H O U S TO N Z O O A N N UA L R E P O R T 2 0 0 9
Mission: The Houston Zoo provides a fun, unique, and inspirational experience fostering appreciation, knowledge, and care for the natural world.
H o u s t o n Z o o , I n c . B o a r d o f Di r e c t o r s
E. William Barnett Baker Botts, LLP
Martyn Goossen JP Morgan
Freda Wilkerson Bass Exxon Mobil Corporation
Robert Graham Chairman Invesco AIM
Nandita Berry Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP Jack S. Blanton, Sr. Eddy Refining Company Winfield M Campbell, Sr. Campbell & Riggs, PC Cathy Campbell Brock Jan Cody Zoo Friends Jonathan Day Andrews Kurth LLP Linnet Deily Anne Duncan James A. Elkins, III Houston Trust Company
Donald R. Kendall, Jr. Kenmont Investments Management Glenn L. Lowenstein The Lionstone Group
Barbara Samuels Courtney Lanier Sarofim Cathryn Selman Louis Sklar Hines Herman L. Stude H.L. Stude Shawn Taylor
Daniel C. McNair Houston Texans
Lori Vetters Wachovia Bank, N.A.
Stacy Methvin Shell Downstream Inc.
Bonnie Weekley
Stephen D. Newton Russell Reynolds Associates Suzanne Nimocks McKinsey & Company
George R. Willy George R. Willy PC E. W. Bill Wright III Wachovia Securities Austin Young
Charles Onstead Raco Construction
C o v e r P h o t o : t o b y, t h e r e d p a n d a
Toby the red panda joined the Houston Zoo family last spring and has captured the hearts of Houstonians, living up to his reputation as the “cutest animal in the world.� Photo: Stephanie Adams, Staff Photographer
H O U S TO N Z O O, I N C . A N N UA L R E P O RT 2 0 0 9
The Houston Zoo is proud to present a recap of the fiscal year in the form of this 2009 Annual Report. This past year was one of great accomplishment for the Houston Zoo. A new attendance record, major improvements to the on-ground facilities, increases in revenue and major strides taken by every department highlight this great year. This report serves as a summary of the countless hours, resources and energy put in by the dedicated staff that care for the facility, the animals and guests of the Houston Zoo.
LETTER FROM DEBORAH CANNON, RICK BARONGI AND BOB GRAHAM
Fiscal year 2009 was truly one for the record books as we set an all time high attendance record of over 1.72 million guests.
This figure is even more gratifying when you consider the unique challenges we faced economically and from Mother Nature. We started off our first quarter with a direct hit from Hurricane Ike. Thanks to advanced planning and an incredibly dedicated staff who worked nonstop to repair the Zoo, we were back up and running in five days, one of the first public facilities to open after this devastating storm. We believe our all time record attendance was due to two principal factors: people stayed closer to home due to the economic downturn and the significant improvements that have been made to the Zoo over the past several years. These improvements have created a buzz about the Zoo that is driving more people to visit and return more often.
FY 2009 also marked our first foray into the new medium of viral marketing as we rolled out our new red panda exhibit principally through online promotion. We are moving strongly into using the social networking sites which gives us access to a completely new base of potential support. We have also formed a partnership with Comcast Cable whereby Zoo videos are available
at any time by using the On Demand feature. Additionally, we have significantly upgraded our website so that there are new videos every week of Zoo events such as new births, animal training and other interesting Zoo activities. As in the past few years, we continued our work on improving the Zoo — again completing approximately 50 new major projects. Perhaps the most noticeable were the new red panda exhibit, the new signage through the Zoo — including our wonderful new interactive signs — new mesh in the small cat area and some small monkey exhibits in Wortham World of Primates, new site lighting and the refurbishment of the reflection pool. While it is easier to measure our steady progress in terms of revenue generating activities, it is more difficult to gauge our progress in terms of the quality of our animal care, exhibits and conservation programs. As you will read in this report, we have a very dynamic animal collection with many new additions in 2009. Some of the significant births and hatchings included a newborn Coquerel’s sifaka (lemur), giraffe, three bongo antelope calves and giant eland. Births among our birds included species of curassows, rhino hornbill, blue-headed macaws and 76 Attwater’s prairie chickens at our NASA based breeding facility. We also had numerous reptile and fish born or donated to the collection, of which the 6,800 Houston toads (raised from eggs rescued from the wild) is the most impressive. Additionally, we also augmented our collection with some key acquisitions; these include our very cute red panda, shoebill storks, young male sea lion and cassowary. Our largest acquisition was the arrival of Tess and Tucker, our Asian elephant mother and calf, that expanded our elephant family to five animals. Unfortunately, we also lost a few Zoo animal
friends in 2009 including the tragic and sudden death of Mac, our beloved two-year-old elephant calf, to an elephant herpes virus. In order to combat this deadly virus that affects both zoo and wild elephants, we have partnered with the Baylor College of Medicine and enlisted a full time researcher designated solely to finding a treatment and/or cure for this lethal virus. Our zoo-based conservation efforts continue to help save wildlife and wild places around the globe as you will read in another section of this report. We provided over $680,000 to help critically endangered animals both near home and abroad. We hosted our second Zoos and Aquariums Committing to Conservation (ZACC) conference in January 2009 that brought 195 field conservationists together to develop new strategies and priorities for saving the world’s biodiversity. When we look at the highlights of our educational programs for the year, it is important to note that we continued to grow our educational programming during FY 2009, with the number of programs growing more than 25%. Perhaps most exciting was the advent of programs for homeschooled children where we can bring science-based programming in a natural setting to students who operate in a non-traditional classroom environment. Equally important is the fact that we were able to double our capacity for summer camps in the summer of 2009, including almost 300 campers from Title I schools who received scholarships for their programs. Likewise, we were able to expand our teen volunteer program so that more than 200 teens were able to volunteer this summer at the Zoo. Not only does this increase their knowledge and appreciation of science, it also builds great leadership skills and aids in the college application process.
We hope you will agree that 2009 was a very good year for the Houston Zoo. Thank you for your support in helping us to do all that we do for our local and global community. Robert Graham, Chairman Board of Directors Houston Zoo Inc. (left) Deborah Cannon, President and CEO Houston Zoo Inc. (center) Rick Barongi, Zoo Director Houston Zoo Inc. (right)
TO BY T H E R E D PA N DA
Toby the red panda became the focal point of a viral marketing campaign touting him as the “world’s cutest animal.” If you’ve visited the Zoo recently you have noticed that the koalas have been replaced by Toby, a red panda. Billed as the “world’s cutest animal,” Toby made his debut last March and has been all over Facebook and Twitter. One blog even fantasized many of our other animals being jealous of him. Most guests agree that he is incredibly cute. Red pandas are crepuscular mammals (most active at dawn and dusk) native to the foothills of the high Himalayas, so to make him feel at home we maintain Toby’s enclosure at a cool 65 degrees. Bamboo forms his basic diet but the keepers rely on two of his favorite foods – grapes and blueberries – to train a few simple behaviors. For example, when they ring a doorbell Toby knows to move from his holding area into the exhibit. One of Toby’s distinguishing features is a very thick fluffy tail which he can wrap around his body if he gets really cold.
TESS AND TUCKER
The addition of Tess and Tucker greatly strengthened the familial bond for the elephant herd. A subset of zoos across the country are strengthening their commitment to secure the future for elephants. Exhibits are being expanded to accommodate larger herds and enhanced to meet the special behavioral needs of these incredible creatures. Here at the Houston Zoo, we’re very proud to be part of this national effort. Last year, two newcomers to our herd of Asian elephants, Tess and her son Tucker, arrived from California. The addition of Tess brings the number of mature females in our herd to three and increases our potential contribution to the national captive breeding program. The addition of a playful youngster like Tucker enriches the herd’s social mix and offers Zoo visitors a better
view of how elephant families tend to behave in the wild. Twenty-six-year-old Tess is a very vocal mother and four-year-old Tucker is a very inquisitive youngster who is learning a great deal from his keepers. Initially he seemed afraid of the water but, after a few simple lessons of “aversion therapy,” he now takes regular dips in the elephant pool and seems to really enjoy sharing mud baths with mom. Our new elephant barn and exhibit complex demonstrate how modern zoos are improving their facilities to meet the special needs of the animals under their care.
IMPROVED SIGNAGE
Thanks to the generous support of David and Bonnie Weekley, Zoo signage got a major facelift this year.
Because signage is important for understanding our surroundings, these new additions greatly enhance the guest environment contributing to the overall guest experience. Signage plays an important role in the Zoo. That begins with the signs that enable guests to find their way to their favorite animals; we call this “wayfinding” signage. We recovered 20 four-sided pylons and added 15 new two-sided signs; together they have over 400 individual directions and 250 arrows providing accurate directional signage, all in vivid, cheerful color. Next we installed more than 85 new animal identification signs, which give information on
the animal including their natural habitat, diet, conservation status and other interesting facts. In addition, we erected 42 additional signs for some of our more popular animals which give many more fun and little known facts about the animals. Most fun, however, are the new “WOW” signs that are interactive for our young guests to enjoy. These range from spinning wheels to learn more about the animal, to a yardstick to compare the child’s size to that of a giraffe, to “pop up” features. Whatever their special feature, our young guests have voted in favor of them with their feet, as it is rare to see one of the signs without children in front of them. We took our signage to a whole new level in the reptile building where we have installed 30 LCD screens. These screens serve as both the identification signs for over 100 species as well as providing a backdrop of educational and entertaining videos. Many of these videos feature our own residents and show our keepers working with the various animals. Some also display the innovative food delivery vehicles our
keepers use to ensure that their charges are kept intellectually stimulated and challenged, thereby replicating life in the wild. Another wonderful addition has been the installation of eight sound systems throughout the Zoo. These give us the ability to have different animal and insect sounds in different parts of the Zoo. They also enable us to play music at certain times of the day as well as make announcements that can be heard throughout the Zoo. Thus, we are able to call attention to special happenings, such as our sea lion shows. These sounds greatly enhance a visit. All of these important additions were made possible through the incredible generosity of
David and Bonnie Weekley, who were very focused on enabling us to provide items that were specifically designed to enhance the guest experience. In addition to the new signage, some less visible, but equally significant upgrades were also accomplished as a result of the Weekley’s generosity. Improving upon the refurbished reflection pool, the concrete columns along the walkways were covered in colorful tiles and then further enhanced with metal cutouts at the top of the columns which add critical lighting. Perhaps less glamorous, but necessary, all trash receptacles were replaced throughout the Zoo. And we’re pleased to report that our guests are making great use of these!
The new Zoo signage is not only informative but also interactive.
FA C I L I T I E S E N H A N C E M E N T
The reflection pool renovation not only provides a picturesque setting but also is a model for conservation. Reflection Pool Renovations
One of the Zoo’s most iconic and picturesque structures, the reflection pool, underwent major renovation this year. Repairs were desperately needed, as this 1950s-era addition to the zoological garden was not constructed with water conservation in mind. In fact, converting the pool to a closed system by installing new circulating pumps is expected to save as much as five million gallons of water a year. The renovations required temporary relocation of the pool’s finned residents – the koi had to spend a few months in the aquarium. They’re back home now, swimming about in a new and beautifully landscaped aquatic garden.
Concrete columns were wrapped in decorative tile and exhibits became more guest-friendly. I C a n S e e C l e a r ly N o w ‌ t h e C ag e i s G o n e !
Many of the enhancements were not so subtle and provided a better experience for guests throughout the Zoo.
When temperatures drop during the winter months, our Facilities Department takes advantage of the smaller crowds and moves into high gear. This past winter, they installed a new high-visibility metal mesh on the fronts of several carnivore and primate enclosures while the animals were kept safely off exhibit awaiting the makeovers. As a result, visitors can now get a much better look at our leopards, clouded leopards, fossa, howler monkeys and tamarins. You might call it a new look on wildlife! In fact, some of our tamarins initially were afraid to come out as they didn’t recognize the mesh was still in place.
HURRICANE IKE
Zoo staff stayed around the clock in preparation for the hurricane and its aftermath. Hurricanes are no strangers to Houston, so the Zoo must be well prepared to handle these seasonal bouts of intense and potentially dangerous weather. The basic strategy is to “batten down the hatches” and ride out the storm, which often calls for a welltrained group of staff – the ride-out crew – to spend the night. Ike slammed Houston with torrential rain and wind gusts of 100 miles an hour, but the Zoo and its animal collection emerged from the storm relatively unscathed. One of the more amazing storm stories was that of our flamingos, who remained
Opening just five days after Hurricane Ike, the Houston Zoo became a nice distraction for many local residents, including many Zoo members.
outside in their pool the entire
time.
Huddled
together in the middle with their heads curled under their wings, they did exactly what their wild
relatives
would
have done if caught in the same situation. Zoo Director Rick Barongi
ventured out just before the most powerful winds struck, conducting a last-minute check of the flock. “Sure enough, there they were, these little pink balls bobbing up and down, looking almost oblivious to the storm.” And then there was Tucker, our new elephant calf, who made national news by using his trunk to help his keepers clear walkways of fallen tree limbs in Ike’s aftermath. Tucker’s assistance was not only newsworthy, it was inspirational to our staff. Many suffered hurricane damage to their own homes, but nearly all showed up for work the following day for the three days of clean-up required before our gates could re-open to the public. Five thousand intrepid visitors turned up for the first day, all of them still enduring the oppressively hot and humid weather, and many with homes still lacking power.
Tucker lent a trunk to the clean up efforts following Hurricane Ike.
AFRICAN FOREST
The chimpanzee exhibit in The African Forest will give guests an unforgettable experience as they are immersed with these beautiful animals.
Chimpanzees, rhinos and giraffes – while the new African Forest will have its fair share of awe-inspiring animals – it isn’t just about magnificent wildlife and beautiful habitats.
Exhibits at the Zoo are constructed to meet three very important criteria. First, enclosures must accommodate the physical and behavioral needs of the animals that reside in them. Second, they should be designed with the safety and comfort of our guests and Zoo personnel in mind. And third, exhibits should display animals in a setting that enhances their visibility and natural behavior. When all three of these criteria are met, Zoo personnel can congratulate themselves on a job well done. With the ceremonial groundbreaking shovel in hand, the Houston Zoo prepared to build an exciting new exhibit – a 13acre African Forest. Phase One will encompass six acres, about half the total, and offer a much-needed new home for our giraffes as well as allow us to welcome white rhinos, kudus, gazelles and chimpanzees to our animal collection. Exhibiting these creatures in naturalistic enclosures will impart the sense of being on an African safari or a National Geographic expedition. Feeding a hungry giraffe, watching a chimpanzee who’s equally intent on watching you, or being amused by a rhino wallowing in its mud bath – these are some of the experiences that lie ahead for Zoo visitors. The absence of visible barriers plus the sub-tropical climate of the Texas Gulf Coast will add to the sensation of being in Africa, rather than just a short Metro ride from downtown Houston.
Opening December 2010, The African Forest will be the largest expansion in Houston Zoo history. Among other amenities incorporated in the new African Forest will be a jungle trading post, a restaurant overlooking the giraffes and rhinos and an authentic pygmy village complete with overnight camping facilities. One of the more exciting advances in this new construction, however, will be its remote technology. Strategically-placed cameras will showcase animals after hours, as well as allow us to broadcast special programs and keeper talks to patients at the Texas Medical Center. Ultimately, we want everyone to enjoy the African Forest experience, even if they’re unable to visit the Zoo.
C O N S E R VAT I O N E F F O RT S : LO C A L
Efforts of the Zoo’s conservation team begin right here in Texas, supporting local projects. HOUSTON TOADS
The Houston toad once inhabited the city that bears its name, but disappeared decades ago in the wake of office buildings, shopping malls and sports arenas. It vanished from neighboring lands as well, to the point that its very survival was in question and it became the first amphibian granted protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Urban expansion remains the principal threat to the toad’s existence, but extended droughts have also contributed to its decline. Today, small populations, thought to be fewer than 300 total, in Bastrop County represent the species’ final stronghold. The Houston Zoo is working hard to save our namesake toad. In collaboration with Texas State University and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, our staff is hatching and raising thousands of toads with 5,000 releases to nature to date, as well as continuing the search for undocumented wild populations.
BLAC K
BEARS
The
Houston
Zoo
focuses on educational outreach and public awareness to help restore the black bears to East Texas. Our staff has joined with the East Texas Black Bear Task Force to help inform landowners, educators and all concerned citizens about the regional status of the black bear including how bears in neighboring Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma can help rebuild our indigenous population.
C O N S E R VAT I O N E F F O RT S : G LO B A L CHEETAH CONSERVATION BOTSWANA
Tragically, the world’s fastest land animal is “racing toward extinction.” Capable of bursts approaching 70 miles per hour, the cheetah can outrun a variety of prey animals but not the threats to its survival. Cheetah populations have plummeted by 90% or more in the last century, their losses a direct result of conflicts with encroaching human populations. The Houston Zoo is proud to support Cheetah Conservation Botswana (CCB). Botswana represents one of the final strongholds for this species. Funds provided by the Zoo have helped CCB reach rural residents through workshops, theater and video. Thanks in part to our support, educators can demonstrate the use of predator-proof farming techniques to keep local landowners from unnecessarily killing cheetahs in an effort to protect their livestock. CCB also rehabilitates orphaned cheetahs confiscated from the illegal trade and releases these rescued animals to the wild. We use our two cheetahs to promote knowledge and appreciation for these majestic animals and to build awareness of the challenges they face in the wild.
The Houston Zoo is working with groups around the globe to help endangered species, including Cheetah Conservation Botswana.
BONGO BABY BOOM
While the Zoo saw many new additions this year, the bongos set the pace with three births. Just as the past winter turned to spring, the Houston Zoo experienced a boom of baby bongos. It started with Penelope, born to the three-year-old female, Pili, in February. Then came Linus and Dylan in March, each born to a different female, one of them being Penelope’s grandmother. Clustered births such as these can be advantageous to the herd, as mothers are often able to share in the task of nursing the new crop of calves. Although the average visitor might claim that all bongo infants look alike, our zookeepers can easily distinguish between the different newcomers to the herd. The pattern of white stripes on its chestnut flanks offers the first clue to a bongo’s identity. Penelope has 11 stripes on each flank while Linus has 13. Dylan is the oddball having 11 stripes on one side and 13 on the other. The males, Dylan and Linus, were also born with halfinch horn buds that have already grown into two-inch spikes. By comparison, the young female Penelope’s spikes are far daintier. Somehow that seems fitting.
O L I V E T H E A N T E AT E R A N D M I L E S T H E G I R A F F E
Anteater and giraffe births led to extra work for the animal staff as both Olive and Miles had to be hand-raised. Not every animal baby born at the Zoo can be raised by its mother. Sometimes zookeepers and curators must take on this task to ensure the infant’s survival. And that’s exactly what was necessary for two recent Zoo babies born this past year. Olive the giant anteater was born in August 2008, weighing in at two-and-a-half pounds. For the first three months of her life, Olive was taken home each night for feedings either by a member of our hoofstock staff or veterinary department. A year later, Olive weighed in at a whopping 95 pounds, which is about average for an adult giant anteater. Olive loves baths and exploring her keepers’ boots with her incredible two-foot tongue. Miles the Masai giraffe also had to be handraised. Standing 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighing 110 pounds when entering the world last January, “little” Miles has added more than three inches in height each month and nearly a pound-and-a-half each day since his birth, largely on a diet of diluted goat’s milk – four gallons each day!
In order to lure Miles from the herd to feed him, our keepers rang a bell to attract his attention. He quickly learned that the bell meant food and soon began salivating – just like one of Pavlov’s dogs – before galloping over to receive his meal. He has now been fully weaned and is a completely integrated member of the giraffe herd. Miles remains exceptionally receptive to his keepers and visitors as a result of having been hand-raised.
PA U L A N D PAT: Z O O V O L U N T E E R S
Volunteers are the backbone of the Houston Zoo, with some serving the Zoo on a daily basis. “Busy hands are happy hands” according to Paul Pilkington, a Zoo volunteer who practices what he preaches. The baker at home becomes the Aquarium and Natural Encounters’ “chef” when he arrives twice each week to work his shift. Preparing food for all the aquatic inhabitants comes naturally for this avid pastry scientist and retired petroleum engineer, whose baking experiments end up in the tummies of Zoo employees. The other half of this dynamic volunteer duo is Paul’s wife, Pat, who also appears like clockwork once a week to assist in the aquarium and elephants. Together the Pilkingtons have garnered a number of awards at the Zoo. Paul earned his first Keeper Aide Above and Beyond Award in 2005 and was presented with the Zooper Keeper Aide Award in 2007. In 2008 both he and Pat were honored with Keeper Aide Above and Beyond Awards, and he repeated the achievement again earlier this year. On top of that, Paul has been nominated for the Katherine Evers Morris Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Award at least three times. As if their service to the Zoo was not enough, Pat and Paul both volunteer for other Houston-based organizations and become a surrogate family for displaced Zoo employees around holiday time.
ASTRO THE SEA LION
Determined to be land bound, Astro the new sea lion found his way to Houston after stranding himself in California. For whatever reason, the newest addition to our sea lion team “chose” a life with people over one in the California surf. Found stranded along the coast by marine biologists not once, not twice, but three times, the youngster Astro was ultimately deemed imprinted on humans and unreleasable. He was taken in first by the Marine Mammal Center in Marin County and then by the Long Marine Laboratory in Santa Cruz before the decision was made to send him here to Houston.
Astro’s arrival at the Zoo went off without a hitch. He chowed down immediately on the fish that we offered and hasn’t quit eating since. His introduction to our resident California sea lions – Kamia and Cali – has also gone famously so we have high hopes for him in our training program. For a while, Astro will be distinguishable from the rest of the group by the scar on his neck – a striking reminder of the threat posed to wildlife by the plastics and other trash we discard in the ocean.
M AC A N D T H E PA RT N E R S H I P H E I N S P I R E D
From the death of beloved elephant Mac, came a unique and exciting partnership with Baylor College of Medicine. I N M E M O RY OF M ac It’s difficult
BAYLOR C OLLEGE OF M ED I C I NE P ARTNERSH I P
to capture the sense of loss still felt for
Somewhat serendipitously, Mac’s passing helped launch the
Mac, Houston’s favorite elephant for the
Zoo into a new partnership that may hold hope for combating
short time he shared with us. Mac entered
the virus that remains so deadly to elephants. Dr. Alan Herron,
the world a record-breaker, the largest
Director of the Comparative Pathology Laboratory at the Baylor
Asian elephant baby ever born in captivity.
College of Medicine, telephoned Dr. Joe Flanagan, our Director
Robust, engaging and intelligent beyond
of Veterinary Services, to express his condolences. Their
anyone’s expectations, Mac’s antics softened the sadness that still lingered for Bella, a baby elephant who also brought great joy to Houstonians for a brief time. Bella was fraught with physical problems from birth. Mac, by comparison, appeared indestructible and destined for a long life, but even the strongest, most vibrant
conversation turned quickly to hopes for developing a vaccine for what specialists refer to as Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes. And so the partnership was formed.
“Not everyone has such a great resource literally right across
the street,” said Zoo Director Rick Barongi.
Moving forward, a full-time post-doctorate research fellow
from Baylor has teamed up with our Zoo veterinary staff to collect
animal is no match for the deadly herpes
essential data. In fact, the information gathered to date may
infection that can strike without warning.
already have saved the life of an infected elephant calf at the St.
The Houston Zoo helps lead the research
Louis Zoo. The calf received medical treatment recommended
effort to combat this disease and ensure a
by specialists at Baylor and has apparently responded well.
future for elephants.
P R I M AT E B A B I E S
Some of the smallest additions to the Zoo came in the primate department with sifaka and pygmy marmoset births. By now, most Houston Zoo members are familiar with our sifakas, the curious primates from Madagascar with the odd name. Odder yet is the name given to our first sifaka baby – Kelyfamata – which means “small but mighty” in the Malagasy language. It is an especially appropriate name as he weighed in at birth at just 85 grams. Since then our keepers have kept a close watch on his progress, at one point weighing him on a daily basis. The infant sifaka has done very well and can be seen leaping from perch to perch in his enclosure with mom and dad. As small as Kelyfamata was, the new inhabitants of Natural Encounters have him beat on size. The pygmy marmosets live up to their name, growing to only an average of 150 grams and five or six inches in height at maturity, excluding tail length. We now have seven adults and one baby (who was the size of a human thumb at birth) living in the indoor rainforest exhibit.
H E R E P E TO LO GY
The Zoo reptile team continues to grow the collection through breeding and acquisition. If asked to name their favorite animals, Zoo visitors will list lions, tigers, elephants, orangutans, monkeys, bears, giraffes and … oh yes …Toby the red panda. Large mammals almost always top the list and a few birds might score high, but reptiles and amphibians are often overlooked. Yet snakes, lizards, turtles, frogs, toads and salamanders are among the “must see” animals for any Zoo visit. In addition, many of these lesser known creatures are among the Houston Zoo’s highest conservation priorities. At least seven of our resident reptiles and amphibians are the subject of international Species Survival Plans® (SSPs) managed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The Aruba Island rattlesnake, for example, ranks as one of the world’s rarest reptiles. Biologists estimate that little more than 200 individuals remain on their tiny Caribbean island home, and captive populations remain a safeguard against extinction. We maintain three of the 72 that currently reside in North American zoos. The Barton Springs salamander is a Texas native with a tiny range, threatened largely by vanishing freshwater habitat. A special breeding facility for this species has been established in Austin and the Houston Zoo maintains a
population of about 40 animals, all descended from a small group of five that we received two years ago. Based on our success to date, the prospects for an expanded breeding program look promising. Speaking of expansion, four young Komodo dragons arrived from the San Antonio Zoo in February 2008 and we acquired a mature female from the Sedgwick County Zoo last summer, bringing our total population to six. Their mother was originally part of the Houston Zoo collection, but was sent to San Antonio to mate with one of their mature male Komodos. After that, some of her babies came back to the Houston Zoo to live with their “Uncle” Smaug.
DARWIN THE CASSOWARY AND SHOEBILLS
Two unique, and in one case very dangerous, bird species made their debut at the Houston Zoo. The cassowary, native to Australia and New Zealand, is an enigmatic bird. It has feathers, but is flightless just like its closest relatives – the ostrich, emu and rhea. In addition, its handsome appearance and stately gait belie the potential danger it presents. A cassowary defends itself with powerful legs, kicking its clawed feet forward with sufficient force to disembowel an unwary predator. Fortunately, Darwin, our new arrival from the Baton Rouge Zoo, has not shown any signs of aggression. Other new bird arrivals of note are the shoebill or whaleheaded storks that were imported from Tanzania. The pair is estimated to be about three years old. Ornithologists can’t decide whether this species is a true stork or perhaps more closely related to pelicans. While that issue is debated, the Houston Zoo holds claim to being one of only three zoos in the country to exhibit shoebills.
CHILDREN’S ZOO: MEET THE KEEPER
Captivating an audience is the objective of Meet the Keeper Talks in the Children’s Zoo. People visit zoos to see the animals, but a zoo visit can be much more than that. Personal interactions with knowledgeable keepers and volunteers can make a trip to the Zoo a day to remember. Here at the Houston Zoo we offer more than 10,000 Meet the Keeper Talks and special presentations over the course of a year – that’s an average of nearly 30 performances a day! Bat and pelican feedings and the petting zoo are favorites with the public, as are Zooper Challenges and Story Safaris which are held on the Butterfly Stage. And the Children’s Zoo is always jam-packed with energetic youngsters who make the most of our inviting exhibits and animal sculptures. The common denominator for these experiences is interaction. The more we engage our visitors, the stronger the bond we create between people and animals – the first step in wildlife conservation.
TA R G E T S P O N S O R S H I P
With the support of Target, the Houston Zoo now provides nearly 30 Meet the Keeper Talks daily. On any given day, our visitors have dozens of opportunities to learn about the animals on exhibit directly from zookeepers. The Houston Zoo offers as many as 35 Meet the Keeper Talks daily, now generously sponsored by Target. And, because Target places such a high value on helping underserved communities, an additional gift from Target has also allowed us to offer scholarships to Title I schools, a program that gives underprivileged children free access to education programs while they are at the Zoo on school field trips. The Houston Zoo is one of only a few zoos in the United States to receive such a generous sponsorship from Target, and we are proud to recognize the company as one of our largest corporate donors in fiscal year 2009.
E D U C AT I O N : C A M P Z O O FA R I
Due to increased demand the Zoo doubled the size of summer camps in 2009. Last summer more than 2,000 children, ages 4-12, took part in our Camp Zoofari program – an exciting educational expedition that transported them “around the world.” Through Adventures in the Rainforest and Island Hoppers, the children spent an action-packed week learning about wonders of the natural world, exotic wildlife conservation efforts and the animals that call the Houston Zoo home. Camp Zoofari features interactive lessons, hands-on activities, games, exhibit visits, keeper talks and more. Most importantly, participating children receive an in-depth look at many of the Zoo’s animals, which serve as ambassadors for wildlife around the globe. Programs such as Destination Conservation and Keeper Camp introduce children to science-related career fields. Participants in these camps get to work closely with animal care and education staff both in the field and behind the scenes, learning
to use some of the same tools that field biologists, zookeepers, veterinary technicians and others use every day. Students in our Wildlife Detectives program learn how to identify animal scat, skulls and tracks and how to apply these skills when trying to identify native wildlife in their own backyards. And, of course, what would our summer camp be without learning what it takes to run a zoo? Zoobots and Selected for Survival camps explore the theory and mechanics behind the design and construction of zoo exhibits that house healthy populations of wild creatures. Due to the continuing demand for high-quality educational summer activities, Camp Zoofari almost doubled in size in 2009. In addition, nearly 14% of our participants attended the program free of charge on scholarships supported by general Zoo funds and generous contributions from corporations and foundations.
E D U C AT I O N: Z O O C R E W
The future of zoos and conservation is being cultivated through the youth that participate as members of Zoo Crew. Zoo Crew is a unique volunteer experience that offers teenagers insight into the zoo and aquarium profession, at the same time giving them the opportunity to make new friends and gain firsthand knowledge of wildlife conservation efforts. This past year we accepted more than 200 exceptional young volunteers, each of them committing at least 100 hours of service over the summer. The results: our Class of 2009 tallied 22,167 volunteer hours equivalent to the work of 10 full-time staff. The type of jobs undertaken by Zoo Crew participants are varied, including animal care, educational programming, assisting with Camp Zoofari, and conducting theatrical programs throughout the Zoo. Last year’s teens assisted with work on exhibits, animal behavior research and classroom instruction, and contributed to the guest experience by giving special presentations on wildlife
conservation. In the course of their service, our Zoo Crew volunteers gained skills in public speaking, were given leadership responsibilities and, most of all, built their capacity for teamwork. In return for the valuable services that were donated by these dynamic volunteers, the Houston Zoo awarded six $1,000 scholarships to the most deserving graduating seniors. We congratulate our 2009 winners!
H O U S TO N Z O O I N C . S TA F F
The successes of the Houston Zoo could not be possible without the passion and commitment of every employee. Christopher Adams Stephanie Adams Carlos Agudelo Ernest Alford Rosie Alford Luis Alvarado Krystal Amie Andrea Anders Kathleen Anderson Lucy Dee Anderson Andrea Ross Alfredo Arriaga Lisa Avendano Hannah Bailey Rodrick Barongi Juan Barrera Renato Barrera Kelli Barron Christopher Bednarski Jason Bergman Robert Bernardy Vanessa Bethke Bonnie Bibeau Amy Blackmon Hugh Blake Shannon Bloemke Melissa Boehm Tonya Boyd David M. Brady George Brandy III Carter Branstetter, Jr. Laura Brewer Gilbert Briones Dischunara Brown Russell Browning Judith Bryja Tammy Buhrmester Laura Burnett Kathy Burniston Daniel Calarco Melanie Campbell Deborah M. Cannon Christina Carpenter Kirby Casey David Castillo Kevin Castorena Elena Castrejon Jesus Cavazos Jeremy Cecil Mary Chauvin Jessica Woodson Clark Taylor Clarke Hollie Colahan Cheryl Compton Michael Concannon Liana Congram Carlos Contreras Mollie Coym Timothy Crawford William Cronenwett Seth Cross Paul Crump Jennifer Cunningham Amanda Daly Claudia Davis Nicte De Anda Geraldine DeHart
Cassandra DeKanter Belinda DeLeon Jessica Dietzel Bennett Dones Oren Dorris Taylor Doty Cynthia Drabek Stephanie Durkee Rick Ellis Nicholas Espinosa William Farr Dolores Fernandez Ruben Fernandez Beunka Fisher Joseph Flanagan Jamie Flint Maria Flores Christine Fontenot Jamie Ford Maya Ford-Belgrave Eddie Forester Leslie Forestier Jasmine Fortenberry Melvin Francis Jeffrey Frenzel Kimberly Fudge Grant Fuhrman Pamela Gadus Alvaro Galvan Maribel G. Gamino Alan Garcia Juan Garcia Teia Garner Elizabeth Garza Ricardo Garza Yulieth Garza Kathleen Gaughan Lilly Giddins Christopher Gillis Andrew Godambe Rachel Godambe Alexis Goldstone Martha Gomez Carlos Gonzalez Yxzel Gonzalez Tawana Greene Joel Guerrero, Sr. Hernando Gutierrez Anthony Haley Catherine Haralson Charte Harris Alyssa Hauck Tommy Hawkins Sundra Hayes Alexander Heard III Ryanne Henigar Paula Herrera Michelle Hickman Diane Higdon Brian Hill Elaine Hime Kevin Hodge Heather Hoffer Daryl Hoffman Christopher Holmes Lauren Howard Stephen Howard
Brianna Howland Cotney Hughes Scott Humphreys Priscilla Idunate Charlona Ingram Dianne Jackson Helen James Juliann Jaramillo Michael Johnson Michelle Johnson ShaTara Johnson Tamara Joho Pamela Jones Shaterrah Jones Sharon Joseph Samantha Jo Junker Timothy D. Junker Ellen Jurek Joseph Kalla Amanda Kamradt Sonny Kazen Catherine Keith Alicia Kemery Monique Kennedy Michelle Kerner Lynn Killam Benjamin King Larry King Christa Kirsch-Paulson Kimberly Klein Sara Komenda Maureen Koneval William Konstant Mark Kotal Mary Catherine Kuntz Deborah Lackey Anna K. Land Ashley Larson Ashley Latham Amy Lavergne Kara Lavictoire Cory LeBoff Keith Lechner David Lee Hamid Lee Natasha Lee Cynthia Leeson Howard Leribeus Steven Lewis Kathryn Lippman Sheri Lytle Maribel Macias Maud Marin Donna Martin Hipolito Martinez Michael Martinez Kara Masharani Gresford Massop April Matthews Mays Stanley Cherie McChesney Taneka McClain Tiffany McGallian Mary McGettrick Laurie McGivern Lauren McLaughlin Michelle McNerney
Audrey Mendeola James Menefee Kendrick Mickens Ami Miller Joshua Minor Kerrie Minor Janie Miranda Samantha Montgomery Ginger Moon Joseph Moore, Jr. Beth Moorhead Modesto Morales Debra A. Morgan LeeEster Morgan Wendy Morrison Eleanor Morse Billy Murphy Stephanie Nageotte Megan Neal Thien Nguyen Yolonda North Ernest Nunn, IV Amelia Nusbaum Gerald Oliver Sylvia Olivo Joy Oria Paul Ortega Corri Osborne Michele Ozuna Rachel Pantermuehl Matthew Parise Louise Partello Brandon Patterson Cortney Patterson Marjorie Pepin Glenda Perez Rosa Perez Jenee Pierre Phyllis Pietrucha-Mays Jack Pine Jody Pizano Andrea Pohlman Dwon B. Polk Brett Posey Melanie Powell Angie Pyle David Quiroz, Jr. Michelle Rabon Jessica Rainwater Sean Ramsdell Michael Reina Sharon Reyes Peter Riger Sara Riger Alex Rigsby Kamryn Rinkenberger Amanda Rinker Jessica Ritter Marie Rodriguez Rachel Rommel Elliott Rosenthal Napoleon Rossi II Denisse Ruiz Kelly Russo Rene Ryan Christopher Sandoval John Santillan
Edward Santos Ronald Santos Maria Santoyo Beth Schaefer Emily Schmidtke Matthew Schmit Schultz Rebecca Sears Allen Gayla Shaffer Ricci Shannon Diane Shea Susan Shepard Callian Sheppard Kimberly Shotola Kimberly Siegl Grederick Simpson Victoria Sokol Enrique Solis Nicolette Spears Edith Spillman Karen Sprague Martina Stevens Jennifer Stevenson Kashia Stragey Dena Strange Michael Street David Suttinger Donrel Taylor, Jr. Terry Richard, Jr. Paul Thomas, Jr. Jermaine Thomas Lestene Tipps Maryanne Tocidlowski Tara Tucker Sarah Jane Turner Kirsten Ufer Viviana Valdez Alissa Van Der Kamp Jessica Van Wert Abigail Varela Reyie Brian Delgado Vazquez Debra Verastegui Christopher Villarreal Brooke Vincent Adriane Vives Christopher Wallace Michael Wallrath Geralyn Warfield Pamela Warfield Christine Warren Krista Webber Tricia Webster Amy Wentzel Kristin Wettermann Jeremy Whitted Leigh Whitted Rhett Wilkins Joseph Williams Stephanie Wilson James Winecki Marc Winn Jennifer Winograd Michelle Witek Kimberly Woodford Joshua A. Young Carolyn Zewe Paul Zuma, Jr.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
Our earnings are put back into ongoing improvements to ensure an exceptional Zoo. The following financial information for the operating results of the Zoo has been summarized from our audited financial statements for Fiscal Year 2009 which are available upon request. These results do not include the funds raised for the capital campaign as those are restricted funds. The Zoo is an independent 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization with a Board of Directors comprised of community and business leaders who hold the Zoo to a very high standard of
REVENUE
City of Houston Management Fee
AMOUNT
7,833,535
Memberships
2,766,835
Contributions
1,968,129
Concessions
2,243,145
Other
2,627,510
EXPENDITURES
Animal and Exhibit Operations
10% Other
$ 8,151,396
Admission Fees
Total Revenue
management. We have been recognized for the last three years in a row by Charity Navigator with their highest rating based upon their assessment of the financial health of the organization. Only 11% of charities receive this rating three years in a row. The Zoo’s highest priorities are to provide an exemplary level of animal care, excellent guest experience and outstanding conservation and education programs. The following presents our operating statement for fiscal year 2009.
8% Contributions 11% Memberships
$ 25,590,550
31% Admission Fees
AMOUNT
10% Other
$ 12,391,622
Admissions, Marketing and Membership
3,948,413
Education and Conservation Programs
2,421,473
Fundraising
1,127,676
Depreciation
1,851,700
Other
2,338,269
Total Expenditures
$ 24,079,153
Change in Net Assets
$ 1,511,397
31% City of Houston Management Fee
9% Concessions
8% Depreciation 5% Fundraising 10% Education and Conservation Programs 16% Admissions, Marketing and Membership
51% Animal and Exhibit Operations
We are grateful to our generous donors for their support. All donors listed made contributions totaling $1,000 or more between July 1, 2008 and June 30, 2009.
ANNUAL SUPPORT $ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 to $ 9 9 9 , 9 9 9
Anonymous Donor* The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation Target Zoo Friends of Houston, Inc. $ 5 0 , 0 0 0 to $ 9 9 , 9 9 9
Bud Light/Silver Eagle Distributors* ConocoPhillips Continental Airlines – Official Airline of the Houston Zoo* Linnet F. Deily ExxonMobil Houston Endowment Inc. Macquarie Group Foundation* Kathrine G. McGovern/ John P. McGovern Foundation* Waste Management* $ 1 0 , 0 0 0 to $ 4 9 , 9 9 9
Mr. and Mrs. Stanford Alexander and the Stanford and Joan Alexander Foundation Bank of America Charles T. Bauer Foundation BMC Software Bridgeway Foundation The Brown Foundation, Inc. CenterPoint Energy CFP Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Stephen I. Chazen Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital Cooper Industries plc Dr. and Mrs. S. Michael Dean Devon Energy Corporation* Ms. Cynthia Everage FedEx Fiesta Mart, Inc.** Ms. Kerry A. Galvin Green Mountain Energy Company George and Mary Josephine Hamman Foundation Ms. Pamela D. Holder Houston Business Journal Bowne of Houston/ Karen and Robert Michlewicz* Houston Press** Invesco Aim JPMorgan Chase Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence A. Lieder The Lowenstein Family* Kelley and Stephen Lubanko* Mach Family Fund* Margot Marsh Biodiversity Foundation M.D. Matthews Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Pete Medford*
Memorial Hermann Momentum Audi and Volkswagen Mrs. Marion E. Mundy Mr. and Mrs. John L. Nau III Toni and Noel Noble Oceaneering International, Inc. Mr. Charles A. Perlitz Mrs. Janet M. Pfeiffer and Pfeiffer Family Foundation The Powell Foundation RRI Energy, Inc. Allison Sarofim and the Louisa Stude Sarofim Charitable Trust Shell Oil Company Sodexo** Aliyya and Herman L. Stude The Tapeats Fund Texas Monthly** Union Pacific Foundation Vale-Asche Foundation The Wachovia Foundation Walmart Stores, Inc. The West Endowment $ 5 , 0 0 0 to $ 9 , 9 9 9
2020 Exhibits Mr. and Mrs. D. K. Anderson Roni and Doug Atnipp/ Greenberg Traurig, LLP* Mr. and Mrs. Philip Bahr Baker Hughes Foundation Adelaide Elizabeth Biggs* Bill Young Productions, Inc. Bloomberg Boardwalk Pipeline Partners Mary and Frank Bradley/ Greenberg Traurig, LLP* Cathy Campbell-Brock Busch Entertainment Corp. Lynne T. Campbell Bonham CGGVeritas Mrs. Linwood D. Newman and the Denman/Newman Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Dokell Egbert Family Foundation* El Paso Corporation Mr. and Mrs. Doug Erwin Ray C. Fish Foundation* Ms. Marion Friedman Mr. and Mrs. Grant L. Gawronski Merrill and Joe Hafner Hildebrand Fund* IBM International Foundation** Jamba Juice Ann and Stephen Kaufman KBR, Inc. Kroger Food Stores Mr. and Mrs. Paul B. Loyd Magnolia Charitable Trust
Shannon and Gary Margolis Dr. Hugh A. McAllister, Jr. Mr. Alfred C. Mitchell Mr. and Mrs. David A. Mundy and The Mundy Family Foundation The Newfield Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan E. Parker, Jr. Pi Studios* Mrs. Sybil F. Roos Safeway Inc. Vic and Barbara Samuels and The Samuels Foundation SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund Aimee and Wynne Snoots* Terry Pro** Travelers Randa and Charlie Williams* $ 2 , 5 0 0 to $ 4 , 9 9 9
Andrews Kurth LLP* Peggy and Bill Barnett Andrew and Freda Bass Mr. and Mrs. Beau Bisso Britten Fund Dr. Suzanne Bruce and Mr. John Malcolm Waddell C & D Scrap Metal Recyclers Inc. Deborah and Gardner Cannon Chevron Humankind Employee Funds Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Colburn Comfort Systems USA, Inc. Jonathan and Barbara Day Defenders of Wildlife Mr. and Mrs. Michael Dishberger The Anne & C.W. Duncan, Jr. Foundation Charles and Anne Duncan The Jenny and Jim Elkins Family Fund Leslie and Shannon Sasser* Karl Eubanks Family and the Stewart Family* Mr. and Mrs. Douglas L. Foshee The Geib Family* Mr. Alfred C. Glassell III Glazier Foods** Global Impact Barbara Segal Goldfield* Tony and Mary Gracely Dr. Ellen R. Gritz and Mr. Milton D. Rosenau, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Scott G. Groben Grocers Supply/The Levit Family Dr. and Mrs. Stuart S. Grossman Eileen Cheng and Brendan Hassett The Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation Houston Texans The Hughey Family*
* Includes a contribution to Zoo Friends of Houston, Inc. ** Represents a gift-in-kind contribution
InterContinental Houston** Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP/ The Kayser Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Leitner Freeman Leitner The Lubrizol Foundation Mr. Neal S. Manne and Ms. Nancy D. McGregor Mr. and Mrs. Mike A. McGinnis Tevia and Chris McLaren* Mr. Timothy D. Mercer Mr. and Mrs. DeWitt T. Methvin III Ms. Susan K. Mitchem Betty and Stephen Newton Robert and Suzanne Nimocks Mrs. Barbara Nussa Mr. and Mrs. Bradley W. O’Halla Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Onstead The Oshman Foundation Patterson & Sheridan, LLP* Mr. and Mrs. Willem Plegt** Mr. and Mrs. Paul F. Rizza Ms. Wilhelmina Robertson Mr. and Mrs. Chris Roth Terry and Mona Rouk Service Systems Associates Mr. Herbert D. Simons Liz and Andy Stepanian Sterling Bank Mr. and Mrs. Shawn A. Taylor Theme Designs** The Holt Family* Mr. and Mrs. Kane C. Weiner* Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Whiteman Mr. and Mrs. Fred Williamette Work as Play** YMCA of Greater Houston Austin and Susan Young $ 1 , 0 0 0 to $ 2 , 4 9 9
Ms. Linda Al-Alawi* American Alloy Steel Mr. Calvin Embry and Ms. France Archambault Laura and John Arnold Lynne S. and John Averett Mr. and Mrs. Edward Bajorek* Dr. Carol J. Baker The Honorable and Mrs. James A. Baker III* Carol and Larry Barbour* Rick Barongi and Diane Ledder Ms. Anna C. Beck* Best Entertainers Suzette and Darrell Betts* Big Thicket Association Ms. Susan Bischoff and Mr. Jim B. Barlow Mr. and Mrs. Eddy S. Blanton Mr. and Mrs. Jack S. Blanton, Sr. Matthew, Marilyn and Aaron Bloch Dr. and Mrs. Michael A. Bloome Mr. Ryan M. Boehner Linda and Andrew Bosarge* Ms. Anneliese Bosseler Mr. Harry L. Bowles
Mr. and Mrs. Michael E. Bowman Mr. Chris Broussard Sara Lou Brown Dr. Stephanie C. Brown and Mr. William Brown* Dr. and Mrs. Louis J. Bujnoch Mr. C. Robert Bunch Mr. and Mrs. John D. Burns Sarah G. Burtram, Ph.D. Mr. and Mrs. Richard H. Caldwell Cammarata Pediatric Dentistry* Win and Lynn Campbell Ms. Diane Cervenka* Ms. Claire Chamberlain Mr. and Mrs. John D. Chaney Dr. and Mrs. Marvin H. Chasen Debbie and Kent Chenevert* Jan and Mel Cody* Mr. Daniel Mittleman and Ms. Vicki Colvin Mr. and Mrs. Anthony J. Compofelice Ms. Toni P. Cooper Mr. and Mrs. James W. Crownover Ms. Sallie Cruger Ms. Sharon Curran-Wescott and Mr. Earle F. Wescott Custom Auto II** Mr. and Mrs. Thomas B. Daly Mr. Joshua Davidson Ms. Sue A. Davis Mr. and Mrs. Darrell Delahoussaye Mr. John G. Dickerson and Ms. Karolina Adam Mr. and Mrs. W. Leslie Doggett El Paso Corporation Endangered Species Chocolate** Estate of William P. Aycock** Falcon Gas Storage Co., Inc.* Ms. Leslie D. Forestier Michelle and Jeff Foutch* Trish Freeman and Bruce Patterson* Friends of The Zoo Ms. Jane G. Frost Ms. Kathleen A. Gallagher and Mr. Michael G. Rudelson Ms. Melissa Giles and Mr. Erik Hawes Mr. and Mrs. Mark K. Glasser Marty and Kathy Goossen Mr. and Mrs. Fred Gorman and Gormans Uniform Rental Inc. Mr. and Mrs. R. R. Grace, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Will Graham Mr. and Mrs. Sean Golden Ms. Helen Hager and Dr. Byron J. Bohnn Mr. Paul Harmon Haynes and Boone, LLP Black and Hilyard Families* Ms. Karen D. Hinson Ms. Paula W. Hinton Mr. and Mrs. Michael Holland HSBC – North America Huffington Foundation Mary Kay and Thomas Hunt* Ms. Jill Hutchison and Dr. Chris Buehler
Isaac I. Foundation, Inc.* Dr. William W. Ishee, Jr. Ms. Jenna Jackson and Mr. Chip Lewis Mr. and Mrs. Eric A. Jansen Charles Jones and Cheryl Ballard-Jones* Sharon Joseph Mr. Bing Kao Mr. and Mrs. Donald R. Kendall, Jr. Lora Jean (Jeanie) Kilroy Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Knudson Ms. Julie A. Koch and Mr. Richard R. Humphreys Mr. and Mrs. Richard Lane Mr. and Mrs. Truett Latimer Mr. and Mrs. Robert Levine Patricia N. Lewis and Richard A. Lewis, M.D. Mr. Keith Lilley Sara H. and John H. Lindsey Foundation Mr. and Mrs. James R. Lykes and Jean Lykes Grace Foundation Dr. and Mrs. Charles Manner* Mr. and Mrs. George Martinez Mickey and Mike Marvins Ms. Deborah L. McCoy Mr. and Mrs. R. M. McDannald, Jr. Ms. Mary Lou McElligott Mr. and Mrs. A.W. Downing Mears Mrs. Marjorie J. Milby Mr. and Mrs. Steven L. Miller and Steven and Sheila Miller Foundation Mr. Arthur J. Moore Mr. and Mrs. R. Robert Mullins, Jr. Nets Unlimited Inc.** Mr. and Mrs. Tim J. Nielsen* Dr. and Mrs. Edward Novotny, Jr. Becky and Ralph O’Connor* Mr. and Mrs. Jerry J. Oliver Jim and Anita O’Shaughnessy* Mr. and Mrs. O. Keith Owen III Biba and Jon Parker Foundation The Honorable Annise D. Parker Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan E. Parker, Sr. Michael and Mary Alice Parmet W. Daniel Parsons Ms. Dee Ann Pederson Mr. and Mrs. Robert Penshorn Pepsi Bottling Group** Dr. Lavinia P. Middleton and Dr. George Perkins Tess K. Peterson Richard and Ethna Piazza Mr. and Mrs. Paul Pilkington Mr. and Mrs. James J. Postl William and Dr. Stephanie Coulter Brown* Mr. and Mrs. David A. Pursell Nancy and David Pustka* Robert and Melissa Rabalais* Mr. and Mrs. Roger A. Ramsey Margaret and Todd Reppert* Mr. and Mrs. James O. Roeder Ms. Gwen Sargent Mr. and Mrs. Eric Schaeffer* Mrs. Donna Schaffner
* Includes a contribution to Zoo Friends of Houston, Inc. ** Represents a gift-in-kind contribution
G E N E R O U S D O N O R S (continued) $ 1 , 0 0 0 T O $ 2 , 4 9 9 (cont.)
Securitas Security Systems USA, Inc. Cathryn and Doug Selman Ms. Jackie Sharbrough* Barbara and Louis Sklar Mr. and Dr. Paul E. Smith Mr. and Mrs. William F. Smith Dr. Patricia Solar and Mr. J. Michael Solar and Solar & Padilla, LLP Dr. Jeanne H. Spedale and Mr. Gerald Spedale Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Stagg Mr. and Mrs. Karl Stern Ms. Martine C. Stolk Mr. and Mrs. Christopher J. Swedlund* TAM International, Inc. Team Networkz** Mr. and Mrs. James B. Tennant* Mr. and Mrs. James M. Tidwell Top Trumps** Ms. Kathy Welch and Mr. John T. Unger Mr. and Mrs. Timothy J. Unger VCI Group** Mr. and Mrs. Charles Vetters Ms. Helen R. Viereck Mr. and Mrs. John Vogel Whole Foods Market** Mr. and Mrs. Stephen M. Williams Mr. David Wolf Katherine and Mark Yzaguirre Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Zinn and Zinn Petroleum Company ENDOWMENTS
The Jane Block Children’s Zoo Maintenance Endowment Ryan Cartwright Endowment M atchin g Gift C ompanies
Chevron Cooper Industries plc ExxonMobil Regions Financial Corporation T ributes
In Memory of Caitlyn Bibeau Vernon Henry In Honor of Amy Alexander M aster P lan – C apital $5,000,000 +
The Brown Foundation, Inc. Houston Endowment Inc. The Wortham Foundation, Inc.
$ 1 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 to $ 4 , 9 9 9 , 9 9 9
$ 5 0 , 0 0 0 to $ 9 9 , 9 9 9
Two Anonymous Donors Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation The Cullen Foundation The Fondren Foundation Kathrine G. McGovern/ John P. McGovern Foundation The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation The Robert R. and Kay M. Onstead Foundation
Laura and John Arnold Foundation Andrew and Freda Bass Deborah and Gardner Cannon Merrill and Joe Hafner Jeffrey C. Hines/Hines Interests L.P. The Lowenstein Family Mr. and Mrs. George P. Mitchell Cathryn and Doug Selman Mr. Herbert D. Simons Barbara and Louis Sklar United States Department of Education Bonnie and David Weekley Fund
$ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 to $ 9 9 9 , 9 9 9
Anonymous Donor AIM Foundation Lynne S. and John Averett Rick Barongi and Diane Ledder Charles T. Bauer Foundation BMC Software The Carruth Foundation CFP Foundation The James and Molly Crownover Family Foundation Sylvie and Gary Crum Estate of Billie Lee Danz Jonathan and Barbara Day Linnet F. Deily Devon Energy Corporation The Duncan Family The Lillian H. & C.W. Duncan Foundation Charles and Anne Duncan Elkins Foundation The William Stamps Farish Fund The Favrot Fund H-E-B Albert and Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation The Hildebrand Fund Donald and Diane Kendall, Jr. Family Foundation/Mr. and Mrs. Donald R. Kendall, Jr. William S. and Lora Jean Kilroy Foundation Kinder Foundation Judy O. and Kenneth C. Margolis M.D. Anderson Foundation M.D. Matthews Foundation The Meadows Foundation The Nau Family and Silver Eagle Distributors Vic and Barbara Samuels Scurlock Foundation Service Systems Associates, Inc. Shell Oil Company Vivian L. Smith Foundation Sodexo Sterling-Turner Foundation Strake Foundation The Tapeats Fund Texas Parks & Wildlife U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
$ 1 , 0 0 0 to $ 4 9 , 9 9 9
Two Anonymous Donors Peggy and Bill Barnett Britten Fund Cathy Campbell-Brock Sara Lou Brown Win and Lynn Campbell E. Philip Cannon The Chaney Foundation Anthony R. Chase and Dina Alsowayel John, Sally and Kate Cox Mr. and Mrs. Adam Day Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Dokell Johanna A. Favrot Fund Fort Bend Mechanical Barbara Segal Goldfield Meg Goodman and Mike Bonini Kathy and Marty Goossen The Hamill Foundation Bob and Vicki Harvey The Holthouse Foundation for Kids The Lee and Joseph D. Jamail Foundation Michael and Susan Jhin Ann and Stephen Kaufman Michael and Carol Linn Mr. and Mrs. Charles Miller M. Anne Murphy Betty and Stephen Newton Robert and Suzanne Nimocks Toni and Noel Noble Edward and Helen Oppenheimer Foundation Tess K. Peterson Courtney and Christopher Sarofim Dorene and Kevin Schroder J. Michael and Patricia Solar Family Fund S. Shawn Stephens and James M. Jordan Ambassador Chase and Diana Untermeyer Kay and Max Watson M. Carolina Weitzman George, Shanti, Shangrila and Shivanti Willy E.W. Bill Wright III Austin and Susan Young Zoo Friends of Houston, Inc.
* Includes a contribution to Zoo Friends of Houston, Inc. ** Represents a gift-in-kind contribution
P h o t o d e s c r ip t i o n s All photos listed left to right and top to bottom. Page 1 (1) Diamondback terrapin (2) B aby Coquerel’s sifaka, Kelyfamata (3) Cheetah (4) Baby bongo (5) American black bear (6) Masai giraffe, Miles Page 2 (1) Bob Graham, Deborah Cannon, Rick Barongi Page 4 (1,2,3) Red panda, Toby Page 5 (1) Asian elephants, Tess and Tucker Page 6 (1) Maned wolf Interpretive Sign (2) Zebra Interactive Sign (3) Malayan tiger Identification Sign Page 7 (1) Chilean flamingo Interactive Sign Page 8 (1) Koi (2) Newly renovated Reflection Pool Page 9 (1) Newly renovated Reflection Pool walkway (2) New wire mesh at carnivore exhibit Page 10 (1) Horticulture Manager, Joe Williams, cuts up fallen branches after Hurricane Ike (2) Hurricane Ike left the Reflection Pool flooded up to it’s benches (3) Zoo staff help pick up debris left from Hurricane Ike Page 11 (1,2) Debris left from Hurricane Ike (3) Tucker, the elephant calf, helps with cleanup after Hurricane Ike Page 12 (1) Artist rendering of the new African Forest Chimp exhibit Page 13 (1) Artist rendering of the new African Forest Chimp exhibit (2) Site Plans for the new African Forest exhibits Page 14 (1,3) Houston toad (2,4) American black bear
Page 15 (1) Cheetah (2) Rebecca Klein, Managing Director of CCB, and cheetah (3) CCB releasing a cheetah Page 16 (1) Baby bongo, Penelope, with Grandmother, Laura (2) Baby bongo, Dylan Page 17 (1) Baby Masai giraffe, Miles and sister, Neema (2) Baby Masai giraffe, Miles (3) Baby giant anteater, Olive Page 18 (1) Paul Pilkington, Zoo volunteer (2) Pat Pilkington, Zoo volunteer Page 19 (1) California sea lion pup, Astro Page 20 (1) Asian elephant, Mac and trainer, Martina Stevens (2) Asian elephant, Mac playing with ball Page 21 (1) Baby Coquerel’s sifaka, Kelyfamata on the back of his mother, Zenobia (2) Baby pygmy marmoset, Rufus, on the back of his big brother, Pepe Page 22 (1) Baby Komodo dragon (2) Barton Springs salamander (3) Aruba Island rattlesnake Page 23 (1,3) Double-wattled cassowary, Darwin (2) Shoebill stork Page 24 (1,2) Children enjoying some touch animal experiences in the Children’s Zoo Page 25 (1,2) Children participate in a Zooper Challenge sponsored by Target Page 26 (1,2,3) Children attending Camp Zoofari enjoy visiting the animal exhibits and other activities such as tug-o-war Page 27 (1) A Zoo Crew volunteer helps out the horticulture department (2,3) Zoo Crew volunteers give presentations on grounds to Zoo guests using animal biofacts
HZI Annual Report C o mmi t t e e
Deborah Cannon, President and CEO Rick Barongi, Zoo Director David Brady, Vice President, Marketing Melanie Campbell-Tello, Creative Director Stephanie Adams, Staff Photographer Michael Reina, Communications Manager Amber Ambrose, Writer Bill Konstant, Writer Sheri Lytle, Writer H Z I P HOTOGRA P HY C ONTR I BUTORS
Stephanie Adams Elephant Staff William Farr Tim Junker Dale Martin Beth Moorhead Peter Riger Rachel Rommel Ingrid Velasco A d d i t i o n a l P HOTOGRA P HY C ONTR I BUTORS
Willie Blackstock Cheetah Conservation Botswana Danté Fenolio d ES I GN
Wyn Bomar Design To numerous other HZI staff members who participated in various aspects of this report, we greatly appreciate all of your efforts.
Houston Zoo, Inc. 1513 Cambridge St. Houston, Texas 77030 www.houstonzoo.org
The Houston Zoo is one of nearly 220 zoos and aquariums in North America to be accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). AZA accreditation stands for excellence in care for zoo visitors, zoo animals and the Earth’s remaining wilderness. Our Zoo continues to be active in AZA’s conservation efforts, participating in 48 Species Survival Plans, 123 Population Management Plans and keeping 19 studbooks for animals in accredited zoos throughout the country and the world.
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