A Historic Milestone
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July | August 2020 A Historic Milestone Zoo Goes Virtual Cruise the Zoo DATES ADDED features 4 | New Life Breeds New Hope for an Endangered Species get closer 12 | Hatch & Release 14 | Young Philanthropists 18 | Happy World Elephant Day! 20 | Generation Coronials 28 | Wild Child ARIZONA CENTER FOR NATURE CONSERVATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES Dear Zoo Friends, Stephen Fisher | Chair It is difficult to write this letter about what is Phil Petersen | Past Board Chair happening at the Zoo, as every day brings changes Heidi Berger | Vice Chair, Finance and Treasurer and new challenges. As you know, we closed the Yvonne A. Betts | Vice Chair, Board Development Zoo on March 18 and at that time, we estimated our financial losses through September to be $5.2 Kris Yamano | Vice Chair, Financial Development million. As a non-profit organization, 80% of our John Hoopes | Vice Chair, Outcomes revenues come through admissions, memberships, Maja Wessels | Secretary retail and concession sales and events. In March, we created a Zoo Relief Fund and asked our supporters Brian Baehr David Haworth to donate, as our animals must still be cared for, even if our doors are closed. We were humbled by Jean C. Bingham Linda Hayes the support we received and, thanks to donations Michael Blaire Michael Johnson both large and small from our community and Cynthia Bozik Sue Kidd beyond, this fund has raised over $830,000 that Richard B. Burnham Craig Krumwiede has been used to directly support our operations. In May, we created Cruise the Zoo, a drive-thru Theresa Chacopulos Dawn Meidinger experience that has been wildly successful. I would Michelle Clarke Harry Papp like to thank everyone that attended for not only JoEllen Doornbos Karen Peters supporting us, but for the outpouring of positive Inger Erickson Gabrielle Vitale feedback we received here at the Zoo and on social media. We are so happy that we were able to provide a safe way to have a great time in the midst of such a difficult time in the world. I can tell you our animals and staff were so very happy WILD TIMES STAFF to see you. Cruise the Zoo has provided us much Linda Hardwick Editor, Phoenix Zoo | needed revenue and has been so successful that Christine Boisen | Associate Editor, Phoenix Zoo we will continue to have select Cruise the Zoo Corey Little | Graphic Designer, Phoenix Zoo weekends throughout the summer. We have raised approximately $930,000 through this event and 602.286.3800 | General Information continue to sell tickets for future weekends. We 602.914.4333 Reservations | were also very fortunate to receive $2.7 million from 602.914.4328 | Fax the federal government in a Paycheck Protection Program loan that has enabled us to continue to pay our staff and the loan should be entirely forgiven. So, while we will still lose a great deal of money throughout this crisis, all these efforts and your generosity have lessened our losses considerably. When Governor Ducey began to reopen our state, we reopened to Members only on June 13 & 14, phoenixzoo.org and to the general public on June 15. We limited the number of tickets sold each day, and tickets had 455 N. Galvin Parkway | Phoenix, AZ 85008 to be purchased online in order to manage capacity in the park. We had closed all indoor facilities and areas that typically see high concentrations of guests such as Stingray Bay, Giraffe Encounter and the 4-D Theater and more, which make up most of our on-site revenue generating experiences. We added hand sanitizing stations throughout the Zoo, increased our cleaning efforts in restrooms and other high touch point areas, installed acrylic guards at various locations and, on June 20, in lot as he was an expert at managing traffic so all accordance with the Declaration of Phoenix City could enter our lots effortlessly and timely. He was Council, began requiring all guests over five the ultimate professional and an asset to our entire without medical exceptions to wear a face covering organization. He was like family to many and will be when entering the Zoo and whenever social greatly missed. We are devastated by his loss and distancing within the Zoo was not possible. Despite our sympathies are with his family during this time. all of these efforts, with COVID-19 cases rising in Arizona at the time, we made the decision to close Despite this hardship, our Zoo family is carrying the Zoo once again effective July 7. We had hoped on in Chris’s memory. I would like to thank my to remain open, but only if we could do so safely dedicated staff who are working tirelessly to for our guests, our staff and our animals. continue to provide outstanding care for all our animals in a very stressful time. There are so many We are once again offering Cruise the Zoo and have other people behind the scenes and outside of added dates to this wildly popular experience! You animal areas working very hard as well. We have can now go cruisin’ on August 6 -10, September 4 – staff who have been furloughed – we hope to 7, 11 - 13 and 25 - 27. We will reopen to foot traffic bring them back as soon as possible. We also when we feel it is appropriate and safe to do so. look forward to welcoming back our amazing volunteer force as circumstances warrant. I would During this already like to thank all of them for their dedication and challenging time, we patience. Finally, I want to thank our tremendous experienced a great Board of Trustees for their counsel and guidance. loss as a Zoo family. These volunteer members of our community are A beloved and dedicated to the Zoo and its success and we are long-time employee, grateful for their service in these trying times. Chris Pointer, passed away in early July. I hope you all continue to stay safe and healthy and Chris has been at that I can see you at the Zoo again soon. the Zoo since 2004 and quickly found his calling as a Park Ranger. Many of our guests encountered Norberto J. (Bert) Castro President /CEO, Arizona Center for Nature Conservation him in our parking Phoenix Zoo / South Mountain Environmental Education Center NewNew LifeLife BreedsBreeds NewNew HopeHope forfor anan EndangeredEndangered SpeciesSpecies ay brought about a historic milestone Mfor the Phoenix Zoo. We are proud to be a first-time participant in the cross-fostering of two Mexican gray wolf pups born at the Zoo and placed in a wild den in New Mexico. The two pups, one female, one male, are part of a litter of four that were born in early May at the Zoo. This collaboration is part of a cooperative breeding program between the Association of Zoos and Aquarium’s Mexican Gray Wolf Species Survival Plan™ and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Mexican gray wolf recovery program, which aims to restore this endangered species to their native southwest territory. The Phoenix Zoo veterinary and keeper staff facilitated goal of the cross-fostering program is to boost the careful retrieval of the two pups which included the genetic health of the Mexican gray wolf a thorough neonate exam. Both pups were found population, a critical component to recovering to be healthy and were placed in the care of the the species in the wild. “We are proud to be a Arizona Game and Fish Department. Within hours part of this historic moment for the Mexican gray of leaving the Zoo, the two pups were placed with wolf population and the Zoo,” says Bert Castro, the Iron Creek pack in New Mexico, making them President and CEO of the ACNC /Phoenix Zoo. part of a record 20 captive-born pups cross-fostered “This is the second season of a successful litter of during April and May to various wild packs. At the pups for our wolf parents and we are elated that time, the remaining two pups stayed at the Zoo the timing was perfect to have two pups placed with their parents and six siblings, who were born into the wild to help improve the genetic health last summer. Parents Tulio and Tazanna have been of wild wolves.” incredibly protective of the remaining pups and kept Wild Times Digital July | August 2020 n 5 them out of sight over the past weeks. We would have expected to see the new pups emerging from the den by now. But we will keep the pack under close observation and remain hopeful that the pups survived. The important conservation and breeding collaboration with our partners will continue and we are proud of the historic milestone we accomplished this season. With nearly 400 individual Mexican gray wolves distributed among 54 institutions in the United States and Mexico, there is still hope for wild repopulation with the influx of modern conservation collaborations. In 1976, the Mexican gray wolf was listed under the Endangered Species Act and the need for advocacy came to light. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mexico and partner agencies subsequently created a binational breeding program to reestablish wild populations. These efforts are still going strong today. 6 n July | August 2020 Wild Times Digital BRINGING THE ZOO topic includes up-close animal encounters, behind- the-scenes tours, guided visits to Zoo exhibits, craft and learning activities, songs, trivia and scientific espite the heat, a normal Phoenix Zoo investigations for hours of learning and fun. summer sees hundreds of energetic kids Djoin us for Camp Zoo. Unfortunately, this is Although we know kids love being at the Zoo, we not a normal summer.