FUNDING FRENZY
No matter how imaginative, though, all zoo projects face limits—often
dictated by space, money and time. For older zoos that have limited or no
expansion possibilities, building new exhibits can be more complicated, says
Michelle Furrer, director and campus manager, Como Park Zoo and Conser-
vatory, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. “We are in an urban center with 14 acres
[ 1. 6 hectares] and nowhere to expand,” she says. “We can’t get bigger, so we
focus on getting better.”
Ms. Furrer is planning a US$15.9 million project to convert the zoo’s existing
seasonal seal exhibit from fresh water to saltwater—considered a best practice
for seal enclosures. The project also would add connected tanks that can be
closed off for mating or animal care and heated pools that will allow the zoo to
keep the exhibit open year-round—even during Minnesota’s bitter winters. The
upgrades will make it easier to care for the seals as well.
But the project launch is on hold until funding is secured. The zoo has asked
the state government for US$14.5 million, while the rest of the money will come
from private donations and foundation grants. “Funding is always a big challenge,” Ms. Furrer says.
The zoo doesn’t charge admission, so the project team must show state
lawmakers that the new exhibit would be a statewide asset and attract enough
visitors from the entire state to provide an ROI, she says. For instance, the team
We did a
number of
strategies to
engage with
lawmakers,
from printed
materials
and tours to
meetings and
hearings.”
—Michelle Furrer
Animal
Houses With the twin goals of animal welfare and visitor engagement, zoos are launching new facilities and renovating spaces.
Doha Zoo
Location: Doha, Qatar
Budget: US$900 million
Timeline: Delayed because of
funding issues
Main attraction: Determined to
beat desert heat, the sponsors of
The Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
Location: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Budget: US$73 million
Timeline: First phase completed in May
Main attraction: A new 10-year grasslands exhibit is part
of a project so complex, the zoo hired a director of capital
projects to oversee all construction processes. The project
includes construction of an African savanna and lodge.
Calgary Zoo
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Budget: CA$16.3 million
Timeline: Completion scheduled
for early 2018
Main attraction: A family of giant
pandas on loan from China needed a home—so the project
team is converting a space that’s formerly been used for
elephants, a rhinoceros and Komodo dragons. The renovation requires installation of a bamboo forest, complete
with rocks, water features and panda-friendly terrain.
this new zoo required project
teams to find cool ways to
re-create African safaris, Asian
woodlands and South American rain forests, along with
themed hotels and animal
conservation facilities.
