Trust Chair reportA New Era
Chief Executive Report
We have had a very busy year creating the new Wellington Zoo. It has been a year of success, tinged with sadness, as we continue on our journey to become ‘absolutely, positively the best little zoo in the world’.
This year we focussed on key business outcomes and critical success factors based on our six strategic elements – visitor experience, financial sustainability, staff development, community support, conservation outcomes and industry leadership. Of our 29 targets set against these elements 24 were met or exceeded.
One of the most important success factors is the Zoo Capital Plan which will see Wellington Zoo transformed over the next decade. One year into our ten year plan, the capital projects have already significantly changed the face of the Zoo and our visitors, donors, partners and the community are as excited as we are about the improvements being made.
The most ambitious of these projects, The Nest – our animal hospital, is now under construction. A hub for care, recovery and rehabilitation for both our Zoo animals and injured native wildlife, The Nest will provide the Wellington region with a state of the art animal hospital. The Nest will also be the focus for a new community based fundraising campaign – uncharted waters for Wellington Zoo.
Wellingtonians love their Zoo. We have achieved record breaking visitation figures this year and nearly half of all those who live in Wellington visited the Zoo. We have also excelled this year with our fundraising results, conservation focus and visitor experience.
We aim high to achieve the standards required of a modern zoo and a zoo that our city can be proud of – we have never backed away from the challenge – and will continue to implement ways to ensure best practice in terms of animal, staff and visitor outcomes.
We welcomed two special additions this year – red panda cub Sir Ed, and chimpanzee Beni; and we also grieved the loss of Ricky our 20 year old male giraffe in November – he was a well known and much loved member of the Zoo’s family and we miss him. Our new young male giraffe, Seun, has filled the gap and we are all enjoying watching him grow up (and up).
I am extremely proud of our staff and what they have achieved this year. It has been a year of change and our staff continues to put in an enormous effort. I am constantly hearing feedback from visitors that interacting with our Zoo people is a highlight of coming to the Zoo and that the passion and enjoyment they have for their work is evident.
We hope that next year will be just as successful and that we continue to develop our people, grow our supporter base, embrace our community and create the best little zoo in the world – together.
Karen Fifield, Chief Executive, Wellington Zoo Trust
