unprecedented look at the amazing work our veterinary medical team does every day. We will also celebrate the grand opening of a new, improved grizzly bear habitat, which will give visitors a unique, two-fold learning experience about bears in the wild and in their backyards, and how we can coexist. We extend our deepest gratitude to our staff, volunteers, guests, donors, community partners, Board of Governors and Leadership Council members for their continued support! Sincerely, Sherri Koelbel Chair of the 2018 Board of Governors 5 A VISION TO FIND NEW WAYS TO CONNECT PEOPLE WITH WILDLIFE AND WILD PLACES “IF YOU’RE A PESSIMIST, THE FUTURE IS BLEAK FOR WILDLIFE. IF YOU’RE AN OPTIMIST LIKE ME, YOU GET EXCITED ABOUT THE ROLE ZOOS PLAY IN HELPING BRING THE DISCUSSION FORWARD AND THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN ALL MAKE A DIFFERENCE. DENVER ZOO ALREADY CONTRIBUTES NEARLY $2 MILLION EACH YEAR TO MANAGE FIVE CORE FIELD CONSERVATION PROGRAMS AROUND THE WORLD, INCLUDING RIGHT HERE IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN/GREAT PLAINS REGION.” - BERT VESCOLANI, PRESIDENT/CEO DENVER ZOO 2018 ANNUAL REPORT INTRODUCING OUR NEW PRESIDENT/CEO, BERT VESCOLANI ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• This year we were thrilled to welcome Bert Vescolani to our Denver Zoo is so important to the next generation. It is up Denver Zoo family. He came to us with big plans for Denver Zoo, to us to make sure young people connect with the animals both within our gates and beyond, and we are excited to see his we love. vision already coming to life. Vescolani is committed to finding meaningful ways to engage Vescolani was most recently the CEO of the Saint Louis Science young visitors. Studies have shown that when kids have safe, Center and brought with him his passion for animals, science engaging experiences with animals their appreciation for and the need for the Zoo to be so much more than just a fun wildlife increases. Zoos offer a chance to connect those kids to place to visit. the natural world in some very positive ways. “Each day, I walk around Denver Zoo so I can watch our guests As we head into the next year, Vescolani says his immediate focus connect with animals they will likely never have the chance to is on animal care and husbandry, improving guest experience and see in the wild. Seeing their excitement and knowing they’ll repairing aging infrastructure. We look forward to exciting growth walk away from the Zoo with a greater appreciation and love for and more inspiring experiences in 2019 and beyond. wildlife is the most fulfilling part of the job,” explains Vescolani. Vescolani says he believes Denver Zoo should be an integrated ecosystem that is wholly dedicated to animal welfare, conservation and creating awe-inspiring experiences for guests. To accomplish this, he asks everyone working with him at Denver Zoo to consider these important questions: How can we create the most enjoyable experiences for guests? How can we be the catalyst for change that allows people and wildlife to live symbiotically? How do we build and improve habitats for our animals that allow them to live happily and provide our guests with the best possible experience? How can we, as humans, be the species that helps? 7 2018 ANNUAL REPORT WE CARE FOR ONE OF THE LARGEST AND MOST DIVERSE COLLECTIONS ON EARTH. * IT TAKES MORE THAN 378 AND HELP FROM AN ADDITIONAL TO HELP OPERATE THE ZOO. * “The Economics of Denver Zoo”, August 2017, Development Research Partners. 298,000 GUESTS MORE THAN 9 A UNIQUE CONNECTION BETWEEN NATIVE SPECIES, CULTURE AND CONSERVATION RIO MORA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE AND CONSERVATION AREA While the world can sometimes feel like a divisive place, there are moments that restore our faith in the power of collaboration and what humans can accomplish when they work together. Case in point is the Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge. Established in 2012 in the heart of the globally important Rio Mora watershed, this effort came from the vision and generosity of Eugene and Clare Thaw. They donated the land to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to establish the Refuge and their funding brought in Denver Zoo and our creative and talented team of scientists. Working together over the past seven years, we have nourished an amazing conservation and education partnership and have seen important results: • Transformation of a degraded former cattle ranch to a natural state • Return of iconic bison to the landscape • Restoration of essential ecological and hydrological functions of the native shortgrass prairie • Renewal of a native culture The partnership between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Denver Zoo has been further enriched by New Mexico Highlands University and the Pueblo of Pojoaque. We are so proud of this unique and powerful collaboration between a federal government agency, our own premier zoological institution, a respected university, and a Native American people. It is an inspiring example of how we can protect and conserve wild animals and habitats, restore native species and preserve native culture, and educate and inspire a new generation of conservation-minded global citizens. We hope this collaboration will help serve as a powerful example of cooperation and the American spirit of community and collaboration. Eugene and Clare Thaw have passed away, but their rich legacy lives on in the Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area and their generosity is reflected in the work of volunteers, and the continued philanthropic donations to support this partnership.