Small Zoo, Big Ambitions: Atascadero’s Paddock Zoo Sees The Futurethe Half-Century-Old Facility Wants To Renew Its Accreditation As A Springboard For Renovations
By AnnMarie Cornejo, The Tribune, San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Jul. 8–The city-owned Charles Paddock Zoo in Atascadero wants to renew its accreditation with the national Association of Zoos and Aquariums– a demanding process that, if successful, will help pave the way for an ambitious and long-sought upgrade.
The aging facility, established in 1955, is one of the smallest accredited zoos in the nation. It was first accredited in 1991 and has been since.
The yearlong process culminates in March and includes an exhaustive inspection of everything from the zoo’s budget to the dietary plan for the animals. An accreditation team, formed by zoological peers nationwide, will visit the zoo in the fall and present staff with a list of recommended improvements.
“We use the accreditation process as a tool to improve the zoo because it is a peer review to see if we meet current industry standards,” said Brady Cherry, the city’s community services director. “It is a good measure of how we are doing in the field overall.” The city owns the zoo and puts several hundred thousand dollars into its operation per year. Atascadero officials say a thriving zoo is a key to drawing tourists to the city, at a time when it is struggling to build its revenue base and keep its budget healthy.
“It is not one of those zoos to go in and expect to see giraffes, hippos and elephants,” Cherry said. “However, once visitors are in, they find a much more intimate experience. The zoo does a great job of educating the public about conservation, endangered species and disappearing natural habitat.
“We really feel like our local zoo has a niche that is unique and, because of that, (it) can expose the visitors to something different and something special.”
Growing pains
Within the next two decades city officials hope to transform the zoo into five themed zones: California coastal, tropical Andes, Guinean forest of West Africa, Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands, and Indo- Burma, to represent some of the most endangered, biologically rich zones on Earth.
The project will be done in five-year increments and cost more than $35 million.
That money will come from grants, bonds, capital donors and community fundraisers, Cherry said.
The accreditation is key in securing the money needed for the renovation, which in turn is needed to draw visitors to the zoo, said Director Alan Baker.
Baker said managing the aging zoo is a balancing act between maintaining current exhibits and slowly improving others.
Since the zoo was last accredited in 2004, several of its aged or ill animals have died, including Himalaya, a 35-year-old Asiatic black bear.
Baker said the zoo staff has seized the opportunity to add animals more aligned with the five themed areas in the renovation plan.
The bear’s old exhibit remains empty–unsuitable for a new bear. But as money is raised, it will be transformed into a useful habitat for another animal, Baker said.
“The needs are becoming more apparent,” said Baker. “The zoo is an aging facility, and we struggle with that while we slowly work toward our dream plan.”
Key to the city’s future
In a time when Atascadero is struggling financially, the city is now spending more than $700,000 annually to operate the zoo. Yearly funding for the facility has increased by more than $200,000 in the past five years.
But it’s a worthy cause, officials said.
“We need to make sure there is enough money budgeted to support the zoo’s operation and its employees,” City Manager Wade McKinney said. “We are trying to maintain a conservative budget– but full enough that the zoo is serviced correctly.”
The investment brings potential for future economic development by attracting tourists, McKinney said.
About 65,000 people visit the zoo each year. Attendance has been flat over the years. But as the remodeling process begins, city staff expects the number of visitors to rise steadily.
“The more visitors we can draw from out of town, the more revenue the city will see,” Cherry said. “These same people will eat in our restaurants, get gas, and possibly stay overnight.”
Work ahead
A list of concerns was presented to zoo staff during prior accreditation review in 2003.
The issues included needing a sewer upgrade, completing a master plan for the future layout and sidewalk repairs.
As a result the zoo was reaccredited for one year instead of the typical five. The city was able to make enough progress to secure the full five-year credentialing the following year.
The city has budgeted an additional $500,000 to upgrade the zoo’s dated single unisex bathroom, and it plans to remodel the front entryway and ticket counter. The city also plans to install a new wall around the perimeter of the zoo for aesthetics and to help soundproof the inside. The projects will go to bid in the fall, Cherry said.
The accreditation team will visit the zoo before the projects are complete, but city officials are confident the move toward improvement will satisfy any concerns.
Since it was last accredited, the zoo lost another of its prized animals. Last year one of the zoo’s two marquee Indochinese tigers was found dead in its cage. Autopsy results determined that the male cat was killed when his windpipe was crushed by his exhibit- mate, Sala.
“There is always an unknown that we can not anticipate,” Baker said. “It was just an anomaly.”
Baker said that a team from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums investigated the tiger’s death shortly after it happened in June 2007 and found the zoo not at fault.
“It won’t be a problem as we seek to renew our accreditation,” he said.
Reach AnnMarie Cornejo at 781-7939.
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