2011 Annual Report
Page 1
2011 City Commissioners John Doll, Mayor
Lee Richardson Zoo Advisory Board
Roy Cessna David Crase
Judy Chanay
Dan Fankhauser
Evelyn Bowman
Chris Law
Della Brandenburger Elaine Lo
City Manager
Cathy McKinley
Ma" Allen
Tammy Reith Debbie Reynolds
Mission
Kathy Sexson Zoo Director
EMPLOYEES Bob Arellano
Jordan Piha
Dennis Asper
Stacy Plocher
Misty Ayers
Chris+ne Se/on
Greg Bordewick
Kathy Sexson
Candace Brawner
Jeremy Smith
Whitney Buchman
Tim Singiser
Lou Elchuck
Jennifer Stahl
Stephanie Fontenot
Jakob Stegman
Tony Gagliano
Shannon Tegge
Kyla Go gatreu
Hiram Thoman
Angela Herman
Ka1 Thoman
Tony Herman
Tarra Tyson
Pablo Holguin
Donna Wohler
Kris+ Newland
Donna Price
Sara Niemczyk
Judy Richardson
Dave Ozburn
Page 2
To ins ll apprecia on and encourage stewardship of the Earth’s natural treasures through the exhibi on, conserva on and interpreta on of wildlife.
LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR Dear Zoo Friend: Please enjoy our 2011 Annual Report to discover what great things took place at the zoo this year. We completed another successful accredita%on cycle, wrapped up fundraising for Cat Canyon, and reached over 35,000 people with our inspira%onal educa%on programs, to name a few. The accredita%on process is a year-long effort that began in late 2010 with the prepara%on of an applica%on for the Associa%on of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). A three day onsite inspec%on in early summer was followed by a formal hearing before the Accredita%on Commission at the annual AZA conference in Atlanta. The Inspec%on Team and Commission were impressed with our opera%ons and granted us accredita%on for five years. This designa%on a3ests to our professionalism, and places LRZ in an elite group of the top 10% of USDA licensed facili%es na%onwide. Accredited status is required for AZA membership, and offers many benefits for our zoo. The fundraising campaign for Cat Canyon reached its goal in early November, allowing us to move forward on the bidding and construc%on phases of this long an%cipated exhibit. Special thanks to FOLRZ Execu%ve Director Mary Palmer and the FOLRZ Board for their vision and effort. The dedicated work of our Educa%on staff, with their passion for sharing the importance and appeal of the natural world with students of all ages, resulted in a new record in 2011. Our programs reached 35,258 people, helping them to gain a be3er apprecia%on for, understanding of, and sense of stewardship for wild animals and the habitats they need to survive. Our animal collec%on saw the arrival of a young male giraffe, Juani, and the SSP birth of a Pygmy Slow Loris. Other significant addi%ons included the birth of six Red kangaroos and five Superb starlings, and the arrival of an Amur leopard, Red panda, and Goeldi’s monkey. The la3er two animals will play a vital role in future breeding efforts for this rare species. Special events included FOLRZ fundraisers A Wild Affair and BOO! At The Zoo, as well as a new event, Blues at the Zoo, featuring the interna%onally known band The Nighthawks. Our many accomplishments and offerings would not have been possible without the special talents and %reless work of our staff. I hope the following pages highligh%ng the year’s achievements by each zoo division will inspire you and reaffirm your apprecia%on and support for this long standing Garden City ins%tu%on. Cordially, Kathy Sexson, Director Page 3
Attendance
Total attendance for 2011: 183,130
Attendance 1997-2011 300,000 250,000 200,000 150,000 100,000 50,000 0
The Lee Richardson Zoo con$nues to rank as one of the top three public family a"rac$ons in Kansas. In addi$on to serving the region and community as a recrea$onal and educa$onal a"rac$on, the zoo enhances the community economically, drawing tourists from across the na$on and beyond. In 2011 we enjoyed 183,130 visitors from at least 39 US states, Canada and Mexico. Educa$on programs drew students from all of western Kansas and adjacent states. Our 2011 a"endance was up slightly from 2010, despite the effects of an ongoing recession on na$onal travel habits. Despite a reduc$on in on-site student visits resul$ng from field trip restric$ons, and an increase in vehicle admission cost, annual a"endance stayed fairly level. A;er being in effect for 16 years, our vehicle admission fee increased from $3 for a single car admission to $10 for an all-day pass, which allows unlimited re-entry for a vehicle on the day of purchase. This increase resulted in fewer vehicle admissions, but generated higher gate receipts, increased pedestrian traffic, and spurred membership sales. Since actual vehicle occupancy counts were previously used to calculate total visita$on, this significant change in visitor use pa"erns spurred staff to inves$gate methods for obtaining more accurate visitor counts. Trail counters were installed at the two main pedestrian entrances during the la"er part of the year. Although generally pleased with the data provided by the counters, they are unable to dis$nguish vehicles from people passing through the exit gate, but are s$ll helpful in firming up our numbers. Permanent counters will be purchased in 2012, including a vehicle counter and two “people” counters, helping to improve the accuracy of our a"endance counts. Page 4
To instill appreciation and encourage stewardship of the Earth's natural treasures through the exhibition, conservation and interpretation of wildlife.
Animals in Collection Mammals Birds Reptiles Amphibians Invertebrates Total Conservation Contributions Membership Households Education Formal Onsite Distance Learning Formal Offsite Informal Programs Loans Total Attendance Total Attendance Free Admissions
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Species/ Specimens 39/109 49/112 15/21 5/9 3/25 111/276
Species/ Specimens 49/115 51/109 15/20 4/8 3/33 122/285
Species/ Specimens 47/112 49/106 14/21 5/10 4/16 119/265
Species/ Specimens 42/95 48/112 14/20 5/8 5/30 114/265
Species/ Specimens 45/93 47/100 15/20 6/12 4/21 117/246
$2,017.00
$2,223.00
$2,855.00
$2,800.00
$3,313.00
1283
1325
1212
1290
787
Participants/ Programs 6,674/372 9,207/249 5,026/169 5,247/112 1,715/14 27,869/916
Participants/ Programs 7,606/364 6,779/221 7,279/218 7,622/74 610/19 29,896/896
Participants/ Programs 7,166/410 11,997/372 4,177/132 11,001/246 791/44 35,132/1,204
Participants/ Programs 5,862/274 6,892/187 7,564/235 10,919/29 525/24 31,762/749
Participants/ Programs 5,556/341 8,089/197 8,998/323 10,298/67 2319/102 35,258/1,030
190,530 151,310
181,559 154,508
198,731 168,438
182,137 149,906
183,130 163,314
Strategic Plan Completed
Giant Anteater
SA Pampas bldg & maned wolf exhibit
"My Visit to a Zoo" video released
Cell Phone Tour Initiated
Wetland at Duckpond
Lion fence enhancements
Remodeled Asia Kitchen
Notable New Bridge at Duckpond Improvements Zoo's 80th Birthday
Sloth Construction Siamang barn Automatic gate Bears/Red begun at FCCE, Finnup Center installed at Ruffed Lemurs SAP, siamang addition shop Rubber Floor in Elephant Barn
Pygmy slow loris
Sail shades installed
Accreditation granted Secondary generator completed at elephants, giraffes, aviary
Page 5
Educa on Sta s cs
STUDENTS PROGRAMS
5,556
Onsite Formal Programs
8,089
Distance Learning Programs
8,996
Offsite Formal Programs
9,079
Onsite Informal Programs
1,219
Offsite Informal Programs
2,319
Discovery Box Checkouts
Total
35,258
Number of Education Programs 1992-2011 1,200 1,081 1,015
1,000
955 916 896
928
821 797 800
800
749 709 622639
600 438445 391 382 357 400 330 294
200
0 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010
Page 6
2011 EDUCATION DIVISION YEAR IN REVIEW Staff The Educa$on Division began the year with a significant reorganiza$on of du$es. The Curator posi$on was eliminated and three manager posi$ons were created to oversee the various du$es and programming offered by this division. Whitney Buchman transferred in from the Animal Division in January to become Manager of Distance Learning and Graphics. Tarra Tyson, Manager of Educa$onal Outreach and Camps, and Misty Ayers, Manager of Onsite Programs and Event round out the staff.
Programs, Projects and Events The division served a record high number of people in 2011. With the help of trained Docents, staff reached 35,258 people through 928 programs and 102 material loans. Four summer camp sessions were supplemented with a fi;h session due to overwhelming demand. Many schools restricted field trips so onsite programs had fewer a"endees than in 2010, while zoomobiles were in much greater demand. The trend toward recurring monthly zoomobiles con$nued, and programs were developed to specifically align with USD 457 elementary science curricula. Early Childhood and Early Learning Four year olds (ELF) programs con$nued to increase. Staff presented educa$onal programming at several local educa$on events, including GEMS (Girls/ Guys in Engineering Math and Science - 7th grade), the Sandsage Bison Range’s “Think Outside the Room Day”, and Girl Scouts annual recruitment event. The division hosted our annual Party for the Planet/ celebra$on for Earth Day a"rac$ng 1200 students, and hosted a Red Panda Day celebra$on and a traveling/ Junior Duck Stamp Display. LRZ also hosted the Kansas Zoo Educators mee$ng in November. Other notable events included: The website was redesigned by staff with some professional assistance. An cipated launch date is early 2012 Increased out of town zoomobile fees A ball python and oriental fire-bellied toads were added to the animal ambassador collec on Summer docent training session added 3 new volunteers. Conducted annual docent evalua ons MSDS sheets updated for all chemicals throughout zoo Docents and staff filmed the elephants for AZA’s IMLS Welfare study. Exercise Like an Animal project begun as a joint venture with WKCF and Healthy Kids Challenge. Staff coordinated videography and curricula development. Project launch is an cipated in 2012. Received $1000 grant from SAM’s Club for Cell Phone Safari Tour, which saw an increase from 1,695 calls in 2010 to 2,184 calls in 2011. Volunteers did Discovery Carts and presented animal ambassadors at Tumbleweed Fes val, A Wild Affair and BOO! Teacher open house held prior to start of school year.
Page 7
ANIMAL DIVISION THROUGHOUT THE YEAR OUR EFFORTS REVOLVE AROUND OUR MISSION OF CONSERVATION, RESEARCH, AND EDUCATION.
Conserva on All of our animals serve as ambassadors for their wild counterparts. Our staff excels in providing care that keeps each individual animal both mentally and physically healthy, and in encouraging reproduc$on of select species and individuals when appropriate. Our addax breeding group saw the departure of a youngster and the arrival of a new breeding male, enabling us to con$nue breeding this cri$cally endangered species. Our pygmy slow loris family has been very prolific, and our first-born was transferred to another zoo. We brought in a young male Re$culated giraffe as a companion for our elderly male when gene$cally suitable adult females were unavailable. This young male, Juani, will be the future of the zoo’s giraffe herd. The successful hatching of two clutches of superb starling chicks was another first for LRZ. Liwanu, a rather reclusive male river o"er joined our female Ariel, and while it took some $me for the new couple to adjust to one another, with encouragement from staff, the pair is now inseparable. We hope this romance results in o"er pups in the near future. A young female red panda arrived as the first half of our new breeding pair. At 20, our current male is the oldest red panda in AZA but past breeding age. With the arrival of a female, our Goeldi’s monkey troop now has an SSP breeding recommenda$on and keepers are working to encourage reproduc$on. We received an Amur leopard from another facility to help them make space for a breeding pair. Viktor and Anya are half-siblings, so while they will never mate, these magnificent cats inspire and educate visitors daily about this incredibly rare species, of which fewer than fi;y are thought to survive in the wild. Keepers monitored and fine-tuned environmental condi$ons for two of our crane species, and were successful in encouraging the proper $ming of egg laying. We hope next year the eggs will be fer$le. Research The zoo supports a variety of research efforts conducted throughout fellow AZA ins$tu$ons, including studies on elephants, Black-footed ferrets, and many other species. Our par$cipa$on in such studies may involve sending husbandry informa$on, diet informa$on or biomaterials (biological samples like blood, urine, feces, or saliva) to researchers working on nutri$onal, reproduc$ve, health and disease issues and more, with the end goal of advancing our collec$ve knowledge of the species in our care. We also began a two year project, Using Science to Understand Zoo Elephant Welfare. Various biomaterial samples as well as video footage and GPS tracking are being gathered from zoos across the country to contribute to the assessment of cap$ve elephant welfare. Educa on Oriental fire-bellied toads and a ball python joined the outreach animal collec$on, and keepers assisted FOLRZ with special experiences for their “For Members Only” tours. Stephanie Fontenot a"ended a Registrar’s conference to receive training on ZIMS, a new web-based animal inventory program. Bird keeper Stacy Plocher received a scholarship to present a paper on flamingo foot care at the AZA mid-year conference. Other improvements this year included moving the siamangs into their new building, adding sail shades in the Gaur and camel yards, and installa$on of new or supplemental heat in the bear, panda, leopard and Pampas barns. An emergency generator went online to supply emergency power to elephant/rhino, giraffe and Marie Osterbuhr Aviary. One of four emergency drills this year involved a joint exercise with the Police Department and EMS. Drought condi$ons impacted our feed budget with increasing hay purchase and delivery costs, and the loss of much our onsite bamboo supply. Prepara$on for renova$on of the aviary flight cage necessitated the removal of all birds from this walk through exhibit. Planning began for the elephant yard expansion and the construc$on of a tortoise exhibit. Page 8
Collec on Chart 1.2.3=1 male, 2 female, 3 unknown Common Name
December 31, 2011
Beginning Status
Births
0.0.1
0.0.6
Acquisi ons
Deaths
Disposi ons
Ending Status
INVERTEBRATES, REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS Common emperor scorpion
0.0.7
Brown tarantula
0.1.0
0.1.0
Chilean rose tarantula
0.0.1
0.0.1
Brown recluse spider
0.0.1
0.0.1
Black widow spider
0.0.1
0.0.1
Madagascar hissing cockroach
0.0.18
Praying man s
0.0.14
0.0.14 0.1.0
0.0.18
0.1.0
Sonoran cen pede
0.0.1
Millipede
0.0.8
Barred ger salamander
0.0.2
0.0.2
Woodhouse’s toad
0.0.2
0.0.2
Oriental fire-bellied toad
0.0.1 0.0.8
0.0.3
0.0.3
White’s tree frog
0.0.1
0.0.1
Plains spadefoot toad
0.0.2
0.0.2
Northern leopard frog
0.0.2
0.0.2
Ornate box turtle
1.0.1
1.0.1
African spurred tortoise
1.1.0
1.1.0
Desert tortoise
1.1.0
1.1.0
Bearded dragon
0.1.0
0.1.0
New Caledonian crested gecko
0.0.1
0.0.1
Great plains skink
0.0.1
0.0.1
Boa constrictor
1.1.1
1.1.1
Rosy boa
0.0.1
0.0.1
Royal/ball python
0.0.1
0.0.1
Racer
0.0.1
Western hognose snake
0.1.1
California kingsnake
0.1.0
0.1.0
Milksnake
0.0.1
0.0.1
Bullsnake
0.0.1
0.0.1
Plains gartersnake
1.0.0
1.0.0
Page 9
0.0.1 0.1.0
0.0.1
Beginning Common Name
Births
Acquisi ons
Deaths
Disposi ons
Ending Status
Status BIRDS Greater rhea
1.1.0
Emu
1.3.0
Temminck’s tragopan
1.2.0
1.0.0
Japanese silkie chicken
1.2.3
0.1.1
Golden pheasant
0.0.1
0.0.1
Bar-headed goose
1.1.0
1.1.0
Trumpeter swan
1.1.0
1.1.0
Mandarin duck
1.1.0
North American ruddy duck
4.0.0
4.0.0
Chilean flamingo
8.1.0
8.1.0
Abdim’s stork
0.4.0
0.4.0
White stork
1.0.0
1.0.0
Li9le blue heron
2.2.0
2.2.0
Hamerkop
1.1.0
Turkey vulture
1.0.1
1.0.1
Red-tailed hawk
0.0.1
0.0.1
Northern bald eagle
0.1.0
0.1.0
Mississippi Kite
0.1.0
0.1.0
East African grey-crowned crane
1.0.0
1.0.0
Indian sarus crane
1.1.0
1.1.0
Hooded crane
1.1.0
1.1.0
Demoiselle crane
1.0.0
1.0.0
Stanley crane
0.1.0
0.1.0
Nicobar pigeon
1.2.0
1.2.0
Speckled pigeon
3.4.0
Bleeding-heart dove
0.2.0
0.2.0
Crested quail dove
1.0.0
1.0.0
Ringed turtle dove
0.1.1
0.1.1
Fischer’s lovebird
0.1.0
0.1.0
Guira cuckoo
0.4.0
0.4.0
Roadrunner
1.1.0
1.1.0
Guinea turaco
1.0.0
1.0.0
Lady Ross’ turaco
1.1.0
Page 10
1.0.0
0.1.0 1.3.0
0.1.0
0.0.3
0.0.3
0.1.0
0.0.1
0.0.1
0.1.0
0.1.0 1.1.2
1.0.0
1.1.0
3.3.0
1.1.0
Beginning Common Name
Births
Acquisi ons
Deaths
Disposi ons
Ending Status
Status Short-eared owl
1.0.0
1.0.0
Burrowing owl
1.1.0
Eastern screech owl
0.0.1
0.0.1
Laughing kookaburra
1.1.0
1.1.0
Bearded barbet
1.1.0
1.1.0
Blue-faced honeyeater
0.3.0
0.3.0
Red-billed blue magpie
0.2.0
0.2.0
Collared Finch-billed bulbul
2.0.0
Fairy bluebird
1.0.0
1.0.0
Emerald starling
1.0.0
1.0.0
Bali mynah
2.2.0
0.0.3
0.0.3
Superb starling
3.1.0
0.0.5
0.0.2
Taveta golden weaver
2.0.0
2.0.0
Yellow-billed cardinal
0.1.0
0.1.0
1.0.0
0.1.0
1.0.0
1.0.0
1.0.0
1.0.0
2.2.0 2.0.3
1.1.0
MAMMALS Red kangaroo
3.8.2
African elephant
0.2.0
0.2.0
Giant anteater
1.0.0
1.0.0
Red ruffed lemur
1.1.0
1.1.0
Pygmy slow loris
1.4.0
Goeldi’s monkey
2.0.0
Spider monkey
1.1.0
Lion-tailed macaque
1.1.0
Siamang
0.2.0
Ord’s kangaroo rat
0.1.0
Chinchilla
0.3.0
0.3.0
Patagonian cavy
1.0.0
1.0.0
Hedgehog
2.0.0
Bobcat
1.1.0
1.1.0
Puma
1.0.0
1.0.0
African lion
1.2.0
1.2.0
Jaguar
0.2.0
0.2.0
Amur leopard
1.0.0
Snow leopard
1.1.0
Maned wolf
2.0.0
SwiB fox
1.1.0
Sloth bear
2.0.0
Page 11
1.1.5
1.1.1
0.0.1
2.1.0
0.1.0 0.1.0
1.0.0
1.7.6
1.3.1 1.1.0 1.1.0
1.0.0
0.1.0 0.2.0
0.1.0
1.0.0
0.1.0
1.0.0
1.1.0 0.1.0
1.0.0 2.0.0
0.1.0
1.0.0 2.0.0
Common Name
Beginning Status
Births
Acquisi ons
Deaths
Disposi ons
Ending Status
North American river o9er
1.1.0
1.1.0
Black-footed ferret
1.0.0
1.0.0
Red panda
1.0.0
Baird’s tapir
1.0.0
1.0.0
Black rhinoceros
1.0.0
1.0.0
Bactrian camel
2.1.0
Alpaca
2.3.0
Elk
1.3.0
1.3.0
Chinese muntjac
4.1.0
4.1.0
Pere David’s deer
1.1.0
1.0.0
0.1.0
Pronghorn
1.5.0
0.2.0
1.3.0
Re culated giraffe
1.0.0
Prairie bison
1.1.0
1.1.0
Gaur
1.1.0
1.1.0
Domes c yak
0.1.0
0.1.0
Central Chinese goral
0.1.0
0.1.0
Karakul sheep
0.1.0
0.1.0
Addax
2.1.0
TOTAL
100.109.58
0.1.0
1.1.0
1.0.0 1.0.0
3.3.0
1.0.0
2.0.0
1.0.0 2.1.38
1.1.0
3.5.5
8.12.42
1.0.0
2.1.0
7.3.3
90.100.56
Notable Births Photo Gallery Bali Mynah
Alpaca
Superb Starling Page 12
Pygmy slow loris
Red Kangaroo
MAINTENANCE DIVISION Prepara on for the accredita on inspec on was a major focus for all sta this year, but especially for the Maintenance Division. Tasks included general repairs, sand blas ng, pain ng, cleaning, and organizing, as well as extensive detailing of grounds. Major tasks included the addi on of secondary conďŹ nement entries to the bear and leopard exhibits; ge.ng the secondary generator required for the elephant barn opera onal (it will also serve the girae barn and aviary during a power loss); an automa c gate at the maintenance shop entrance to increase safety and security; and running electrical service to the garage. A2er the inspec on, a rope fence was added delineate a safety zone around the lion yard service area, as well as metal poles for new shades in the camel and gaur yards. Other projects included installa on of benches and doors in siamang holding, the addi on of heat and AC in the bear and leopard barns, and heat in the panda and pampas buildings. Cagework replacement was completed on the south end of the lion dens. Fence was buried for dig barriers in the new Pampas barn holding pens and in the east yard. Prepara ons for Cat Canyon construc on included tree reloca on and removal, demoli on of the ramp at the fox exhibit, and reloca on of the Down Under fence line. Several buildings received new roofs a2er a hail storm, and moldy foam shee ng on the aviary ceiling was removed and replaced. A spiral slide was added at the playground, along with a new catch net under the spider web and replacement of springs on the spring riders. A new fogging system was installed in Wild Asia and two drinking fountains were added near the train restroom and amingo exhibit. Numerous memorial benches were assembled and set for FOLRZ, along with a Tornado Simulator. A signiďŹ cant dona on of furniture and equipment was received from two separate businesses, and the crew was instrumental in reloca ng many items that beneďŹ ;ed all zoo divisions and FOLRZ.
Page 13