The Zoo Northwest Florida

The Zoo Northwest Florida
The Zoo's entrance
Type	zoo
Size	30+ acres
Operated by	Gulf Coast Zoological Society Danyelle Lantz, director
Opened	1984
Location	5701 Gulf Breeze Parkway Gulf Breeze, FL 32563
<googlemap lat="30.400714" lon="-86.983223" zoom="16" width="288" height="288"> 30.40114, -86.984425, The ZOO Northwest Florida </googlemap>

The Zoo Northwest Florida (also called The Gulf Breeze Zoo or simply The Zoo) hosts over 900 animals on more than 30 acres of preservation land. The Zoo is located at 5701 Gulf Breeze Parkway, 10 miles east of Gulf Breeze and 19 miles west of Fort Walton. In addition to the animals themselves, the Zoo features amenities such as the Safari Line Train, Jungle Café, Whistlestop Snack Bar, and a gift shop in the main building.

The Zoo was founded in 1984 by four businessmen, including Pat Quinn, who became its director. On September 1, 2004, weeks after being damaged by Hurricane Ivan, control was transferred to the non-profit Gulf Coast Zoological Society. After many years under the leadership of Doug Kemper, inurance executive Danyelle Lantz was named executive director in October 2007.

The Zoo has faced a number of problems in recent years, including extensive damage from Hurricane Ivan, dying animals and dwindling attendance.

Exhibits & animals

List incomplete. Cost per year to feed each animal is listed in parentheses.

• Asia, a female Bengal tiger ($3,000)
• Mwelu, a Western lowland gorilla ($2,500)
• Gabby, a female giraffe ($2,000)
• Larry, a male African lion ($3,000)
• Jafar, a male greater one-horned rhino ($2,000)

Problems

Finances

The Zoo has operated in the red since its opening in 1984. It sustained massive damages in Hurricane Ivan, including a number of completely destroyed exhibits. Despite a $2.7 million policy, the Zoo's insurance company only paid $59,000 of more than $600,000 in damages. The Pensacola News Journal reported in July 2007 that the Zoo is in danger of closing unless $1 million is raised by the end of 2007.

Loss of accreditation

Though it remains a licensed zoo, its American Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accreditation, granted in 1988, was revoked on March 29, 2006 after AZA inspectors deemed 38 Zoo practices "questionable" and 24 more "unacceptable."

Animal deaths

In the first seven months of 2007, a total of 44 animals had died in the Zoo from various causes. In January, four kangroos died of bacteria-related illness within a three-day period. Two popular animals were found dead by zookeepers in July. Baby hippopotamus Niles died on July 7 from a punctured lung caused by her father, Kiboko. On July 17, 10-year-old giraffe Sammy died from "acute stress and increased body temperature" resulting from a neck injury, possibly incurred by one of the posts or cables that surround the giraffes' enclosure.

Injuries and escaped animals

On November 13, 2006, a caged leopard bit a 19-year-old zookeeper (whose last name, coincidentally, was Leopard) who was "too close" to the cat, according to Kemper. Two cougars temporarily escaped from their pens on November 14, 2006 (one day after the leopard bite), requiring all 30 visitors to be moved to secure areas.

Employee exodus

Former docent Carol Mills and ex-employee Sandra Dempsey made vocal complaints about the Zoo's practices, which included:

• Failure to treat flea and mite infestations.
• Taking blood from the Zoo's goats to feed vampire bats.
• Housing reptiles for months on end in a concrete building without sunlight.

High School Musical fundraiser scam

In June 2008, Zoo officials learned that a fundraiser they had planned for more than a year was a hoax. The event, planned for August 9, was intended to raise an estimated $150,000 to help the Zoo meet its operating costs for the rest of the year.

Executive director Danyelle Lantz said the Zoo was approached a year earlier by "someone posing as a representative" of High School Musical stars Zac Efron and Drew Seeley", saying he owned a production company affiliated with the Disney Channel and producing what appeared to be legitimate documents. The hoax was revealed only after Lantz attempted to confirm the date with official sources, who denied all knowledge of the zoo's fundraiser. "We're humiliated, and we're embarrassed, and we're hurt," said Lantz. "But more than that, we're concerned for [the hoax perpetrator]. We don't know at this point if it was malicious or if he's delusional."

After the revelation, the Zoo board's executive committee held an emergency conference call to discuss the impending financial shortfall that would have been ameliorated by the fundraiser. Some of the options discussed included closing outright, moving the zoo to a more densely populated area, reducing the hours or days of operation, and asking county governments for tourism-related funding. Zoo board member Lois Benson said of the hoax, "When you're on life support, you're very vulnerable to charlatans. This was one of those things you grasp at because it offered some promise. We're not done yet. ... The last thing we need is for The Zoo to close."

External links

• Official site