Spring River Zoo

Director of Administrative Services: Juan Fuentes Parks Director: Jim Burress

Number of Animal Specimens 186 Number of Animal Species 60

People Counts/Revenue

*Number of people as of 12/16/19 This year’s education numbers were lower due to limited availability of staff. In mid- August we hired an Education Coordinator to increase the amount of educational programs.

The rides and concession were closed early this year. The city was unable to provide enough staff to operate them. This resulted in lower revenue for this year.

City council voted to adopt a new cost recovery plan for the Spring River Zoo. The plan states the zoo needs to make back five percent of the 2019-2020 Fiscal budget. Five percent of the zoo’s budget is $33,024.60. In six months the zoo has recovered, $41,740.92, which is six percent of the budget.

Spring River Zoo

Director of Administrative Services: Juan Fuentes Parks Director: Jim Burress

Special Events/ Fundraisers • Brew at the Zoo, OktoBearfest, and Night of the Living Zoo- Friends of Spring River Zoo Fundraisers • Bret’s Birthday Party- $302.00 in merchandise and donations. • Launched merchandise for the zoo. • Coffee mugs- $10 each. - goes towards the 5% cost recovery. • Paw prints- $1 per paw print- they will be laminated and put on the exhibit, while the exhibit is being built- funds go toward the 5% cost recovery. • Other events put on by the zoo were the Groundbreaking for Big Cat Exhibit, Feast with the Beast, and 12 Days of Zoo Animal Christmas. • Events the zoo participated in Dragonfly Festival, Art and Science Festival, and Fall Festival.

Education New Education Coordinator: Caitlyn Lenz New education programs implemented this year: Preschool Kritter Program, Keeper Talks and Kritter Camp. Education programs coming in January- Homeschool Program. We will also be increasing the number of zoo camps in the summer. Starting volunteer days at the zoo on the third Friday of each month.

Launch of the Birthday Party Room Zoo staff and volunteers re-painted Birthday Party room on September 24, 2019. Rhoads construction installed an additional door on November 20, 2019. Public Affairs designed a Birthday Party Rack Card.

Other future renovations to the party room include flooring, HVAC, cabinets, countertops, lighting, and cove base. Approximate cost for the renovations is $33,669.21.

Interim Improvement in the master plan • Purchased new trashcans and benches that coordinate with the zoos theme. • Installing Coyote fence w/ windows

High Country fencing installed 328ft. of coyote fencing in river bottoms area on 4/25/19. Parks installed the windows in the coyote fencing on 7/30/19.

Installation of new signage and stands Updating the signage follows the Interim Improvement list in the master plan. Public Affairs designed the area templates. Information for signs done by Senior Zookeeper. Pannier created the signs and stands- cost $14,158.00. Cielo Grande Veterinary Clinic donated $10,000 and Friends of Spring River Zoo donated $4,200. Stands installed by parks on 9/17/19, signs installed by keeper staff and volunteers on 10/2/19. Signage reveal was on 10/4/19.

Installation of shade structures for both people and animals A K Sales installed the first walkway shade structure on 6/28/19 and the second one on 12/3/19. Custom Wrought Iron and Welding installed the animal shade structures and pipe rail in the bison exhibit 7/21/19.

Large Cat Exhibit On September 13, 2019, City council approved spending $291,157 from the city’s general fund to pay for cost of the big cat exhibit, completing the cost of this exhibit. The Friends of Spring River Zoo, the Safari Club and other contributors, donated the other $208,843 for the project. The enclosure size will be approximately 9,583 sq. ft. and the night house is 961 sq. ft. The groundbreaking for this enclosure was December 23, 2019.