FORT WAYNE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY INC
3411 SHERMAN BLVD, FORT WAYNE, IN 46808 www.kidszoo.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: TO CONNECT KIDS AND ANIMALS, STRENGTHEN FAMILIES, AND INSPIRE PEOPLE TO CARE. THE FORT WAYNE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY, INC. ACCOMPLISHES THIS BY MANAGING AND OPERATING THE FORT WAYNE CHILDRENS ZOO. THE ZOO WORKS DILIGENTLY TO INTEGRATE CONSERVATION MESSAGES INTO ALL ASPECTS OF ZOO OPERATIONS, FROM EDUCATION PROGRAMS TO KEEPER CHATS. THE ZOO PARTICIPATES IN CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS FOR MORE THAN 90 RARE AND ENDANGERED ANIMAL SPECIES. PROGRAMS ADMINISTERED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF ZOOS & AQUARIUMS (AZA), INCLUDE SPECIES SURVIVAL PLANS, TAXON ADVISORY GROUPS, AND SAFE (SAVING ANIMALS FROM EXTINCTION). THE ZOO HAS AN ANIMAL RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION COMMITTEE THAT FACILITATES PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL AND WORLDWIDE ORGANIZATIONS.

EDUCATIONAL AND MEMBERSHIP SERVICES: TO ACHIEVE OUR MISSION STATEMENT THE ZOO WORKS DILIGENTLY ON LOCATION AND IN THE COMMUNITY SHARING OUR MESSAGE. SEASON ATTENDANCE (570,033) WAS IN THE TOP FIVE OF ALL TIME. WILD ZOO HALLOWEEN WAS THE BEST ATTENDED SINCE THE CHANGE FROM EVENING TO DAY HOURS AT 30,607 GUESTS. TOTAL ATTENDENCE IN 2019 WAS 600,640 GUESTS. ZOO MEMBERSHIP SALES REACHED 15,507 HOUSEHOLDS IN 2019, AN INCREASE OF 3.6% OVER 2018. NEW IN 2019 WAS THE TWO ADULT MEMBERSHIP TARGETING A NEW DEMOGRAPHIC FOR THE ZOO. THIS MEMBERSHIP WAS SOLD TO 710 HOUSEHOLDS IN 2019.

ANIMAL EXHIBITS AND IMPROVEMENTS:IN 2019, THE CANADIAN LYNX EXHIBIT SAW LOTS OF ACTIVITY WHEN THE ZOO'S LYNX PAIR GAVE BIRTH TO KITTENS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE ZOO'S HISTORY. FIRST-TIME PARENTS DID A GREAT JOB OF CARING FOR THE KITTENS. UNFORTUNATELY, FOR ONE OF THE THREE KITTENS, A BIRTH DEFECT REQUIRED HIM TO BE HAND-REARED SO HE COULD RECEIVE PROPER MEDICAL INTERVENTION. THAT KITTEN WAS MOVED TO ANOTHER ZOO TO FULFILL A ROLE AS A PROGRAM ANIMAL. HIS BROTHER AND SISTER PROVIDED PLENTY OF ENTERTAINMENT IN THE ZOO'S EXHIBIT AS GUESTS WATCHED THE PAIR GROW UP THROUGHOUT THE 2019 SEASON.JUST OUTSIDE THE ENTRANCE TO THE ZOO'S INDONESIAN RAINFOREST DOME, A NEW CLOUDED LEOPARD EXHIBIT WAS CONSTRUCTED. RAURY WAS A LITTLE SHY AT FIRST, BUT EVENTUALLY WARMED UP TO THE CROWDS, FOR WHICH SHE WAS A HUGE HIT. SHE CAN BE SEEN NAVIGATING HER ROCKY STREAM AND NATURALLY-PLANTED EXHIBIT. HER FAVORITE ACTIVITY IS TO CLIMB UP HIGH AND TAKE A FLYING LEAP INTO THE TOPS OF THE TREES, CAUSING THEM TO BEND DOWN TO THE GROUND, SOFTENING HER LANDING. THIS YEAR, THE ZOO WAS HOST TO THE ORANGUTAN SPECIES SURVIVAL PLANS ANNUAL HUSBANDRY WORKSHOP. STAFF WORKED FOR OVER A YEAR TO PLAN THIS INTERNATIONAL MEETING WHERE ORANGUTAN EXPERTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD COME TOGETHER TO SHARE BEST PRACTICES ON ORANGUTAN HUSBANDRY, WELFARE, AND CONSERVATION. THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER WAS MATT NOWAK, AN INDIANA NATIVE WHO PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN THE DISCOVERY OF THE NEWEST APE SPECIES, THE TAPANULI ORANGUTAN, IN SUMATRA, INDONESIA. THE ZOO ALSO HOSTED GUESTS FROM CHINA AS PART OF A RECIPROCAL PARTNERSHIP TO IMPROVE THE CARE OF ORANGUTANS AROUND THE WORLD. THE ZOO UNDERTOOK A MAJOR ENDEAVOR TO IMPORT NINE EASTERN GREY KANGAROOS FROM AUSTRALIA TO BOOST THE GENETICS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN POPULATION. AFTER MORE THAN A YEAR OF PLANNING, EIGHT INDIVIDUAL CRATES HOUSING FOUR MALES, FOUR FEMALES AND A TAG ALONG JOEY UNDERWENT A MAJOR TRIP HALFWAY AROUND THE WORLD. THE KANGAROOS HAVE SETTLED IN AND WILL HOPEFULLY LEAD TO MANY JOEYS IN THE FUTURE. THREE VERY SIGNIFICANT CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS WERE COMPLETED IN 2019: JOURNEY TO THE HEART OF THE ZOO, ZOO EDUCATION CENTER RENOVATION, AND EAST PARKING. THE MOST VISIBLE COMPONENTS OF JOURNEY TO THE HEART OF THE ZOO WERE A COMPLETELY RENOVATED MONKEY ISLAND EXHIBIT AND A BRAND-NEW NORTH AMERICAN RIVER OTTER EXHIBIT. IMPROVEMENTS TO MONKEY ISLAND INCLUDED: NEW OFF-EXHIBIT BUILDING FOR MONKEYS DIRECTLY ATTACHED THE PRIMARY HABITAT, ALLOWING MUCH BETTER MANAGEMENT OF THE MONKEYS, COMPLETELY NEW MOAT, NEW CLIMBING TREES AND VINES, NEW ROCK FACADES AND FORMS, INCLUDING THREE WATERFALLS, ALL NEW LANDSCAPING, ALL NEW MECHANICAL SYSTEMS, NEW ENTRY PLAZA AND GUEST PATH CONFIGURATION. THESE ELEMENTS COMBINE TO CREATE A BRAND-NEW ANIMAL-FORWARD ENTRY EXPERIENCE FOR GUESTS, BUILDING UPON A CLASSIC TRADITIONAL, 55-YEAR-OLD ELEMENT OF THE ZOO. IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO NEW MONKEY ISLAND IS THE NEW NORTH AMERICAN RIVER OTTER HABITAT. THIS EXHIBIT SPACE INCLUDES: FIRST-EVER IN FORT WAYNE UNDERWATER VIEWING FOR OTTERS, THREE VIEWPOINTS, INCLUDING A KID CAVE WITH VIEWING WINDOW WATERFALL AND STREAM FOR OTTERS TO EXPLORE, TWO DIG-PITS TO ENCOURAGE NATURAL BEHAVIOR, A CONCEALED, BELT-FEEDER TO DELIVER TREATS TO OTTERS NATURAL LANDSCAPING, OFF-EXHIBIT SPACE FOR MULTIPLE OTTERS, COMPLETE FILTRATION AND MECHANICAL SYSTEMS. OTTERS HAVE LIVED AT THE FORT WAYNE CHILDRENS ZOO FOR FIFTY YEARS, BUT GUESTS HAVE NEVER SEEN THEM AS ACTIVE AS THEY ARE IN THIS NEW SPACE: SWIMMING, DIGGING, EXPLORING, RUNNING AROUND, AND SUNNING. OTHER COMPONENTS OF JOURNEY TO THE HEART OF THE ZOO INCLUDED: COMPLETE EXCAVATION, RENOVATION, AND LANDSCAPING OF THE CENTRAL ZOO POND, NEW SIX-INCH WATERLINE INSTALLED SERVING THE ENTIRE CENTRAL ZOO, NEW GUEST PATHWAYS AND CURBS, FROM THE TRAIN STATION ALL THE WAY TO THE ZOO ENTRANCE, NEW SERVICE ENTRANCES TO PENGUIN AND SEA LION SERVICE AREA, NEW PATHWAY TO ZOO ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE, RENOVATION OF MAIN CENTRAL SERVICE AREA NEARLY ALL COMPONENTS OF THE $6.5 MILLION JOURNEY TO THE HEART OF THE ZOO PROJECT WERE REALIZED WITH DONATED FUNDS.

ZOO OPERATIONS:THE LARGEST EXPENSE FOR THE ZOO IS PAYROLL. THIS HOLDS TRUE FOR ALL AZA ACCREDITED FACILITIES WHERE 58% TO 62% OF EXPENSES ARE DEVOTED TO WAGES, SALARIES, AND BENEFITS. IN ADDITION TO OUR PAID STAFF, VOLUNTEERS AND INTERNS DONATED 42,637 HOURS TO THE ZOO. THEY PROVIDED KEEPER SUPPORT, PROGRAM ASSISTANCE, AND GUEST SERVICE. DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE DIRECTLY RELATED TO ANIMAL CARE HAVE EMPLOYEES ON SITE EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR. A LARGE ZOOKEEPER STAFF PROVIDES ANIMAL CARE AND ENRICHMENT. TO DIRECTLY SUPPORT THE ZOOKEEPER STAFF, ANCILLARY CREWS INCLUDE TWO VETERINARIANS, TWO VET TECHS, A QUARANTINE KEEPER, A BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR, AN ANIMAL RECORD KEEPER AND A COMMISSARY DEPARTMENT. A RELATIVELY SMALL ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM KEEPS THE ZOO FUNCTIONING AND CONTINUALLY SEARCHES FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO ADDRESS NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES. YEAR-ROUND EMPLOYEES RECEIVE CONTINUOUS TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT VIA LEARNING LUNCHES, SEMINARS, AND DEPARTMENT MEETINGS. ALL YEAR ROUND EMPLOYEES ARE RED CROSS CPR/FIRST AID CERTIFIED. EMPLOYEES ATTEND AZA SEMINARS AND EXPERTS ARE BROUGHT ON SITE TO KEEP THESE EMPLOYEES UP TO DATE ON ANIMAL CARE TECHNIQUES ALLOWING THE ZOO TO PROVIDE PROPER CARE FOR THE ANIMAL COLLECTION. THE WORKFORCE EXPANDS FROM APRIL THROUGH OCTOBER FOR THE ZOO SEASON. THESE SEASONAL EMPLOYEES ARE WELCOMED AND TRAINED TO PERFORM THEIR JOB DUTIES THROUGH AREA ORIENTATIONS, POSITION-SPECIFIC TRAININGS, AND NEW EMPLOYEE RECEPTIONS WITH THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.

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