ANNUAL REPORT 2015
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2015 City Commissioners Janet Doll, Mayor
Lee Richardson Zoo Advisory Board
Melvin Dale Roy Cessna
Jimmy Deal
Dan Fankhauser
Ryan Derstein
Chris Law
Kathy Diehl Taylor Freburg Donna Lightner
City Manager
Tammy Reith
Matt Allen
Phil Sloderbeck Kristi Newland
Mission
Zoo Director
EMPLOYEES Misty Ayers Greg Bordewick Candace Brawner Caitlin Bregitzer Whitney Buchman Shannon Coates Amanda Cornish Sarah Demadura Candi Dillon Lou Elchuck Neil Elms Stephanie Fontenot Angela Herman Tony Herman Kristina Hernandez Sarah Higgerson Pablo Holguin Audrey Lagemann
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Dan McFee
To inspire conservation of wildlife and wild places.
Heather Moats Kristi Newland Bernie Overbeck Brittany Paddock Alex Pelle Jordan Piha Catie Policastro Shelby Seckora Emily Sexson Jakob Stegman Tarra Tyson Donna Wohler Michelle Yacavone Janice Coleman Donna Price Judy Richardson
Missy boarding the truck to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR Dear Zoo Friends, 2015 was brought to us by the letter C. In this case, C stands for Cocoon, Collaboration, Conservation, Cameras, and Cats.
Cocoon:
The butterfly garden located south of the Marie Osterbuhr Aviary is slowly coming out of its cocoon. Staff dedicated many hours to revitalizing the area for the butterflies and zoo guests, as well as creating new eye-catching, educational signage. The project is not completed yet, so we invite you to watch as the butterfly garden unfurls its wings and takes flight in the months to come.
Collaboration: Staff at Lee Richardson Zoo completed a collaborative project with Healthy Kids and Western Kansas Community Foundation to create six short video presentations focused on encouraging kids to eat and exercise healthy. The presentations are called Exercise (and Eat) Like an Animal and are being made available to schools in the area free of charge.
Conservation: After much discussion and thoughtful consideration, with community support, 2015 was a year in which the focus of one of our habitats switched from elephants to black rhinos. While it was a bittersweet farewell to Missy and Kimba who traveled to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo to benefit from increased social opportunities with other elephants there, we look forward to the chance to contribute to the conservation of a critically endangered species, the black rhino. With some minor renovations, a pair of black rhinos should be making Lee Richardson Zoo their home in 2016.
Cameras: Staff installed cameras in various exhibits and nestboxes allowing staff to monitor developments, and fans to watch our new red panda cubs, Fia and Enya, before mom (Ember) was ready to bring them outside. They were also able to watch five lion cubs during their early weeks. Footage from the cameras was shown on local cable channel 8, the zoo website, and Facebook page, as well as Youtube. The special peeks into their private lives included messages sharing ways viewers could help the species in the wild.
Cats:
Visitors to Lee Richardson Zoo enjoyed getting to know a new species, the Pallas’ cat, introduced in 2015. Zoo employees put numerous hours of effort into making sure our “grumpy cats” would have everything they need to be safe, and mentally and physically healthy. As ambassadors for their wild counterparts, Buddy and Dude join the rest of the zoo on our mission of inspiring conservation of wildlife and wild places. There is one more C that was vital to Lee Richardson Zoo in 2015, but then it is a critical component to the zoo’s success every year: Community. The community is why we are here, why we strive to offer the best experience we can and why we continue on our mission. Strong community support was evident during events held by Friends of Lee Richardson Zoo which were bigger and better than ever. Please enjoy reviewing the following pages as we share the 2015 efforts of the dedicated and talented staff of Lee Richardson Zoo. Thank you for your continued support. Kristi Newland
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Total attendance for 2015: 232,496
Attendance
Close encounters with animals, glimpses into their lives in their naturalistic habitats, beautifully landscaped grounds, and conservation oriented educational programming, are highlights of visits to Lee Richardson Zoo for young and old alike. The Zoo continues to be an important tourism destination in southwest Kansas and in the state. Guests from 42 other states as well as Canada, Mexico, and Germany enjoyed meeting some new animals (including the five lion cubs born in May), as well as numerous educational and familyoriented events and activities such as International Red Panda Day and feeding the giraffes from the deck of the Iris Keating Giraffe Encounters which opened last year. Lee Richardson Zoo plays a significant role in the quality of life in the region offering educational, and recreational opportunities for the community as well as acting as a base for conservation efforts in the area and worldwide. Zoo staff appreciate the support of the community and are committed to furthering the zoo’s mission of inspiring conservation of wild animals and wild places.
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Inspiring conservation of wildlife and wild places
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
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
Species/ Specimens 39/93 47/100 15/20 6/12 4/21 111/246
Species/ Specimens 36/96 48/101 14/20 6/12 4/9 108/238
Species/ Specimens 36/104 45/102 14/19 6/11 5/69 106/305
Species/ Specimens 37/101 45/99 14/19 6/11 4/145 106/375
Species/ Specimens 36/100 41/91 14/21 7/13 2/256 100/481
$3,313.00
$9,000.00
$6,800.00
$5,321.00
$3,825.00
787
675
797
846
785
Participants/ Programs 5,556/341 8,089/197 8,998/323 10,298/67 2,319/102 35,258/1,030
Participants/ Programs 7,110/410 5,855/140 14,517/495 7,215/93 2,756/131 37,493/1,269
Participants/ Programs 7,577/427 6,178/151 16,327/596 6,742/111 3,159/160 39,983/1,445
Participants/ Programs 7,967/452 6,887/200 18,579/717 8,635/161 2,567/140 44,635/1,670
Participants/ Programs 8,135/468 5,697/151 17,270/666 5,499/160 1,060/16 37,661/1,461
183,130 163,314
155,549 136,305
190,833 162,463
218,507 199,953
232,496 216,381
Significant "My Visit to a Improvements Zoo" video released Remodeled Asia Kitchen
Cat Canyon Construction begun 2 Goeldis monkeys born
Automatic gate African Spurred installed at Tortoise Exhibit shop Built
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Finalizing plans New Giraffe deck for Elephant yard & yard opened expansion Cat Canyon opened
Pallas' Cat exhibit opened
Nature playspace Elephants sent begun to CMZ
New logo signage installed
Public viewing added at kangaroo exhibit
Began butterfly garden renovations
Accreditation granted
Aviary flight cage rebuilt
Sichuan takin debut
Security cameras added
Cameras added in animal areas
Secondary generator completed at elephants, giraffes, aviary
Lion yard improvements (rock, native grass)
New Red Panda pair moved into renovated Macaque exhibit
Kathy Sexson Education Hallway dedicated
5 African lions born to Amali and Razi
Education STUDENTS
8,135
Onsite Formal Programs
5,697
Distance Learning Programs
17,270
Offsite Formal Programs
5,132
Onsite Informal Programs
367
Offsite Informal Programs
1,060
37,661
Earth Day
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PROGRAMS
Discovery Box Checkouts
Total
2015 EDUCATION DIVISION YEAR IN REVIEW Lee Richardson Zoo continues to be a beacon for conservation education in Southwest Kansas. The outreach of the education division of Lee Richardson Zoo spreads through Garden City, southwest Kansas, nationally, and beyond, by utilizing partnerships, volunteers, and skilled staff. 2015 marked the completion of the Nature Play Space found on the south side of the Finnup Center for Conservation Education. This addition to the facility allows children to free play with natural objects such as logs, rocks, sand, and other items found in the great outdoors. The latest generation (often called “digital natives” because they have been exposed to tablets and smartphones their entire lives) spends a significantly smaller amount of time outside with free play than previous generations. This addition to the zoo has already been found to be popular among zoo guests. Elementary age children utilize their imaginations to turn the area into their own wonderland. This form of unstructured play has been found to have positive mental and physical effects on children as they exercise their imaginations and bodies through play. To further increase the impact of this area, zoo staff pursued and received another grant from the AZA to begin a Nature Play Club. The club brings families together and shows them simple activities they can do with their young learners. Each activity incorporates interacting or observing an aspect of nature. This year a trip to Pumpkin Paradise was included in the year’s monthly activities. Participating families enjoyed a trip and time outside that was subsidized by the AZA grant and guided by Lee Richardson Zoo Education Division staff. This club meets every 3rd Saturday at 10 am. The Education Division’s popular ZooEdventure summer camps were expanded to include the spring break session of USD 457. This camp was run similarly to the summer camps but expanded to a larger age range. Instead of only being open to two grades at a time, the spring break camp welcomed 1st to 5th-grade students all at the same time. Spring break camp was found to be as popular as the summer break camps and filled up quickly. In August of 2015, the Education Division was reorganized. Instead of having three education managers, the structure of the division changed to a collaborative unit led by a Curator assisted by two Education Specialists. This is similar to an earlier organizational structure for the division. During this time Whitney Buchman was hired as education curator and two education specialists, Emily Sexson and Catie Policastro, rounded out the team. Page 7
ANIMAL DIVISION It was an exciting start to 2015. Shortly after the New Year began, we were celebrating the birth of an addax calf at the zoo. Born to mother Juno, the healthy baby girl (later named Penelope) was quickly on her feet and running around with the rest of the herd of this endangered species. During the year we also welcomed many other additions to the zoo. Highlights include a female loris from the El Paso Zoo who joined our resident male. To help with conservation efforts concerning the loris population, this new pairing has a breeding recommendation for the future. Two goral kids were born again this year. Transfers of two males out and a new male in from the LA Zoo were completed for genetic management of the population. We hope to continue the success we’ve had breeding this rare species. Four pronghorn fawns were born in May. Animal care staff committed plenty of time and effort to hand raising each one. Although a big commitment, there are definitely worse things than spending time with young fawns. Two red panda cubs were born to mother Ember and father Charlie. The family of 4 can often be seen lounging atop their platforms and logs in Wild Asia. We also said farewell to some friends. Long term residents Khan the male Bactrian camel, Jake the Baird’s tapir and Shingo the oldest male reticulated giraffe in the North American studbook passed away during the year. All lived long happy lives at the zoo and will be missed. Missy and Kimba, two African elephants, moved to a new home. All the hard work that the staff put in to prepare the elephants for their trip paid off with a successful journey and transition to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Although we were sad to see them go, we understood they would benefit from additional social opportunities at this great facility committed to the care of geriatric elephants. Staff enjoyed many opportunities for professional development and growth during the year including attending courses offered through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) (Jordan Piha, General Curator, attended Managing for Success: Career Development and Candi Dillon, Keeper I, attended Principles of Elephant Management). Pablo Holguin, Keeper II, was recognized for his ten years of dedicated service to Lee Richardson Zoo and the City of Garden City, and Caitlin Bregitzer was promoted to Keeper II. Lee Richardson Zoo participated in the launch of AZAs new conservation initiative AZA SAFE: Saving Animals From Extinction. This is a concentrated effort where the entire AZA community will focus their collective knowledge, resources, and efforts on saving species in the wild. Although no confirmed cases were detected in the area, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), commonly called bird flu, still made an impact locally during 2015. As a precaution to the outbreak throughout the Midwest, some of the birds at the zoo were moved off exhibit and into areas better protected from native wildlife that might be carrying the sickness. This, along with various other biosecurity measures, helped to ensure the safety of the zoo collection. The most notable changes included moving the trumpeter swans off exhibit and the removal of the duck feeders to discourage wild native waterfowl from taking up residence at the zoo. The swans and the feeders were both returned later in the year once the threat had passed. The panda exhibit that often was the first stop for guests entering Wild Asia received a facelift. The old cinderblock walls came down and zoo staff constructed two mesh-covered geodesic domes. The new habitats are now home to two male Pallas cats. The cats and their seemingly perpetual grumpy faces have been a big hit with zoo guests. Page 8
Red panda
Notable New Arrivals
African lion
Red kangaroo
Pronghorn
Goral Page 9
Addax
MAINTENANCE DIVISION A major focus in 2015 for the maintenance team was the modification of the old Red Panda exhibit at the entrance to Wild Asia into a Pallas Cat
exhibit. This transformation involved the demolition of the cinder block walls that bordered both yards and the construction of two geodesic domes in their place. Mesh was attached to the domes, and a ring of faux rocks which the craftsmen of the team formed out of concrete, covered the bases. The area inside the building was modified to suit the needs of the Pallas cats better . A new public railing was also installed along the new exhibits, all combining to
give zoo guests a great view of a new species at Lee Richardson Zoo from a vantage point that is safe for all.
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Spring brought the opportunity for the irrigation specialist on our maintenance crew to attend a water monitoring class presented by K-State. Knowledge gained from this class led to changes in our watering habits and helped us water more effectively, conserving water in the process. We also constructed a new bamboo grove so that we can eventually eliminate the need to bring in bamboo, which is a main staple of the red panda diet, from an outside vendor. The maintenance team is often called upon to provide assistance during veterinary procedures and animal moves. This year was no different. Constructing temporary chutes, modifying fences, making drivable paths for haulers, or just providing a little extra muscle are not uncommon requests. That and much more are all ably undertaken by the staff at Lee Richardson Zoo. Thanks to funding from the Finnup Foundation, a new shade sail was installed over the Kansas Waters otter exhibit to provide additional shade for our guests, and the otters as well. The butterfly garden saw some changes in 2015 as well, including the removal of the public fence to make the garden more interactive for our guests. The dysfunctional pond that was in the garden was filled in to conserve water and make room for a walking trail that will wind through the butterfly garden. All of these projects were in addition to the day to day tasks that the Maintenance team tends to, from fence, gate and exhibit repair, to locks, utility and building maintenance, irrigation operations and care of the grounds, overseeing the zoo’s Weapons Team training and practices, and staying on top of the many maintenance requests that allow us to ensure the safety of the animals, staff, and visitors.
CONSERVATION “Now that you’re here, the word of the Lorax seems perfectly clear. UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” - Theodore S. Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, The Lorax
Amur Leopard & Tiger Alliance
Intl Crane Found. African crane trade project
The National Elephant Center Florida
Bowling for Rhinos
Meeting Our Conservation Mission We take conservation to heart, sharing our passion for the Earth’s wildlife with others, and doing our part every day to inspire others to be good stewards as well. Every day Lee Richardson Zoo strives to provide the best care possible for the resident animals of the zoo. As ambassadors for their counterparts in the wild, they help to connect our guests to the wildlife, both locally and in other parts of the world. Funds raised through the sale of duck food from dispensers at various locations in the zoo enable our visitors to make a difference with their change. In addition to the family fun experienced while feeding waterfowl in the zoo, our guests know that they are supporting wildlife conservation efforts around the globe. 2015 funds supported conservation efforts for Amur leopards, black rhinos, African cranes, and support for The National Elephant Center totaling $3,850. Lee Richardson Zoo, along with a number of other facilities, was recognized for our collaborative effort with the Sahara Conservation Fund receiving AZA’s Top Honors in International Conservation for the year. On the local front, this year we began the process of rejuvenating the Butterfly Garden to help address the habitat shortage faced by monarch butterflies and other pollinators. Staff also participated in the USFWS survey of the wild population of the endangered black-footed ferret.
Lee Richardson Zoo is a proud supporter of the Sahara Conservation Fund and many other conservation projects Page 11