chairman’s note
SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL OFFICERS Richard B. Gulley, Chairman William H. May, Vice Chairman Sandra A. Brue, Secretary Robert B. Horsman, Treasurer
A TREMENDOUS OPENING WEEKEND FOR TIGER TRAIL
BOARD OF TRUSTEES M. Javade Chaudhri Berit N. Durler Clifford W. Hague Nan C. Katona Patricia L. Roscoe Steven G. Tappan Judith A. Wheatley David S. Woodruff, Ph.D., D.Sc.
the Safari Park, and what a wonderful opening weekend it was! Thank you to everyone who came out to the Park to experience the launch with us—it was great to see so much excitement and enthusiasm, which all of us at San Diego Zoo Global share. During the three-day weekend, the Park surpassed its projected attendance and also saw a significant increase over last year’s attendance during Memorial Day weekend. Tiger Trail received a great deal of media attention from newspapers, online news, blogging sites, and television, with more than 2 million media impressions, and it was a big hit on social media, as well, with nearly half a million people seeing posts on Facebook alone. And the beautiful Sumatran tigers Delta, Teddy, Conrad, Thomas, Majel, and Joanne certainly made an impression on everyone who saw them, whether in person or in the media. It is also gratifying to see so much attention focused on the plight of tigers in the wild and the conservation efforts taking place to save them. Tiger Trail includes many interpretive aspects that bring these struggles to light, and visitors are seeing and appreciating the messages. This awareness and support is exactly what we hoped for and will stand in good stead as we move forward with tiger conservation work in Way Kambas National Park and Gunung Leuser National Park in Indonesia. Tiger Trail is stunning, and I am proud of all the planning, design, implementation, and animal care work that went into this new addition to the Safari Park. I am also grateful to all the donors, members, and supporters who helped make it happen, most especially Thomas Tull and his wife, Alba, who provided the generous lead gift that made this dream a reality. Tiger Trail is a dynamic, multi-layered experience that warrants many visits, and given the response to the grand-opening weekend, I know it will be a favorite area of the Park this summer and beyond.
Rick Gulley Chairman
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JUNE 2014
PHOTO BY KEN BOHN, SDZG
THE TULL FAMILY TIGER TRAIL is now officially open at
TRUSTEES EMERITI Frank C. Alexander Kurt Benirschke, M.D. Weldon Donaldson Thompson Fetter Bill L. Fox Frederick A. Frye, M.D. George L. Gildred Yvonne W. Larsen John M. Thornton Albert Eugene Trepte Betty Jo F. Williams William E. Beamer, General Counsel Douglas G. Myers, President/CEO Charles L. Bieler, Executive Director Emeritus
The Foundation of San Diego Zoo Global OFFICERS Murray H. Hutchison, Chair Maryanne C. Pfister, Vice Chair Susan N. McClellan, Secretary Richard M. Hills, Treasurer Mark A. Stuart, President Richard B. Gulley, Ex officio Douglas G. Myers, Ex officio BOARD OF DIRECTORS Christine L. Andrews Joye D. Blount Rick Bregman Lisa S. Casey Douglas Dawson Berit N. Durler, Ex officio U. Bertram Ellis, Jr. Arthur E. Engel Craig L. Grosvenor Judith C. Harris Craig A. Irving Michael E. Kassan Susan B. Major Michael D. McKinnon George A. Ramirez Thomas Tull Margie Warner Ed Wilson