March 14, 200916 yr The Columbus Zoo is a great local asset and its future looks good. That's a great story about the secretary donating $5 million! The magic of compound interest!
March 28, 200916 yr Zoo trumpeting its newest arrival Saturday, March 28, 2009 - 3:14 AM By Kathy Lynn Gray, The Columbus Dispatch He's unnamed, under wraps and, by all accounts, adorable. And other babies born throughout Central Ohio yesterday will get a keepsake of the birthday they share. Finally, 655 days after conception, Phoebe the elephant's newest addition popped into the world at 2:35 p.m. yesterday at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Yes, he is irresistible. The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium welcomed a male Asian elephant yesterday afternoon, only the zoo's second elephant birth. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/03/28/ELEPHANTDELIVERY.ART_ART_03-28-09_B1_P8DCLB5.html?sid=101
April 2, 200916 yr Zoo visitors can see baby elephant Friday Thursday, April 2, 2009 - 5:00 PM By Kathy Lynn Gray, The Columbus Dispatch The baby Asian elephant born last week at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium will go on public display from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily, starting Friday. Mother and baby can be viewed in the indoor elephant habitat. Last Friday, Phoebe, 21, gave birth to the 303-pound male calf in the outdoor elephant yard. Click here to see a video of the baby elephant. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/04/02/baby_elephant.html?sid=101
April 23, 200916 yr It's a zoo as 9,000 suggest baby names Tuesday, April 21, 2009 - 3:06 AM By Kathy Lynn Gray, The Columbus Dispatch More than 9,000 people have joined the name game at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. That's how many entries the zoo had received by late yesterday afternoon in its Name the Baby Elephant Contest for the pachyderm born March 27. The public can vote on the finalists from Saturday through May 6 on the Web site at www.columbuszoo.org. The top vote getter - and the elephant's name - will be announced May 10, Mother's Day. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/04/21/bigname.ART_ART_04-21-09_B1_S0DK7U0.html?sid=101
April 29, 200916 yr It's time to pick your favorite name for the baby elephant at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. After than 11,000 entries four names made the zoo's final cut. The names are posted at www.columbuszoo.org. • Beco, which is pronounced BEE-co. It combines the names of the baby's mother (Phoebe) and father (Coco). • Damai, which means peace in Indonesian and is pronounced da-MY. • Sattva, a Sanskrit word. Pronounced SUHT-vah, the name means purity or existence and in Hindu is used to describe people with good memories. • Siddhartha, also a word from Sanskrit. It means fulfillment. It is pronounced si-DAHR-tuh and could be shortened to Sid.
May 11, 200916 yr Baby elephant no longer nameless Sunday, May 10, 2009 - 2:50 PM The baby elephant born March 27 at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium now has a name: Beco. Zoo officials said the name -- pronounced BEE-co -- received 6,064 votes, almost half of the 12,783 votes cast. More than 11,000 entries were received in the zoo's naming contest. Four names were chosen for a final vote: Beco, Sattva, Damai and Siddhartha. http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/05/10/baby_name.html?sid=101
May 13, 200916 yr ^ I voted for Siddhartha...something about an elephant named Sid just made me smile. FWTW, I liked the Sid name too.
May 13, 200916 yr Zoo's baby elephant has a name: Beco Thousands pay Mother's Day tribute to zoo's new arrival Monday, May 11, 2009 - 3:14 AM By Mary Beth Lane, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Beco is the name chosen for the baby elephant born March 27 at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, but it is fair to say that "adorable" will be uttered as often as his name. "Adorable," along with "cute" or simply "awwww," comes first to the lips of the cooing visitors who go all googly-eyed at the sight of the baby elephant, and snap pictures of him and his mother. So it was yesterday, on Mother's Day, when mothers got into the zoo for free. More than 15,000 people visited the zoo, many lining up to see the baby. Seeing the baby elephant was what some of the moms wanted for Mother's Day. Beco holds trunks with his mom, Phoebe. The calf's name was announced at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium yesterday. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/05/11/baby_name.ART_ART_05-11-09_B1_B3DQSDJ.html?sid=101
May 17, 200916 yr Delaware County chipping in for zoo hotel feasibility study Business First of Columbus - by Doug Buchanan Friday, May 15, 2009 Delaware County Commissioners are considering chipping in on efforts to bring a hotel to the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium. The zoo has asked the county to contribute half of the $15,000 needed for a feasibility study on a zoo hotel, and so far the reaction has been favorable, said County Administrator Dave Cannon. “I think all of the commissioners feel this would be a worthwhile project to help them fund,” he said. The funding request received its second public hearing before commissioners May 11, and is expected to go up for a vote May 28, Cannon said. “The zoo is a big part of the economic development of our county and of our economy,” he said. “And other businesses would be able to benefit from lodging and an expanded zoo.” Read more at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/05/18/tidbits7.html
May 27, 200916 yr Highly popular zoo considers its next big addition: Hotel Tuesday, May 26, 2009 - 3:17 AM By Dana Wilson THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Zoombezi Bay's debut last summer drew 408,711 visitors, and, judging by the variety of license plates in the parking lot, many were out-of-state vacationers. The water park's opening boosted attendance at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium to more than 1.9 million in 2008 and turned the zoo into a two-day destination. "People were saying, 'We can't do it all in a day,' " said Jeff Swanagan, the zoo's director. Zoo officials are considering whether there's enough demand for an on-site hotel or resort, which would give visitors the option of staying overnight without leaving the premises. Hotel & Leisure Advisors of Cleveland is conducting a study that will help the zoo decide whether to pursue the project. Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/05/26/zoohotel.ART_ART_05-26-09_B1_KMDVNMU.html?sid=101
May 27, 200916 yr Freedom short-lived for Colo the gorilla Tuesday, May 26, 2009 - 2:13 PM By Kathy Lynn Gray, The Columbus Dispatch Colo the gorilla took an unauthorized jaunt through the building where she lives this morning, causing a brief hubbub while zookeepers coaxed her back home. The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium closed its entrance and had visitors leave the gorilla-enclosure area for 45 minutes -- standard procedure during an animal emergency. The 52-year-old Colo, the oldest gorilla in captivity, walked through a door that hadn't been secured and strolled down a hallway about 9:35 a.m. When keepers saw her, they gathered ammunition -- yogurt and Coca-Cola -- and coaxed her back into her exhibit area. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/05/26/colo.html?sid=101 SLIDESHOW LINK: See historical photos of gorillas at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
June 4, 200916 yr ZOO HOTEL County approves money for study Saturday, May 30, 2009 - 3:22 PM By CANDACE PRESTON-COY, ThisWeek Staff Writer Within a month, officials with the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium should know if now is the time to put a hotel or resort on the zoo's property. The Delaware County commissioners on May 28 approved $10,000 to help pay for a study on the feasibility of building a proposed on-site hotel. The money is coming from a revolving loan fund from grant money received through the Community Development Block Grant program. Block grants help increase the economic base of the county or increase employment opportunities, said commission vice president Ken O'Brien. http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/delaware/stories/2009/05/30/0531decountystudy_ln.html?type=rss&cat=&sid=104
June 30, 200915 yr Very sad and tragic news... Columbus Zoo's executive director dies of apparent heart attack at age 51 Jeff Swanagan came from Georgia Aquarium to take over in July Sunday, June 28, 2009 - 10:00 PM By Bruce Cadwallader and Jim Woods, The Columbus Dispatch Jeff Swanagan, the executive director of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, died tonight of an apparent heart attack suffered at his Muirfield-area home, sources said. He was 51. Hanna said he was informed that Swanagan collapsed while mowing his lawn and was rushed to Riverside Methodist Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Swanagan is survived by his wife and five children. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/06/28/swanagan.html?sid=101
June 30, 200915 yr Zoo, community mourn director 'I feel like I've lost a son,' director emeritus Hanna says Tuesday, June 30, 2009 - 3:10 AM By Kathy Lynn Gray, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH It's business as usual at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium despite the heavy hearts mourning the death of Executive Director Jeff Swanagan, Jack Hanna said yesterday. "Today, I feel like I've lost a son, but the zoo will go on and we'll continue Jeff's dreams," said Hanna, the zoo's director emeritus. Swanagan, 51, died Sunday night, apparently of a heart attack, shortly after complaining that he didn't feel well while cutting grass at his home in Powell. His wife found him on the couch, and he was rushed to a hospital. http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/06/30/swanaganfollow.ART_ART_06-30-09_B3_EAEB6JF.html?sid=101
September 24, 200915 yr Consultant recommends building hotel at zoo Friday, September 18, 2009 - 8:00 PM By CANDACE PRESTON-COY ThisWeek Staff Writer A consultant is recommending the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium proceed with plans to build a resort-type hotel on the zoo's property. A market feasibility study, prepared at the zoo's request, was done by David Sangree with Hotel & Leisure Advisors in Cleveland. He recommends a 175-room themed resort hotel with a mix of double-queen, king rooms and suites, along with meeting and party space, and a themed restaurant. In addition, he proposes the zoo build 25 tented bungalow units in the African savannah development, which is in the zoo's future plans but not yet under construction. Those units would be seasonal. Zoo director Jerry Borin called the feasibility study the "first step to see if it makes sense" to build a hotel now, or wait a while. Borin wasn't surprised that Sangree came back with his recommendation, but Borin cautioned further study is needed before any decisions can be made to go forward. Full story: http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/dublin/stories/2009/09/16/zoo_hotel.html?type=rss&cat=&sid=104
September 24, 200915 yr Not sold on this idea. The new zoo message these days is conservation. I am not so sure adding the hotel/resort theme into the zoo is not going to promote waste at the same time. Welcome thousands of new plastic water bottles and more waste. Can't we just leave one thing not overdone? Sometimes less is more. Yes, I know, my comments are dumb and stupid...afterall, this 'growth' will 'save us!'
September 26, 200915 yr Zoo proud of new pride of lions 3 cubs are first born there in 24 years Thursday, September 24, 2009 - 3:19 AM By Kathy Lynn Gray, The Columbus Dispatch Eager animal watchers will have to wait for a peek at the litter of three African lion cubs born at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium on Tuesday. Even zookeepers have only seen the cubs through the lens of a video camera that's keeping tabs on the trio in the manmade den inside the lion building. "This is a big deal," said assistant curator Harry Peachey. "We haven't had a birth in 24 years." Peachey said a three-cub litter is common among lions and that the survival rate for zoo-born lions is good. Dr. Michael Barrie, the zoo's veterinarian, said it might be several days before zookeepers can weigh the cubs and check their sex and health. Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/09/24/lion_babies.ART_ART_09-24-09_B2_JJF5V48.html?sid=101 Good news for the Columbus Zoo. Well, unless you believe that all this lion 'growth' is leading to more 'waste'. :wink:
September 28, 200915 yr Beco the elephant: Babies, sigh. They grow so fast Sunday, September 27, 2009 - 3:31 AM By Kathy Lynn Gray, The Columbus Dispatch Beco the elephant is 6 months old today, and his popularity has diminished little since his birth at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium on March 27. About 90 percent of Beco's diet is still mother's milk, but he eats a few apple slices and a little hay. His 303-pound birth weight has more than doubled; he was at 792 pounds as of Wednesday. Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/09/27/becco_birthday.ART_ART_09-27-09_B4_J0F6S3G.html?sid=101 Graphic: Beco's progress Video: Beco playing at the zoo Check out the graphic and the video of baby Beco. So cute!
November 19, 200915 yr Zoo will make use of former inn site State gives property to city at no cost Wednesday, November 18, 2009 - 3:14 AM By Kathy Lynn Gray THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH The Wyandot Inn, long a fixture next to the old entrance to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, is becoming part of the zoo. The state purchased the building and property in 2006 when it was reconfiguring Powell Road (Rt. 750) and Riverside Drive (Rt. 257) in Delaware County to eliminate unsafe intersections. Construction bosses used the building for offices during the work, which was completed this year. The state agreed to transfer the Wyandot property to the city of Columbus at no cost so the zoo could use it. Jim Barney, the zoo's interim chief operating officer, said the property, at 10121 Riverside Dr., will be used for offices or storage. The zoo has no plans to tear down the two-story stone structure, he said. LOCATION MAP Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/11/18/give_to_zoo.ART_ART_11-18-09_B8_VDFN9BB.html?sid=101
November 21, 200915 yr Columbus Zoo names new director Friday, November 20, 2009 - 1:36 PM By Kathy Gray, The Columbus Dispatch The man who was second-in-command at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium under the late Jeff Swanagan is the new executive director of the zoo. Zoo officials announced today that Dale A. Schmidt is its new leader. Swanagan brought Schmidt in as the zoo's chief operating officer in the fall of 2008, a few months after he started as zoo director. When Swanagan collapsed and died from a heart attack June 28 at his Powell home, Schmidt became interim zoo director. Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/11/20/zoo-names-new-director.html?sid=101
November 30, 200915 yr Columbus Zoo gives lion cubs early coming-out party Kitambi, Adia and Mekita were born Sept. 22 at the zoo, the first lion cubs born there since 1985 By Garth Bishop, Columbus Local News Published: Tuesday, November 24, 2009 - 3:14 PM EST It isn't often that the mighty king of the jungle can be considered "cute." But that word was on the lips of everyone who headed to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium the morning of Tuesday, Nov. 24, to see the three new African lion cubs for the very first time. The cubs -- named Kitambi, Adia and Mekita -- were born Sept. 22. But Tuesday morning was the first time they were allowed into the outdoor habitat for public viewing. The lion cubs -- born to mother Asali and father Tomo -- are the first to be born at the zoo since 1985. The pairing was recommended by the Species Survival Plan set forth by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. "It is pretty exciting because it's the first time we've had lion cubs in 24 years in Columbus," said zoo Director Dale Schmidt. Full story at http://www.columbuslocalnews.com/articles/2009/11/26/multiple_papers/news/alllioncub_20091124_0242pm_2.txt
December 21, 200915 yr Zoo to celebrate gorilla matriarch's 53rd birthday Saturday, December 19, 2009 - 5:55 PM By Jennifer Noblit, ThisWeek Staff Writer The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium won't go bananas celebrating the 53rd birthday of its gorilla matriarch on Tuesday. Colo will receive a special cake and presents. Born at the Columbus Zoo on Dec. 22, 1956, Colo has the distinction of being the first gorilla born in a zoo and is now the oldest gorilla living at a zoo. Her birth made waves 53 years ago; the zoo held a national contest to name the baby and Colo, which is short for Columbus, Ohio, won. On Tuesday, zookeepers will give her a cake prepared by the zoo's dietitians and a few gifts. "We make types of carrot cakes or oatmeal cakes," said Audra Gibson, head keeper of the Africa exhibit. "It's always made to be tasty for a gorilla, but made with their health in mind." Full story at http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/marysville/stories/2009/12/19/1220mazoo-birthday_ln.html?sid=104
January 11, 201015 yr Zoo attendance a record again The final tally for the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium's record-setting year was 2.2 million visitors. The 2009 attendance shattered the mark of 1.8 million in 2008, when the Zoombezi Bay water park opened. Good weather and a bad economy were among the factors in the surge of visitors, said Patty Peters, associate zoo director. The highlights of the zoo's year included being named the No. 1 zoo in the country by USA Travel Guide in February, the birth of an Asian elephant, Beco, in March, and the birth of three lion cubs in September. Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/01/09/zoocrowds.ART_ART_01-09-10_B3_6CG8F56.html?sid=101
March 2, 201015 yr Zoo asks Delaware County to fund second hotel study Monday, February 22, 2010 - 3:31 PM By CANDACE PRESTON-COY ThisWeek Staff Writer A consultant last fall recommended the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium proceed with plans to build a resort-type hotel on the zoo's property. Zoo director Dale Schmidt took a step toward that goal on Feb. 22 by asking the Delaware County commissioners to pay for a study to evaluate the economic impact a hotel would have on the county and the surrounding area. The commissioners will vote on the request at their meeting at 7 p.m. March 1. County economic development director Gus Comstock said he expects the study to cost $10,000 to $15,000. The study will elaborate on the findings of last year's market feasibility study conducted by David Sangree of Cleveland-based Hotel and Leisure Advisors, Comstock said. That study looked at the hotel market to see if it was better to build a hotel now or wait, said former zoo director Jerry Borin, who is heading the project. In his report, Sangree said the zoo and its adjacent water park and golf course had become a destination, so a hotel on the site made sense. He recommended a 175-room themed resort hotel, along with meeting and party space, a themed restaurant and other amenities. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/delaware/stories/2010/02/19/Columbus-zoo-hotel.html?type=rss&cat=&sid=104
March 2, 201015 yr Polar bears arrive at Columbus Zoo Wednesday, February 24, 2010 - 1:58 PM By JENNIFER NOBLIT ThisWeek Staff Writer Polar bears have made their return to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium after an absence of more than 20 years. Twin females, Aurora and Anana, arrived at the zoo Feb. 19. Their $20-million Polar Frontier exhibit is scheduled to open this spring, although an opening date hasn't been set. The polar bears were transported to Columbus from the Pittsburgh Zoo, where they have lived since 2008. The twins were born at the Toledo Zoo in 2006. The polar bears will remain inside their habitat until their 1.32-acre exhibit opens. Aurora and Anana will have two pools, one of which will give visitors the ability to watch the polar bears from above, at eye-level and below. The other pool is a surge pool that will move water with a tidal effect. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/dublin/stories/2010/02/24/0225dupolar-bears_ln.html?sid=104
March 7, 201015 yr Polar bears chill offstage as zoo exhibit awaits completion Thursday, March 4, 2010 - 2:53 AM By Kathy Lynn Gray THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Ever since polar bears were phased out at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in 1994, the public has been begging for their return. Now they're back, two high-spirited 3-year-olds getting ready to dive into a new exhibit featuring pools, digging pits and a cascading stream. But the Polar Frontier, featuring twins Aurora and Anana, was supposed to open this month but isn't quite finished. The weather and the complexity of the project's pools caused the delay, said Terri Kepes, associate zoo director for planning and design. She predicts the opening will be in late April. MAP OF THE COLUMBUS ZOO AND NEW POLAR FRONTIER EXHIBIT FULL ARTICLE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/03/04/chillinoffstage.html?sid=101
May 6, 201015 yr Catching up on the amazing new Polar Frontier exhibit that opens today at the Columbus Zoo. First an article from Sunday's Dispatch. Cool new digs The $20 million Polar Frontier, opening Thursday, will allow zoo visitors a close look at polar and brown bears in an expansive habitat Sunday, May 2, 2010 - 2:59 AM By Kathy Lynn Gray, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH The bears are back. The long-awaited Polar Frontier at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium opens Thursday to a public that has been hungering for polar bears since EX and Zero were outsourced to Mexico in 1994. Compared with their tiny abode, the new bear home is a mansion: 1.3 acres with pine trees, logs and rocks, two swimming pools, and pits to dig in. And Aurora and Anana, the 3-year-old twins who moved there in March, have company. Alaskan brown bears Brutus and Buckeye are nearby in a new place of their own, nearly an acre, with trees, logs, rocks and a freshwater pool. Jeremy Carpenter, assistant curator of the zoo's North America exhibit, expects huge crowds, especially after visitors realize that the yards are designed for bear close-ups. The pools have underground viewing, ground-level viewing or both so the bears can be inches from visitors when they're in the water. Photo from the underwater glass tunnel in the Polar Frontier exhibit Graphic of Columbus Zoo exhibits Graphic of the Polar Frontier exhibit Full article: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/05/02/cool-new-digs.html
May 6, 201015 yr The CBS Early Show interviewed Jack Hanna about the new Polar Frontier exhibit. The link below takes you to the CBS Early Show’s website. At that page there is an amazing video from the underwater glass tunnel of Jack Hanna being interviewed while the two polar bears swim around him. CBS Early Show - Jack Hanna Closer Than Ever to Polar Bears: Famed Animal Expert Gives an Inside Look at Columbus Zoo's New Arctic Circle-Inspired Exhibit
November 10, 201014 yr Zoo loses world-record python to ovarian cancer Thursday, October 28, 2010 ThisWeek Community Newspapers The 24-foot-long reticulated python at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium died Tuesday night. Fluffy, who came to the zoo in March 2007, died of an apparent tumor. The 18-year-old python weighed 300 pounds and held the Guinness World Record for longest snake. MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/dublin/stories/2010/10/27/Zoo-loses-world-record-python-to-ovarian-cancer.html?sid=104
November 10, 201014 yr Columbus Zoo releases first photos of baby gorilla Thursday, October 28, 2010 ThisWeek Community Newspapers The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium this week released the first photos of gorilla born Sept. 29. On Thursday the zoo released photos of the lowland gorilla Cassie and her baby. Patty Peters, vice president of community relations, said they are the first photos staff has been able to get as Cassie has been taking good care of the month-old baby. The new baby is being kept off view from zoo visitors along with father Annaka and three other members of the gorilla group while Cassie adjusts to being a mother. MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/dublin/stories/2010/10/27/zoo-releases-first-photos-of-month-old-gorilla.html?sid=104
December 21, 201014 yr Columbus Zoo plucks python from Fluffy's family tree The Columbus Zoo's newest arrival is the 18-foot-long offspring of the record-setting snake that died last month. By LAURA ENGLEHART, COLUMBUS LOCAL NEWS Published: Monday, November 22, 2010 7:01 PM EST The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has a new python with sentimental ties. The 18-foot-long, 200-pound reptile is the daughter of Fluffy, the zoo's record-setting python who died suddenly Oct. 15. The new snake arrived Nov. 16 at the zoo from a private breeder and took the place of her mother in the zoo's Asia Quest region. MORE: http://www.columbuslocalnews.com/articles/2010/11/25/worthington_news/news/woallnewzo_20101122_0523pm_1.txt
December 21, 201014 yr Zoo's new python named after Jack Hanna Facebook voters pick Hanna from list of five Friday, December 17, 2010 By Collin Binkley, The Columbus Dispatch Fluffy's daughter now has a name. The reticulated python, which came to the Columbus Zoo when her world-record mother died in October, will be called Hanna in honor of Jack Hanna, the zoo's director emeritus. Voters decided on the name through a poll on the zoo's Facebook page, choosing among five names from more than 1,000 submitted to the zoo. The other options were Fuzzy, Nagini, Buffy and Sissy. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/12/17/zoo-python-name.html
December 30, 201014 yr Columbus Zoo’s green effort paying off with energy savings Business First - by Cindy Bent Findlay Date: Friday, November 26, 2010, 6:00am EST The conservation mission of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium now includes reducing waste, but not the kind you might think. With 8,800 animals and fish on hand, waste would seem to be a major problem for the zoo. It turns out the bigger culprits are those who visit and work there, and specifically everything they throw away. The zoo is taking steps to recycle and compost much of that to get as close to a “zero-waste” facility as possible. That is one part of the zoo’s ambitious program to reduce its carbon footprint. Administrators have made substantial investments in reducing energy use, including roughly $30,000 for modern lighting in a warehouse that has skylights equipped with GPS to follow the sun and direct more natural light into the building. The new Polar Frontier exhibit runs off a $500,000 geothermal system that keeps the polar bears’ 300,000-gallon pool at 55 to 65 degrees year-round. MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2010/11/26/zoos-green-effort-paying-off-with.html
January 15, 201114 yr Zoo welcomed 2.37 million guests in '10 For the second year in a row, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium surpassed its record attendance numbers. The zoo recorded 2,374,125 guests in 2010. That's 155,614 more visitors than in 2009, when a record number 2,218,511 guests came through the gates. The total includes visitors to the popular waterpark Zoombezi Bay, with the breakdown as follows: Zoo visitors -- 2,025,098; and Zoombezi visitors -- 349,027. Zoo employees credited this year's success in part to the opening of the $20 million polar bear exhibit, Polar Frontier. MORE: http://www.columbuslocalnews.com/articles/2011/01/13/multiple_papers/news/allzooreco_20110112_0325pm_2.txt
June 18, 201212 yr The Columbus Zoo is getting a $30.4 million, 43 acre expansion. The expansion will house a new exhibit featuring giraffes, rhinoceroses, zebras, cheetahs, lions and other animals in a recreated African savannah. The new exhibit will be called Safari Africa is scheduled to open in the summer of 2014. Below is an article from the Columbus Dispatch about the zoo expansion and a site plan of the new exhibit. Dispatch: Zoo addition is out of Africa - Board OKs $30 million exhibit to open in 2014
September 20, 201212 yr First Look: Columbus Zoo adding 43-acre Safari Africa exhibit Columbus Zoo and Aquarium visitors soon will have the chance to watch lions lie in the thickets, feed giraffes and even zipline through a simulated African plain. The zoo announced plans Thursday to spend $30.4 million to develop 43 acres into its new Safari Africa exhibit, with a scheduled opening set for May 2014. The exhibit will simulate an open African plain, with visitors looking through glass as animals roam across what looks to be a savannah. More below: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2012/09/20/columbus-zoo-adding-43-acre-safari.html Photos below: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2012/09/20/columbus-zoo-adding-43-acre-safari.html?s=image_gallery "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
September 18, 201311 yr Today marks the 35th anniversary of Jack Hanna becoming director of the Columbus Zoo. Hanna stepped down to become emeritus zoo director in 1992, but has maintained close ties to the Columbus Zoo. Below is a link to a Sunday article the Dispatch ran chronicling Hanna’s time as zoo director, a graphic showing the growth of the Columbus Zoo from 1978 to 2013, and a timeline of the milestones for the zoo: Jack Hanna: Zoo's master planner and builder to celebrate 35 years Through the years • 1905: The Columbus Zoological Gardens opens in what is now Old Beechwold in Clintonville. The zoo closes five months later. • 1927: Columbus Zoo opens at its current site in Delaware County. • 1947: John “Jack” Hanna born in Knoxville, Tenn. • 1956: Colo, a Western lowland gorilla, is the world’s first captive-born gorilla. • 1969: Hanna graduates from Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio. • 1978: Hanna hired as director of the Columbus Zoo. • 1979: Gorilla habitat transformed so that gorillas can be outside for the first time at the zoo. • 1981: Hanna and his oldest daughter start Hanna’s Ark, Jack’s first television show. • 1983: First appearance on Good Morning America. • 1984: First appearance on Late Night with David Letterman. • 1985: Franklin County voters pass the first levy to help support the zoo. • 1986: Wildlights at the Zoo opens. • 1989: Zoo land more than doubles, adding 265 acres including the golf course. • 1991: Zoo attendance reaches 1 million for the first time. • 1992: Endangered giant pandas visit the zoo from China; Hanna becomes zoo director emeritus. • 1993: Discovery Reef aquarium opens. • 1999: Manatees come to the zoo after a new facility is built and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service gives the go-ahead. • 2007: Hanna’s Into the Wild begins; Powell Road relocated to allow for zoo expansion. • 2008: Zoombezi Bay water-park opens next to the zoo. • 2009: The Wilds becomes part of the zoo. • 2010: Polar Frontier opens. • 2013: Plans are announced for a zoo attraction to be built Downtown next to COSI Columbus.
January 17, 201411 yr Zoo wants vote on bigger, permanent property tax By Kathy Lynn Gray, The Columbus Dispatch Thursday, January 9, 2014 - 6:10 AM The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium board voted to put a permanent, 1.25-mill property-tax issue on the May ballot, the first time that board members have asked for a continuing levy. The 17-member board voted unanimously in favor of the levy, which is a half-mill larger than the current 10-year, 0.75-mill levy, which will expire in 2015. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/01/09/zoo-wants-vote-on-bigger-permanent-property-tax.html
April 25, 201411 yr I have videos from different areas of the Zoo and also the Wilds. If you want to see what you are missing, check them out!
April 25, 201411 yr That's great stuff! "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
April 25, 201411 yr Why is the road in front of the zoo banked more steeply than most NASCAR tracks built during the '90s?
April 26, 201411 yr Why is the road in front of the zoo banked more steeply than most NASCAR tracks built during the '90s? Gotta attract those "NASCAR Dads" away from the Creation Museum!
May 16, 201411 yr Article link and excerpt from ThisWeekNews about the May 6 loss at the polls for the zoo levy. There has been more articles and discussion about the zoo levy HERE in the Scioto Peninsula development thread due to the downtown zoo component: Zoo officials to regroup, reach out after levy loss By GARY SEMAN JR., THIS WEEK NEWS Tuesday, May 13, 2014 - 10:30 AM Over the next several months, officials with the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium will regroup and assess the lopsided loss of Issue 6, the 1.25-mill levy that was trounced at the polls May 6. Phil Pikelny, chairman of the board, said it was a stinging rebuke by the public, which defeated the issue 92,218 votes (70.32 percent) to 38,914 votes (29.68 percent), according to final but unofficial results from the Franklin County Board of Elections. (. . .) Franklin County voters have supported zoo levies since 1985. But this time it was different: The proposed Downtown Adventure, a satellite zoo on the Scioto Peninsula, stole the lion's share of attention during the campaign. The 50,000-square-foot facility, estimated to cost between $50 million and $65 million, gave an opposition group plenty of rock-solid talking points about a "third zoo" and doubling of zoo property taxes. MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/northland/news/2014/05/12/zoo-officials-to-regroup-reach-out-after-levy-loss.html
May 16, 201411 yr There was also a hilarious Colbert Report bit about The Koch Brothers vs. The Columbus Zoo at http://thecolbertreport.cc.com/videos/jrmo9v/koch-brothers-vs--the-columbus-zoo
May 19, 201411 yr The zoo levy may have been defeated at the polls - but the Zoo's new 'Heart of Africa' exhibit is opening later this week after two years of construction. The new 43-acre exhibit officially opens on May 22. Sneak peak slideshow from Business First at http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2014/04/heart-of-africa-gives-zoo-visitors-up-close.html and the Zoo's Heart of Africa website at http://heartofafrica.columbuszoo.org/
June 2, 201411 yr More about the Zoo's new 'Heart of Africa' section that recently opened from Columbus Underground, 10TV and NBC4. Betty White was on hand with Jack Hanna to cut the ribbon officially opening the Zoo's newest section. The 43-acre savanna land houses over 20 species and more than 160 animals, including giraffes, lions, ostriches, zebras, monkeys, cheetahs, camels, and gazelles. But if there's one takeaway from the new exhibit, it's that those giraffes love being fed romaine lettuce! Just ask the NBC4 reporter! http://www.columbusunderground.com/new-zoo-exhibit-brings-heart-of-africa-to-columbus-sx1 http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2014/05/22/columbus-zoo-heart-of-africa-opens.html http://www.nbc4i.com/video?clipId=10191926&autostart=true
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