FRESNO CHAFFEE ZOO 2015 ANNUAL REPORT 2015 ANNUAL FRESNO CHAffEE ZOO FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DE SK MISSION To inspire wonder of our natural world, provide C ONTENTS an engaging learning environment, and create a passion for conservation. 2 Board of Directors & Senior Management 3 From the Director’s Desk 4 Animal Collection 8 Education 10 Financial Report 12 Visitor Infographic 14 Veterinary Report 16 Major Donors 17 Events 20 Conservation “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; 24 African Adventure working together is success.” - Henry Ford 26 Measure Z & Future Plans 2015 2015 was the most successful from Omaha, rhinos from Florida, lions from New BOARD OF DIRECTORS SENIOR MANAGEMENT year in Fresno Chaffee Zoo’s Orleans, elephants from Arkansas, etc.), was a 2015 history. We saw the opening daunting project, but was accomplished with the of the largest project we’ve ever undertaken dedication and hard work of a great team. Published by Fresno Chaffee Zoo John Valentino, Chair Scott Barton, CEO/Zoo Director (African Adventure), record annual attendance 894 West Belmont Avenue (808,914), new partnerships, great conservation We owe every one of these successes to our Fresno, CA 93728 Tom Richards, Vice Chair Lyn Myers, General Curator Craig Saladino, Treasurer Brian Goldman, Chief Financial Officer projects, and the further creation of one of the community; the incredible support through Telephone: 559-498-5910 best teams in the country. Measure Z, the support through your visits to fresnochaffeezoo.org Sharon Levy, Secretary Dr. Shannon Nodolf, the zoo, the people who support us through Graphic Design: Luis Cerrillos Colin Dougherty Chief Veterinary Officer The much anticipated African Adventure opened memberships, those who partner with us, from in October and was an immediate success. Not generous donors to other non-profits and our & Heather Davis Chelsea Cates Alisha Anderson, Chief Marketing & only did our community enjoy our new addition, educational community. We appreciate that Ed Gonzalez Development Officer we have had professional colleagues visit from support more than we can express, and it’s leading On the cover: Two Southern white rhinoc- George Nokes Laura Martina, SPHR, Chief Human around the country to see what we accomplished to one of the most successful zoo and aquarium eros, Tim and Kayla, in African Adventure. Ken Price Resource Officer in Fresno. The complexity of doubling the size of stories in the country. Photo Credit: Christina Noel. Shari Rainwater Sandy Pitts, C.I.T., Education Curator the Zoo, constructing one of the largest projects in any zoo in the country, and moving dozens We’re very happy to share the story of our 2015 of animals from around the country (cheetahs successes with you here. - Scott Barton, CEO/Zoo Director 2 | 2 015 A NNUAL R EPORT 2015 A NNUAL R E P ORT | 3 NIMAL OLLECTION A C Three Chacoan peccaries were born in 2015 . immensity of 2015 would The be hard to repeat. Not only did we succeed in opening the world class, 13- acre African Adventure exhibit in October, but we also successfully moved animals from every corner of North America to reside in this amazing habitat. Overall, we brought in more than 25 different species from other zoos and aquariums. Our Southern white rhinos, meerkats and female African elephants all came to Fresno from Florida. Sister pair of cheetahs, Tiffany and Malana, flew FedEx from Omaha. Our mother and daughter lions flew FedEx from [Continued on page 6] Southern white rhinoceros, new to the African ANIMAL COLLECTION Adventure exhibit. Critically endangered Indochinese 2015 TOTALS box turtle hatchling Arachnida 1.0 Male 0.1 Female 0.0.1 Unknown sex BIRTHS AND HATCHINGS ANIMAL ACQUISITIONS Species 1 Chondrichthyes AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES MAMMALS AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES 0.1.0 Guam rail 0.1.0 Six-banded armadillo (“HERPS”) 0.0.1 Blue duiker (“HERPS”) 3.3.0 Pink-backed pelican 2.2.0 Slender-tailed meerkat Species 4 0.0.3 Asian brown tortoise 1.2.0 Chacoan peccary 3.3.2 African pancake tortoise 1.0.0 Plush-crested jay 1.0.0 Sloth bear 0.0.1 Green crested basilisk 2.1 Four-toed hedgehog 1.1 Arabian sand boa 0.0.1 Red-lored amazon 1.1.0 Southern white rhinoceros Osteichthyes 0.0.1 Indochinese box turtle 0.0.1 Goeldi’s monkey 0.0.3 Chinese crocodile lizard 0.1.0 Southern ground hornbill 1.0.0 Speke’s gazelle Species 3 0.0.21 Pacific pond turtle 1.0 Prehensile-tailed porcupine 1.0.0 Desert iguana 1.1.0 Tawny frogmouth 0.2.0 Springbok 1.0 Reticulated giraffe 0.0.1 Prehensile-tailed skink 0.0.2 Eastern collared lizard 1.0.0 Yellow-billed stork 2.1 Warthog Amphibia 2.1.0 Egyptian tortoise BIRDS FISH Species 12 0.1.0 Blue-crowned motmot CHONDRICHTHYES 2.0.2 Gila monster MAMMALS 0.0.6 Blue mbuna cichlid 1.1.0 East African grey crowned-crane 0.0.1 Southern red stingray 0.0.4 Meller’s chameleon 1.2.0 African elephant 0.0.12 Bluestreak hap cichlid 1.1.0 Round-nosed plated lizard Reptilia 0.0.1 Guam rail 1.1.0 Cownose ray 1.2.0 African lion 0.0.10 Demason’s cichlid 0.0.1 Laughing kookaburra 0.0.10 Sambava tomato frog 2.0.0 California sea lion 0.0.6 Lombardo’s African cichlid Species 66 2.1.3 Laysan duck 0.0.5 Tonkin bug-eyed frog 0.2.0 Cheetah 0.0.6 Mbuna cichlid 2.0 Ne-ne 1.1.0 Western gaboon viper 4.0 Eastern white-bearded wildebeest 0.0.6 Nkhomo-benga cichlid Aves 1.1.5 Pied imperial pigeon 1.2.0 Greater kudu 0.0.12 Peacock cichlid 2.0 Sunbittern Species 74 BIRDS 0.2.0 Jersey cow 0.0.12 Zebra cichlid 0.0.2 Troupial 1.1.0 Abdim’s stork 0.2.0 Kenyan impala 0.1.1 White-faced whistling duck Mammalia 0.0.1 Yellow-rumped cacique 1.0.0 Andean condor 1.0.0 Malayan tiger CHONDRICHTHYES Species 59 1.1.0 Australian rainbow lorikeet 1.0.0 Red kangaroo 0.1.0 Southern red stingray 0.2.0 Common ostrich 0.1.0 Red wolf 0.1.0 East African grey crowned-crane 1.0.0 Siamang White Faced Whistling Duck, Lazarus. 1.1.0 Egyptian goose 4 | 2 015 A NNUAL R EPORT 2015 A NNUAL R E P ORT | 5 Georgia while our male lion flew Mother and daughter pair of African lions, Kiki and Wildebeest, springbok & kudu Malayan tiger, Gahara FedEx from Washington DC. Many Zamaya, looking out over the African savanna. of our antelope, as well as Vus’Musi, our male African elephant, hitched a ride from Southern California and 6 pelicans flew in from Toronto Zoo in Canada. In addition to many new species arriving for the opening of African Adventure, the Zoo also welcomed many species to the original Zoo, such as the male Malayan tiger, Gahara, who flew Fed Ex from Oklahoma. African Adventure also became the home to eight species of African cichlids which now reside in their beautiful new home in our Kopje Lodge area. hunting, feral cats, dogs, pigs and will forever be a year that marks a Although many animals came from mongoose, as well as diseases new era in Fresno. We are looking African elephant Nene Goslings other zoos, some did not. Several carried by other introduced birds. forward to many more exciting of our hoofed species came from These pressures contributed adventures! our existing animal collection. Our to a dramatic decline in the giraffes, zebra and oryx were all population of Nene. By the early trained to load into our transport 1950’s scientists estimated that - Lyn Myers, General Curator trailer and take the short but exciting there were only about 30 Nene ride to their new exhibit. left in the wild. Due to captive One might think that with all of the breeding and release programs, Reticulated giraffes excitement surrounding African the wild populations have begun Adventure that we would just be to recover in recent years. focused on that. That was not the case. Twenty-one Pacific pond turtles We had three endangered species (or Western pond turtles) were hatch during 2015. Fresno Chaffee hatched at the Zoo this year. This Zoo had our first ever Burmese species is the only native species brown tortoise hatchlings. This of aquatic turtle in the state of species is endangered in the wild California. Invasive species such due to over-export of this species as bass, trout, bullfrogs, and non- for pet trade and medicinal usage. native turtles are believed to be Pacific pond turtle hatchlings The Burmese brown wild population playing a large role in the decline numbers are continually decreasing of pond turtles, along with even though it is currently a ongoing habitat loss throughout protected species in its native lands. coastal regions and disease. Zoos are joining together to access In addition, we had two Nene geese areas that could be possible hatch and make their appearance. release sites in the future….it The Nene is Hawaii’s state bird and would be wonderful to someday is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. have our offspring helping to At one time the Nene were plentiful re-populate the wild! on all of the major Hawaiian Islands until Westerners arrived in the late 2015 brought many new and 18th Century; with their arrival came exciting changes to the Zoo; it 6 | 2 015 A NNUAL R EPORT 2015 A NNUAL R E P ORT | 7 AfrICAN ADVENTURE EDUCATION 2015 TOTALS African Adventure provides a number of new educational opportunities.