2016 ANNUAL REPORT
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CONTENTS 3
MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR
4
NEW ARRIVALS
Mission 5
ANIMAL CARE SPOTLIGHT
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CURATOR PERSPECTIVE
7
CONSERVATION
8
ZOO BY THE NUMBERS
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SHARING THE MESSAGE
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BUILDING A NEW HOME
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EXPERIENCES & EVENTS
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Lee Richardson Zoo connects people with wildlife, inspiring apprecia5on and understanding of the natural world through conserva5on, educa5on, and engaging experiences.
Our zoo is top notch thanks to your support. Star5ng with an inspec5on in 1986, every five years, Lee Richardson Zoo has gone through an accredita5on inspec5on with the Associa5on of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). This review, by experts in the field, helps us ensure that we con5nue to offer the community the best in guest experience and educa5on, and the zoo residents a high quality of life. I am proud to say that in 2016 we passed this inspec5on with flying colors for the seventh 5me in a row. This is the “white glove inspec5on” of the zoo and aquarium profession. The inspec5on covers animal management and care (including living environments, nutri5on, social groupings, and more), veterinary care, guest experience, educa5on programs, ins5tu5onal financial stability, security and safety, staff qualifica5ons and development, conserva5on, and more. Accredita5on by AZA puts us with the top 10% of all licensed animal facili5es in the na5on. BASILISK LIZARD
As I have said before, we are only able to do what we do at the Lee Richardson Zoo because of the tremendous support from the City of Garden City and the community. For what you’ve helped us become and for what we will become in the future, I thank you. K is
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Zoo Director
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Red Panda
African Spurred Tortoise
Red panda
Bactrian camel
Pronghorn
Meet Our New Arrivals Goral Chinese Goral Page 4
Red kangaroo
Animal Care Spotlight
Our goal is to provide every animal at the zoo with the best quality of life while they are with us. Some zoo residents transfer to other zoos while others may be with us into their golden years. Animal Care and Veterinary staff work diligently to address all health issues that face any of the residents while they live at Lee Richardson Zoo.
“Miss Kite” is a Mississippi Kite who helps out with educa5onal outreach programs. She came to the zoo in 2004 because of an injured wing that prevented her from surviving in the wild. Over 5me she lost more muscle tone related to that wing due to lack of use, and it began to droop more and more, adding to balance issues. Physical therapy sessions with staff have improved her muscle tone and quality of life. ___________________________________________________________________ Do you find a visit to the doctor’s office stressful? Just like people, some of the zoo residents don’t like to receive shots either. Zoo staff work with the animals using posi5ve reinforcement to ease them through just such experiences. APer establishing a base of trust, Animal Care staff worked through training protocols using cues and rewards to encourage Payton the mountain lion to voluntarily par5cipate in a blood draw, and with Kali the snow leopard to voluntarily accept an injec5on of an anesthe5c so veterinary staff could perform a full physical while he slept. Page 5
CURATOR PERSPECTIVE One of Lee Richardson Zoo’s goals is to connect people with wildlife and with wildlife conserva5on. The zoo has to walk the conserva5on walk, not just talk the talk. With that in mind, when considering what animals to house at the zoo, what we can do for the conserva5on of the species is one of the things considered. We can’t save all the species of the world by ourselves, but we can play our role in a collabora5ve effort. Each zoo only has so much room, but we work together to u5lize the combined space of zoos housing the par5cular species to benefit that species as a whole. In 2016 two prime examples of this collabora5ve effort took place at Lee Richardson Zoo with the arrivals of two black rhinos and two Asian wild horses. Black rhinos are a cri5cally endangered species in need of help. Lee Richardson Zoo has a history of caring for the species and was working with the Black Rhino Species Survival Plan (SSP) to iden5fy one to come to Garden City aPer the passing of Ahadi in 2014. Zoo staff iden5fied an opportunity to play an expanding role in helping to save this species aPer the departure of the elephants from Lee Richardson Zoo in 2015. Staff worked with members of the Rhino SSP to iden5fy the necessary habitat renova5ons and to bring in a male and female rhinoceros with the hopes of producing offspring in the future to bolster the species popula5on. In spring 2016, aPer the renova5ons were complete, Jabari arrived from Zoo Atlanta and Johari (leP) from Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.
Later in the year, two Asian wild horses arrived from Dakota Zoo as part of the Asian Wild Horse Species Survival Plan. This was a new species to Lee Richardson Zoo, and while the plan didn’t include breeding these endangered horses in Garden City, the move gave Dakota Zoo the space to do just that. The results of the coopera5ve management put in ac5on among zoos added the guests of Lee Richardson Zoo to those who get the chance to learn about this fascina5ng species and should increase the popula5on through breeding at Dakota Zoo. Working closely with a dedicated group of professionals from around the country (and the world), gives us the chance to help conserve species, give the animals at the zoo a high quality of life, and connect our guests with animals from around the world. Page 6
CONSERVATION “How we treat our land, how we build upon it, how we act toward our air and water, in the long run, will tell what kind of people we really are.” - Laurance S. Rockefeller
Black Footed Ferret survey
True Wild Horse Campaign 96 Elephants
Red Panda Network
Pallas’ Cat Interna onal Conserva on Alliance
Bu1erfly Conserva on
Interna onal Elephant Founda on Interna onal Rhino Founda on Madagascar Flora & Fauna CITES
Turtle Survival Alliance
Amphibian Ark
Advancing Conserva on Worldwide We take conserva5on to heart at Lee Richardson Zoo, 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 wildlife, both locally and in other parts of the world. Funds raised through the sale of duck food from dispensers at various loca5ons in the zoo, and through camps, birthday par5es and Distance Learning programs, as well as 5ckets purchased to visit Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado enable our visitors to make a difference for wildlife. 2016 funds supported conserva5on efforts worldwide benefi5ng Asian Wild horses, black rhinos, elephants, Pallas’ cats, Red pandas, turtles, amphibians, and lemurs and other animals and plants in Madagascar. Funds also supported sending a representa5ve from the seven Kansas accredited zoos to the CITES conven5on to par5cipate in discussions on laws covering trade in wildlife. Locally, funds helped efforts to benefit buQerflies and other pollinators, and helped support a survey of the wild popula5on of the endangered Black-footed ferret. Together we donated a total of $12,085 to conserva5on efforts worldwide in 2016. Lee Richardson Zoo also par5cipates in a number of Species Survival Plans in conjunc5on with other AZA accredited zoos. This is just one way we strive to enhance the survival of many wildlife species.
Celebra ng your birthday at the Zoo with our Ambassador Animals is one way to help fund our conserva on efforts. Page 7
ZOO BY THE NUMBERS 9 grams
In 2016
Weight of a Fire-bellied toad
24,358
People drove through the Zoo
195,848
Walked through the Zoo
18,734
AQended Special events & tours
2,595 pounds
238,940 People came to the Zoo
Weight of a Black rhinoceros
44 years Age of Mork, male Sarus crane
ZOO RESIDENTS Species
Specimens
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Invertebrates
Amphibians
Rep les
Birds
Mammals
TOTAL
4
6
16
41
37
104
284
10
24
89
93
503
SHARING THE MESSAGE 2016 was a year of “Full Blown BuQerfly” at Lee Richardson Zoo, and the Educa5on Division contributed much of their 5me and effort to the focus. The Zoo created buQerfly habitats on grounds and partnered with the City Park Department to create buQerfly habitats in some of the parks in the city. Plan5ng and maintaining these gardens was only part of the endeavor. The flowers themselves can only do so much, but teaching others the importance of the plants as part of a habitat and how they help the buQerflies, bees, and other pollinators as they fluQer about goes so much further. Our educa5on team created graphics to tell the story. Out of this effort came the Pollinator Pals, small cartoon plant characters that the draw aQen5on of young and old alike to explain how the plant they represent helps buQerflies and why those plants should call your garden home. The Educa5on team included the “Full Blown BuQerfly” focus in the 2016 Earth Day event. The theme was Backyard Bonanza, and each ac5vity created by the Educa5on Division staff brought aQen5on to buQerflies and other pollinators. Each Earth Day aQendee was able to learn just how hard it can be to be a buQerfly, but more importantly how they can help in their own gardens.
May all of our gardening efforts go “Full Blown Butterfly”.
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BUILDING A NEW HOME When remodeling a home, you think of the number and size of bedrooms and bathrooms. What color you want the walls, will it be carpet or hardwood floors, and a number of other issues that will make your 5me at home more comfortable. Everyone involved gets a voice. So what do we do at the zoo when we’re remodeling an area for rhinos, wild horses, or lions? When such challenges arise, the Maintenance team puts their talents and ingenuity together with the informa5on and knowledge of the Animal Care staff regarding species specific needs, strengths, and even likes and dislikes of the animals involved. Together, the zoo staff act as a voice for the animals. The joint goal is the well-being of those who will be living in the habitat. Considera5on is also given to how both Animal Care and Maintenance staff will work in the habitat. These aspects along with the impact on the guests combine to direct the results. Some of the ques5ons considered during 2016: how close to the edge of the habitat can you safely install a lion climbing structure without the lion being able to jump out; do Asian wild horses need more or less heat than Dromedary camels; how small of a gap can a baby rhino squeeze through? These issues and many more were addressed by the Maintenance team with assistance from the Animal Care staff. Staff from the City Street Department even joined in, helping with the remodeling of the pool for the rhinos. All the amazing animals at the zoo deserve the best home we can possibly give them and that’s what the zoo staff strive to deliver each and every day, as well as a safe and enjoyable environment for the people who visit Lee Richardson Zoo .
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EXPERIENCES AND EVENTS Keeper Chats Schedule posted at the zoo and on the website. Giraffe Encounters Saturdays & Sundays, weather and giraffes permi=ng.
Story Time Mondays at 10:30 a.m. in the Finnup Center. Edventure Camps Winter Edventure Camp is held during the school winter break for kids in 1st thru 5th grades. Spring Edventure Camp is held during spring break for kids in 1st thru 5th grades. Summer Edventure Camp is held in June and July with sessions for 1st thru 8th grades.
Zoo Volunteer Program Three levels of volunteers help the Educa on Division spread its message of conserva on, sharing their love of animals and nature, and promo ng the Zoo. Informa onal mee ngs are held annually followed by training sessions during which interested individuals grow in their ability to help the zoo.
Have your Birthday Party at the Zoo The Zoo offers the wildest birthdays in town. Birthday par es are led by a zoo staff member and include encounters with our outreach program animals.
Friends of Lee Richardson Zoo Fundraising Events Jungle Run Car Show July 9
Awareness Days World Wildlife Day Earth Day
A Wild Affair September 24
Endangered Species Day
Year of the Monkey
World Turtle Day World Ungulate Day World Giraffe Day >>>>> World Lion Day
Boo! at the Zoo October 22
World Rhino Day Red Panda Day World Lemur Day
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The Finnup Center Lecture Hall was transformed into an oBroadway theater in June of 2016. Skip & Vince Mancini and friends came together again to create and perform a theatrical produc5on to raise funds for a new Primate Habitat.
Lee Richardson Zoo Advisory Board
Jimmy Deal Ryan Derstein Kathy Diehl Taylor Freburg Donna Lightner Stacy Regan-Green Phil Sloderbeck Kris5 Newland Zoo Director
EMPLOYEES Candace Brawner
Carrie Leatherman
Caitlin Bregitzer
Dan McFee
Whitney Buchman
Rachel Meili
Shannon Coates
Heather Moats
Amanda Cornish
Kris5 Newland
Sarah Demadura
BriQany Paddock
Lou Elchuck
Alex Pelle
Melvin Dale
Tyler Ferrell
Jordan Piha
Roy Cessna
Stephanie Fontenot
Ca5e Policastro
Dan Fankhauser
Chris5 Gilbreth
Shelby Seckora
Mitchell Hendrickson
Emily Sexson
Angela Herman
Jakob Stegman
Tony Herman
Donna Wohler
Kris5na Hernandez
Janice Coleman
Assistant City Manager
Pablo Holguin
Donna Price
Jennifer Cunningham
Cedrick Hunter
Judy Richardson
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2016 CITY COMMISSIONERS Chris Law, Mayor Janet Doll
City Manager MaQ Allen