Hello, again, Kansas City Zoo fans!

I am writing this as the Chiefs are preparing for the Super Bowl so it is certainly a fun time to be a Kansas Citian! And despite it being the middle of winter, we continue to be very busy at the Zoo. I am sure that you are aware by now of our biggest story to start 2023, but if not, our cover photo has revealed her. I know that everyone will enjoy reading about Zumi.

In addition to our new rhino calf, we also welcomed two new gentoo penguin chicks to the Zoo just after Thanksgiving. Both are doing well and are growing quickly. In fact, “Obi” and “Turducken” have gone from an average of 75 grams (2.5 ounces) at hatch to 1800 grams (4 pounds) in a month! That’s 24 times their birth weight! Imagine your 8-pound newborn growing at this same rate... you would have a 192-pound, one-month-old baby!

If you have been to the Zoo lately, you know that we have quite a few improvement projects underway to improve your experience going forward. Some of these, like a pathway replacement in the outback area of Australia, should only take a couple of weeks to complete. Others, like the Sea Lion Splash renovations, will take a bit longer but will be amazing additions to enhance your time here, while also providing great places for the animals to live. And, to allow for a much better experience when entering the Zoo, the city is only a couple weeks away from completing their repaving work in the Cheetah parking lot. Of course, the aquarium continues to come along as well – the first animals begin arriving soon!

Other articles in this edition include an introduction to our maintenance team and a crane conservation story. I hope that you enjoy reading both as they reveal hidden gems that often go unnoticed when you are at the Zoo. Many of our staff, like the maintenance group, are integral in ensuring that our facility operates well every day and are there to help create, redesign, and fix whenever called upon. Similarly, we are all very proud of the conservation efforts that we support around the world and Ben’s article about the crane project is both heartwarming and informative.

Lastly, in a continued effort to “walk the talk” and be leaders in conservation and sustainability, you’ll learn in this issue about a change in our vending at the Zoo. We are excited to continue to lead by example.

While it remains a bit on the cold side, spring is just around the corner, and I hope to see you all at the Zoo soon!

Sincerely,

Board Of Directors

Wesley Fields, Chairperson

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP

Tony Reinhart, Secretary

Ford Motor Company

David Sanchez Jr., Treasurer PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP

David Barr, Burns & McDonnell Engineering Co., Inc.

Brad Bodamer, Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP

Dr. Yolanda Cargile, Center School District

Chris Cotten, KC Parks and Recreation

Jeff Dillon, VanTrust Real Estate LLC

Ana Nubia Duin, La Mega Spanish Radio

Jan Francis, Community Volunteer

Sandra Garcia, Metropolitan Community Colleges

Hayley Hanson, Husch Blackwell LLP

Audrey Hill, Saint Luke’s Health System

Julius Lai, Community Volunteer

Kate Lambert, Dixon Family Foundation

Jill Marchant, Hallmark

Katie McDonald, Evergy

Yvette Miceli, Construction Brokers, Inc.

Janet Miles-Bartee, Local Investment Commission (LINC)

Joe Prenger, ECCO Select

Terry Riley, Transformation Consultants, LLC

John Russ, UMB Bank

Representing the City of Kansas City

Heather Hall, City Council, 1st District

Kevin McManus, Mayor Pro Tem

Ryana Parks-Shaw, City Council, 5th District

Brian Platt, City Manager

Zoological District Commissioners

Greg Canuteson, Chair, Clay County

Carol Hallquist, Vice Chair & Treasurer, Jackson County

Jerry Nolte, Clay County

Alex Perez, KC Parks and Recreation Representative

Kansas City Zoo

Sean Putney, Executive Director/ CEO

Kansas City Zoo Foundation

Randy Wisthoff, Executive Director

816.595.1234

Sean Putney

Executive Director/CEO

The Kansas City Zoo, a private, non-profit organization is operated in agreement with the Kansas City, MO Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners, partially funded by the Zoological District in Jackson and Clay Counties in MO, and is accredited by the Assocation of Zoos and Aquariums.