Over the last couple months there’s been a lot of talk about problems with the Salisbury Zoo. The mounting list includes animal deaths, on-the-job injuries to staff, a lack of parking and/or needing a new location, and environmental concerns recently documented in the local blog Justice for All?
It just made me stop and think about a philosophy of mine. Anyone can complain about a problem, but who’s going to stick their neck out and offer solutions?
In the interest of disclosure, I have lived in this area 16 months and have yet to make it into the Salisbury Zoo. I guess I’m not much of an animal buff. A zoo is a nice place for a family to go but I live by myself so it’s somewhat less incentive. Honestly, I know I can’t beat the admission price.
To write this post, I decided to do some research and comparison. Because it’s in my native city and personally I think it would be a good zoo to emulate, I used the Toledo Zoo is one basis of comparison. I also looked up the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore for their facts and figures to see how the zoo here stacks up.
Using the Maryland Zoo as a comparison is a little bit more fair to the Salisbury Zoo, particularly in a financial sense. The Toledo Zoo has one big advantage as Ohio law allowed it to go on the ballot for a property tax levy. Thus, the citizens of Lucas County (or at least the property owners) all serve as a funding source for the zoo – an 0.7 mill operating levy ($7 per $1,000 of assessed valuation) has been in place since at least 1987 and is renewable every 10 years. But this coming May the zoo is going to the voters seeking an increase to an 0.85 mill operating levy plus an additional 1 mill levy to fund their master plan. Since I’ve not heard of any such levy type here, I have to presume there’s no statute allowing it in Maryland law.
Some relevant facts and figures about each of the zoos (from their websites unless noted):
Date founded: Maryland Zoo 1876 (3rd oldest in the country), Toledo Zoo 1900, Salisbury Zoo 1954.
Number of animals: Toledo Zoo 4,500, Maryland Zoo 1,500, Salisbury Zoo 200-500 (by various estimates).
Cost of admission:
Maryland Zoo is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors, $10 for kids, under 2 free, parking is free; zoo is closed in January and February.
Toledo Zoo is $10 for adults, $7 for seniors and kids, under 2 free, parking is $5 (free for members) with half-price admission during “Frozentoesen” in January and February.
Salisbury Zoo is free admission and parking, open year-round.
Memberships:
Maryland Zoo memberships are $55 individual, $59 senior, $65 individual plus, $87 grandparents, $87 family, $99 family plus – all the way up to “Pride of the Zoo” which is $1,500.
Toledo Zoo memberships are $35 individual, $45 individual plus, $50 grandparents, $60 family – their high end is “President’s Platinum Circle” for $2,500.
Salisbury Zoo memberships are $20 for students and seniors, $25 individual, $40 family, $60 deluxe family – topping out at $500 for a corporate patron membership.
Each zoo has other various ways of attempting to garner financial support. Common ones are animal sponsorships, pathway bricks/tiles, and each has some sort of party for sponsors and patrons. They all also do a Halloween-themed event.
But the two larger zoos have an “ace in the hole” that Salisbury’s seems to lack. The Toledo Zoo annually festoons itself in lights (they begin stringing them up about Labor Day) for its “Lights Before Christmas” display. It’s good for at least 100,000 visitors in the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. And the Maryland Zoo relies heavily on corporate sponsorships and advertising opportunities (with “official” products, signage, ticketbacks, newsletter ads, etc.)
In reading up for this, there were a couple interesting things I found out about the Salisbury Zoo. Since it’s on a tiny site (just 12 acres) the largest animal they have is their bear. And I had no idea that Jim Rapp was such a young guy. I’m picturing a middle-age executive type and find out he became director of the zoo at the ripe old age of 25. He’s younger than me!
I sort of wonder if Jim Rapp’s lack of prior experience wasn’t the root of the current problems. Did they do a long search for a new zoo director when he was hired? Basically it seems to me like he was overwhelmed if anything. And with an $18 million upgrade master plan hanging in the balance, it may be time for some changes.
So, now that I’ve gone through the comparisons, it’s time to contribute my two cents.
To me, the best and surest way to help the zoo is to charge admission. I know the tradition is for a free zoo but in order to give itself a better revenue stream it’s necessary to start getting more than just the few dollars in the donation box. Animals aren’t cheap to feed, nor are zookeepers.
I think a fair price would be what the Ward Museum charges, which I believe is $7 for adults. That puts Salisbury at a price point that’s half of the Maryland Zoo. If you charge $3 for kids, that still means a family of four gets in for $20, and that’s not unreasonable. Memberships could be raised somewhat as well, maybe to $60 for a family and $35 for a single. On single-day tickets there could even be a “twofer” deal where $10 gets you into both the museum and zoo. Even if attendance and memberships go down by 1/3 I would think the revenues would increase.
Once the revenue stream gets set up, then the zoo can work on its facilities. It sounds like the MDE is going to have a lot to say about what goes on at the zoo but once those changes are outlined, then the Salisbury Zoo can slowly work on its master plan. I suspect an additional part of that plan would have to be some sort of levee or something to alleviate the potential flooding problems at the zoo site. But the first order of business is to stop all the animal deaths. I looked up the next accreditation date for the Salisbury Zoo and it’s in September 2009. They have 3 1/2 years to get things straightened out.
Finally, I have to say that, in order for all this to occur, it may be a time for a change at the top. Whether he was overwhelmed from the start or just a well-meaning but incompetent director, I think Jim Rapp needs to be replaced. And there’s nothing that says he can’t stay with the zoo – perhaps a more senior administrator from a successful zoo can come here as the top man and teach Jim Rapp how to do things right, then a wiser, more experienced leader could emerge.
A zoo can be a focal point of a city and a nice tourist attraction. When people asked, “what’s there to do in Toledo?” invariably the Toledo Zoo would come up. That’s not true for Baltimore, but Baltimore is a large city with multiple things to do from a tourist standpoint. As it stands now, Salisbury is basically known for being the last big town before Ocean City for the folks coming from the other shore. A nice zoo might not be the hugest tourist draw, but it’s something that can’t hurt the area. There’s no other zoo within an hour of Salisbury, so why not make it a worthwhile destination?
Ah yes, the prevailing neo-con solution, if it isn’t working it must need more money. In my (eventual) rebuttal to this post I will detail that money isn’t the Zoo’s problem. There’s plenty to go around. The problem is abject failure at the helm beginning with the Public Works Director, down through the Zoo Commission, into the Zoo Director. They treat the Zoo like a fortune cookie. The animals, the River, and the public suffer. They don’t charge admission because they don’t need it and it allows them to cover up what they’re doing with donations (free lunches, profligate spending, salaries). Oh and here’s a whopper. the Zoo is a 501(c)(3); then why does the City carry it on their books? I plan on going there soon. Yeah, to you and Publius Duvall and I are just complainers. Good, I (speaking for myself) like it that way. Knock It Down, Close It Down, Bulldoze It Down. There’s my solution. Then you don’t have to be concerned with progress. Toledo’s looking better all the time!
Very good post.
The reality is that the Zoo has outgrown its location — the huge (and expensive) upgrade now being planned is foolish without moving to another site.
The alternative is to fix things up a bit and perhaps scale back some to enable it to operate withing its fiscal limits.
Thank You for taking the time to do this research. The Salisbury Zoo is a wonderful place with a fine collection of beautiful animals. However, you’re correct, animals are dying at an alarming rate and it clearly has to do with Management. So many professionalls recently insisted the Zookeepers use foot baths outside each exhibit and as soon as the AZA, USDA and Veterinarians turned their backs Jim Rapp pulled the plug on the foot baths because they fount it too difficult to clean out every day. The Avian TB is severe in the Salisbury Zoo and proper management would assure if an employee didn’t use a foot bath that employee would be immediately terminated. No matter if there is a charge or if the Zoo is free, these animals are there to entertain humans and deserve a better life then in the wild! The animals at the Salisbury Zoo are not getting that better life and are dying at an alarming rate each year! Hiring Zookeepers that have absolutely no experience whatsoever when there are people going to college to become a Zookeeper and they would line up to get that advertised job and move to this area, this is rediculous! The Director keeps hiring personal friends, including Carrie Sammis the Education Curator. She doesn’t have the degree to hold that position and they illegally hired her as they had to advertise for that position and they did not. She worked as a grocery store clerk before getting the Executive Position and pay at the Zoo. So it pays to have gone to school with Jim Rapp and to be a friend of his. The Zoo is also 100% in a flood plane zone. I didn’t notice you mentioning this in your work here. If they’re going to atempt to raise $18,200,000.00 for a new Zoo, why not relocate the Zoo to better grounds where animals won’t die as they have in huge numbers in the past because of flooding? I am willing to do whatever it takes to help the Salisbury Zoo relocate and raise funds to do so. There’s no doubt the Salisbury Zoo is a very fine asset to the community and should stay as such. However, I agree, Jim Rapp, Carrie Sammis, John Jacobs and Ron Allessi need to go immediately. Joe Albero
Actually, Joe, I did mention that there’s flooding problems at the zoo. I’m led to assume by your comment that the Salisbury Zoo is entirely within the 100-year floodplain. So either some earth needs to be moved to protect the zoo during floods or the zoo proper needs to move. I saw neither addressed in the master plan and as I said the MDE is going to have a lot to say before they’re through.
One thing I didn’t touch on because my post was already pretty long as written is the fact the Salisbury Zoo is pretty hard to get to unless you know where you’re going. There’s only a couple small signs off Beaglin Park Drive and I’m not even sure any directional signs exist from Business Route 50. I think there’s a sign at the Route 12 exit from U.S. 13 that mentions Snow Hill Road as the zoo exit. Now obviously each of these zoos has had the happenstance of having highways built despite their location, but the Maryland Zoo is right off I-83 in Baltimore and the Toledo Zoo is along a state route that leads to U.S. 24, which is the main route along the Maumee River and eventually leads to Fort Wayne, Indiana. Perhaps a better location for the zoo would be close to the stadium someplace along U.S. 50. It certainly would be on higher ground.
Hadley, I have to disagree somewhat with your assessment of my “neo-con” solution. Actually, I’m just throwing out ideas because, like I said, there’s lots of complaining but not much thinking. My ideas may be laughable and way off-base, but it pushes things in a more positive direction.
Oh, and by the way, Toledo is no paradise either. In a lot of respects Salisbury is just a miniature version.
Aside from the fact that the zoo is mismanaged,I would have to agree that it needs to be relocated and the sooner,the better.According to my historical reading,the present day park/zoo grounds were fashioned out of swampland by FDR’s Works Progress Administration many years ago,and truthfully,most of the property along the Main Street corrider in dowtown Salisbury used to be at the bottom of a lake.
Might I add, representative from the Salisbury Zoo could and should make thier own statement here. instead they sit back because they don’t want public challenges towards their Master Plan. Everyone should also take notice at the sponsorship boeard at the Zoo. They are leaving names up there now for 15 months rather then 12 because no one is donating to the Zoo any longer. I donated and sponsored 4 animals myself 2 1/2 months ago but the Zoo refuses to recognize my donations as well as a Friends Membership I purchased. I have been asking the Mayor to get involved some 4 times now and since she has no control over Jim Rapp she can’t seem to get answers as to why the Zoo would take my money and run with it yet not recognize my donations. I received a letter from her yesterday telling me I now need to take the City and Zoo to Court because I more or less told her she was worthless. Karma Mayor Tilghman, Karma.
Yes the zoo is in the flood plain, and now Barrie Tilghman wants to put a “dog park” in the flood plain too
Here’s a THOUGHT for Barrie. Why not take that $15,000.00 and donate it to the Humane Society assuring it will be used for something positive and useful? As the owner of some 10 dogs, 2 cats and 2 horses I love animals just as much as other animal lovers do. However, the job Linda is doing at the Humane Society is second to none and quite frankly I know of not one single person that can say anything bad about her. However, there are plenty out there that have a lot of bad things to say about Jim Rapp, Carrie Sammis and Ron Alessi. Ponder that thought for a while.
I love Zoo’s.
Ive been to the Toledo Zoo once. Although the day we went it was around 98.9 degrees out… so … yea… was pretty misrable til it rained.
I hear the Cleveland Zoo is nice but more walking involved. So thats why we decided Toledo would be better with a small child.
I just just read that Salisbury granted their zoo the right to refuse membership to anyone who doesn’t agree with sexual harassment, mismanagemnt, cronyism, unprofessional treatment of animals and damage to the environment. I think Nazis is the proper name for people who use government to silence their critics.
Plato, They changed the rules simply to discriminate against my wife and me. we sent in money for their new Grandparen Friends Membership so we could bring our Grandson to special events at the Zoo and they refused my money and turned us down “before” this went to the City Council and any changes in the Bylaws. So now the Salisbury Zoo is looking at yet another lawsuit against them from us. It never seems to end with these people.