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SEATTLE – The Night Exhibit (formerly known as Nocturnal House) at Woodland Park Zoo will remain open to zoo visitors until March 1, and a number of the animals currently housed there will go on exhibit elsewhere at the zoo. “The good news is that we are able to keep several of the animals by moving them to other exhibits. Visitors still will be able to enjoy some of their favorites,” said zoo Deputy Director Bruce Bohmke.
The animals to remain at the zoo include a pair of two-toed sloths, which will move to the zoo’s award-winning Tropical Rain Forest exhibit. The Rodrigues fruit bats, tamanduas (small anteaters native to South America) and springhaas (small rodents native to southeastern Africa) will move to the zoo’s Adaptations Building. A three-banded armadillo will be used as a presentation animal for up-close education programs. These animals were selected to stay at the zoo primarily because they are not completely “nocturnal,” but rather active during daylight hours as well. Animals that will move to other zoos include an Australian gray-headed bat, African straw-colored bats, vampire bats, coendous (an arboreal porcupine), douroucoulis (owl monkeys), blind cave fish and galagos (bush babies). Lorises will remain here but in an off-exhibit area for breeding.
“While the zoo cannot accept donations to keep the Night Exhibit open, we will accept donations for the long-term care and housing of the nocturnal animals that will be staying,” said Bohmke.
The heated Day Exhibit, which houses many of the zoo’s reptiles and is adjacent to the Night Exhibit, will remain open. The Night Exhibit, which reverses its light cycle during the day to accommodate nocturnal species, currently showcases 60 animals.
The remaining animals will be moved to other zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) based on recommendations by population managers and Species Survival Plans (SSPs). “Providing quality care to the animals is our priority. Our Animal Management team engaged in a methodical process to identify which animals would stay at the zoo and to find good homes for the other animals,” added Bohmke.
A trio of pygmy lorises, small arboreal primates native to southeast Asia, will live in an exhibit off view to the public. “Although we currently don’t have an exhibit for the public to view these animals, we would still like to participate in the pygmy loris SSP and help maintain the species,” noted Bohmke. “We hope to put them back on view in the future.” SSPs are cooperative breeding programs designed to ensure genetic diversity and demographic stability in accredited North American zoos and aquariums.
“Like everyone else in the region and the nation, the zoo also has been hit by the economy and we, too, need to trim expenses to allow us to operate sustainably over the long term,” said zoo President and CEO Dr. Deborah Jensen. “No one at the zoo is happy about closing an exhibit. We know our visitors feel a strong emotional connection to the zoo and each visitor has a favorite exhibit or animal they feel especially connected to. We are touched by the outpouring of support the community has expressed on Facebook and through emails, but we need to make sound, responsible decisions to help prevent a budget shortfall.”
In 2009 the zoo reduced expenses by making several across-the-board cuts in administration, staffing and operations. Programs such as the Wildlife Adventures travel program were eliminated, department budgets were cut, a hiring freeze was put in place and some staff positions were eliminated. For 2010, with forecasts for flat revenue and increased expenses, the zoo needed to find long-term solutions rather than one-year adjustments. The zoo needed to reduce its annual expenses by $800,000 to $1 million.
“We were faced with making some tough decisions and, unfortunately, closing the Night Exhibit and reducing staff by 12 full-time equivalent positions are among the unpleasant options we have to take to help close the budget gap in 2010,” said Jensen.
A multi-disciplinary team of zoo staff examined a set of developed criteria that included staffing needs, energy use, conservation impact, and a variety of other categories to determine which area would need to close. Several different options were thoughtfully considered, but the Night Exhibit was the clear choice. “The Night Exhibit is expensive to operate. It’s an older building with very high operating costs, and its energy use is one of the highest in the zoo and inconsistent with our goals of sound environmental practices. Closing it provides the best money-saving option, saving the zoo about $300,000 in operating costs annually,” added Jensen. The zoo will conduct an assessment and analysis of the building over the next few years to make recommendations for the long term.
Many members of the community have expressed interest in exploring a fundraising campaign to keep the Night Exhibit open. “We appreciate the suggestion to raise funds, but this would provide a short-term solution only and would not sustain the annual costs of operation and staffing over the long run,” said Jensen. “We can’t accept donations to keep the exhibit open but we would be very pleased to accept donations to help make modifications to existing areas for the Night Exhibit animals that will remain at the zoo and to support their long-term care, as well as for the evaluation of the building to determine its long-term operation.
Donations to the “Nocturnal Animal Fund” can be made online at: www.zoo.org/nocturnalanimalfund or mailed to: Woodland Park Zoo, 601 N. 59th St., Seattle, WA 98103.
After the Night Exhibit closes, visitors will only have to wait a couple of months before seeing some of their favorite nocturnal animals again. The north end of the Adaptations Building is currently closed for construction of an exhibit that brings meerkats back to the zoo after a 10-year absence. Modifications also are required to the building’s exhibits to accommodate the Night Exhibit animals that will be living there. The meerkat exhibit and Adaptations Building will re-open on May 1 when the zoo also opens its new west entrance.
The zoo’s west entrance will address visitor feedback by providing a new entry way with dramatically improved visitor services and which will lead guests to the zoo’s signature penguin exhibit. State-of-the-art technology will help shorten wait times to enter the zoo and visitors and neighbors will have access to amenities such as restrooms, equipment rentals, souvenirs and play spaces for kids.
The meerkat exhibit was funded by private donations, and the new west entrance completes the second phase of the $14 million penguin/west entry project, made possible by private and public support, including the King County Parks Levy.
Winter hours at the zoo are 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily through April 30. A Rainy Day tour map is available at the entrance or on www.zoo.org under “Visit the Zoo.” For information about zoo memberships, education programs and the zoo’s field conservation projects, visit www.zoo.org or call 206.548.2500.
Accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), award-winning Woodland Park Zoo is famed for pioneering naturalistic exhibits and setting international standards for zoos in animal care, conservation and education programs. Conservation, education and excellent animal care are at the core of the zoo’s mission. The zoo is helping to save animals and their habitats in Washington state and around the world including tree kangaroos, snow leopards, red-crowned cranes, African wild dogs, western pond turtles and Oregon silverspot butterflies. By inspiring people to care and act, Woodland Park Zoo is making a difference in our planet’s future.
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