After 140 Years, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden Continues to Grow!
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Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden 2015-2016 Annual Report Part of the Family Every day, I’m honored to hear how much visitors enjoy the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. Guests of all ages describe a trip to the zoo as the highlight of their day, week, or year. While our guests love watching animals and learning about the natural world, what they report that they enjoy most is doing these things in the company of their loved ones. Visiting the Zoo is a family affair. Grandparents bring their grandchildren and reminisce about their own Zoo experiences in decades past. Parents delight as babies’ faces light up at the sight of a giraffe, or grin as a grumbling teenager suddenly laughs at a gibbon’s antics. Indeed, family is the lens through which many children connect with animals. On first observing a group of animals interacting, a child will instinctively ask: “Which one’s the mommy?” “Where’s the daddy?” For animals who don’t live in social groups, children might wonder aloud if a creature is lonely. That kind of empathy, first learned from family, is what fuels our affinity for other living things… and, in turn, our Zoo’s mission. As I share with you the highlights of our 2016 fiscal year (April 2015–March 2016), I’m grateful to all of the families who make our Zoo so special. Thank you for supporting our mission, for making us part of your family and for being part of ours. Thane Maynard Zoo Director Cincinnati Zoo Board of Trustees April 2015 – November 2016 Eileen Barrett Craig Maier In Cincinnati, we are fortunate to live in a city with such a rich history, Doug Brendamour Lynn Marmer and with such an outstanding Zoo. During this past fiscal year (April Robert Castellini, Jr Tim Massa 2015–March 2016) we celebrated the 140th anniversary of the Cathy Crain George Molinsky Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden and its role in shaping the Sheila Cole Amy Murray history of the Queen City. Bob Coughlin Jane Novak-Cook Kimberly Coyner Cora Ogle, PhD Stuart Dornette Joseph Pichler As we look ahead -- to our sesquicentennial and many future Kay Geiger Mike Prescott anniversary celebrations -- I’m proud to report that our Zoo Stephen Hightower Mitch Quint continues to grow and thrive. It was a year that included many Francie Hiltz Peter Ragland significant Zoo births, important steps in preserving endangered Chris Hock Martin Rahe species, and several awards for our Zoo and its personnel. We saw Donald Hudson Ashwin Ramprasad continued strong attendance, including a record number of people Gregg Kosch Scott Robertson to enjoy PNC Festival of Lights. Our financial standing and business Shree Kulkarni Jack Rouse practice are as strong as ever. Margaret Lafley Matt Schroeder Bill Lawarre Alex Triantafilou For many Cincinnatians, and for visitors to the area, the Zoo Lee Ann Liska William Witten represents togetherness. When any of us give back by supporting a Joshua Lorentz Craig Young community asset, we do so with the well-being of future generations in mind. That may be true no place more than at the Cincinnati Zoo. So thank you for supporting our Zoo so that your descendants can Cincinnati Zoo Foundation Board enjoy it, too. April 2015 – November 2016 Andrew Hawking Thomas Johnson Thank you to our entire Zoo “family”: our incredible staff, devoted Doug Adams Delle Jones volunteers, enthusiastic Ambassador Council, dedicated Foundation Peter Barrett Eric Kahn board, and of course, my fellow Trustees. Tim Bonacci Cal Kalnow Kelly Brown Sally Leyman Otto Budig, Jr Phil Myers Lee Carter Dawn Schiff Carri Chandler Murray Sinclaire Martin Rahe Ron Christian David Valz Chair Jim Ellerhorst 1 Fiscal Year Highlights A look back at all the activities your support helped us accomplish, April 2015 to March 2016 OCT Rescued Florida manatee Bam AUG Bam arrived for rehabilitation. APR 2015 JUNE Meanwhile, Florida manatee The public met some popular and For the first time, ultrasonography Abigail, who came to us in 2013 We worked with healthcare experts significant zoo babies. Bolingo, the and hormone monitoring were used after suffering cold stress in the at The Christ Hospital to help bonobo and our three lion cubs, to accurately predict red panda Indian River system, was returned monitor the pregnancy of Anju, a Huruma, Kya, and Willa, all birthdates. We welcomed two cubs. to her home state in good health. 14-year-old western lowland gorilla. made their public debut. Then, fourteen-year-old western lowland gorilla Anju gave birth to Another bittersweet farewell took Elle, the 50th gorilla born at our zoo place as 1,800-pound Sumatran since 1970. rhino Harapan “Harry” went to live in Indonesia. Harry arrived safely at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary following months of preparation SEPT and a 10,253-mile journey. It was a month of celebration, starting with the International Rhino Foundation’s announcement that JULY the critically-endangered Suma- M AY Blakely, our resident nursery dog tran rhino population would soon and part-time nanny, was called increase by one, thanks to father A new initiative, Pollen Nation, into action to snuggle and play Andalas, who was born at our zoo. took flight. This group of Zoo staff with 3-week-old baby takin, and volunteers established 18 Dale. Dale was hand-reared in Zoo Director Thane Maynard honeybee hives to help boost our nursery because his mother announced a $13 million expansion the declining population and raise wouldn’t care for him. plan for Gorilla World. Read more awareness about conservation on page 12. action you can take in your own September 18 was our 140th backyard. anniversary! Many of you celebrated with us at Zoofari. Read more on page 15. 2 Awards and Honors April 2015–March 2016 We’re grateful and honored to have respected organizations recognize our Zoo for everything from scientific research to being green. These are some of the highlights of awards received during the 2016 fiscal year. JAN 2016 We ranked among Cincinnati’s Fodor’s Travel and Trip Advisor We welcomed our first zoo baby of Top Workplaces for the third listed us among the country’s the year. We named the little blue year in a row, based on our best zoos, while Parents.com NOV penguin Bowie, after singer David staff’s responses to a third- named us one of the best zoos Bowie who happened to pass away party survey. for kids. We celebrated the third anniversary just two days later. Bowie the pen- of the Zoo’s Living Classroom guin received international media Education Access Fund, or LCEAF. attention as fans paid tribute to the Congratulations to Steve Foltz, Director of Horticulture. The program, which matches the late pop culture icon. In January, he was awarded with the Ohio Nursery and Zoo’s extraordinary educational Landscape Association’s Distinguished Contribution programming with schools that Award, that organization’s highest honor. demonstrate a need for it, has exceeded our most hopeful projections. The Zoo’s main restaurant, Base World of the Insect was recognized Camp Café, earned the Greenest by the Association of Zoos and Restaurant in America title for 2015 Aquariums (AZA) with the prestigious according to the Green Restaurant Edward H. Bean Award for its work Association. with giant jumping sticks. PNC Festival of Lights The travel website Busbud, using FEB earned the USA Today information from Trip Advisor and Reader’s Choice Award Instagram, determined that our Zoo is Cheetah Willow gave premature for Best Zoo Lights. the most Instagrammed place in Ohio! DEC birth, via c-section, to five cubs. You helped make the 33rd annual Unfortunately, she did not survive but three of the cubs made it PNC Festival of Lights our biggest Congratulations also to Dr. Bill Swanson, of the Zoo’s Carl H. Lindner and brightest ever! More than through the critical stage despite Jr. Family Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered 316,000 guests attended… and your their small size and weak immune Wildlife (CREW). In October, he was recognized by the American votes helped us win USA Today’s systems. Thanks to round-the-clock Association of Zoo Veterinarians (AAZV) with the prestigious Duane Reader’s Choice Award for Best Zoo care and expert medical attention Ullrey Award for his work with endangered small cats. Lights. they soon grew into strong, healthy adolescents. 3 Always growing something beautiful: Our Botanical Garden Team he Zoo’s entire grounds are a beautiful wildlife garden! By Tsustaining a wide diversity of large shade trees, wildlife-friendly ornamental trees, shrubs, vines, perennials, annuals and grasses, we have created an ecosys- tem style of urban garden. As one of only two accredited botanical gardens in Ohio, we select plants ideal for hosting diverse wildlife. Diversity allows a delicate balance of insects, meaning there is no need for insecticides. We track the best performers in the garden and share this information with the gardening community. Our team handles the monumental task of planting, pruning, mulching, weeding, watering and labeling many acres of gardens, and we take pride in keeping the grounds in the best shape possible. 4 Always growing something beautiful: Our Botanical Garden Team Soon after, we host the largest annuals display and trials garden Our Horticulture Department doesn’t just beautify in the Midwest. We grow, plant, the Zoo grounds. Each year they tackle a community label and trial more than 50,000 project to design and plant garden spaces in local annuals to both enhance the neighborhoods. This year our focus was the Seven beauty of our grounds and educate Hills Recreation Center in the West End.