Trust Chair reportChair Report
This year we have much to celebrate as our dream of being the best little zoo in the world takes shape with achievements in conservation, visitor experiences, our facilities and capability.
Wellington Zoo’s foundation is our commitment to conservation. Our conservation activities this year were wide ranging – from the successful raising of over 50 tuatara for release to the wild in the Marlborough Sounds, to setting up a breeding programme for grand and Otago skink and establishing a possum research programme. The strengthened conservation messages in all our animal talks and encounters reflect our commitment to bringing sustainability to the heart of our visitor experiences. Day to day, we’re taking action to reduce our use of water and energy, and minimise our waste. All of these activities bring to life our newly launched Zoo Conservation Strategy, which will be a driving force for the Zoo’s future.
Zoos are also fundamentally about people – and this year we celebrated a record with over 182,500 visitors enjoying the Wellington Zoo experience. There has been a great reaction to new facilities and activities, and we now have over 2000 loyal supporters in our Zoo Crew membership programme.
Alongside caring for our visitors, our hard working Zoo team has kept up a cracking pace with the development of new facilities. The opening of the Wild Theatre marked a huge step forward in our capacity to engage with visitors. Our African Savannah and research camp, opened in November 2007, offers the young (and not so young) special opportunities to be wildlife explorers right here in Wellington, including being up close with our largest inhabitants, the giraffes. And more fun has been had on a stationary pre-loved “wildlife safari jeep” than anyone could have imagined.
Not all developments are large scale. The revamp of the Twilight is a response to visitor feedback and our need to provide the best possible conditions for our kiwi, tuatara and other nocturnal inhabitants. Visitors are telling us that they love the new “bush hut” and kiwi experience created in-house through the talents of our construction and visitor teams.
Our position as an industry leading zoo is reflected in the day to day care of our animals and evidenced in breeding success with chimpanzee and red panda, both endangered species in their home environments. The movement of animals between zoos is part of sustaining healthy populations. We successfully introduced Seun the giraffe from Orana Park and farewelled three red panda girls, who now form the basis of a breeding population at Knoxville Zoo in the United States. Movement within the Zoo can also be challenging and trustees recognise the enormous effort which went into the successful move of three fully grown giraffes to their new home via fork lifted crate.
Rising costs and our desire to do more for people and for conservation means that our financial situation is always challenging. In the last year, we raised from our own activities, including visitor revenue, over 46% of the $4.6m it took to run the Zoo on a day to day basis (up from 35% in 2003). We finished the year in a positive financial position with a retained earnings closing balance of nearly $70,000.
We are fortunate to have the committed support of Wellington City Council as our principal funder, and additional support from other donors for our capital projects. Many trusts, foundations and businesses support us and we are grateful for the more than $500,000 in charitable donations received last year. Our colleagues at Wellington City Council provide professional support for many of our activities. We are grateful to them all.
Within all organisations, it is the people who make the difference. All credit goes to the Zoo’s highly capable staff, ably led by Karen Fifield, our Chief Executive. Their dedication and professionalism make it possible for a small team to achieve great things. Our volunteers make an increasing and valuable contribution to our work. I also acknowledge the considerable input of my trustee colleagues who bring their professional skills, wisdom and energy to the board’s work and we welcome Ross Martin as our newest trustee. We are delighted to have Cameron Harland as our latest ambassador and bid fond farewell to His Excellency, John Dauth, Australian High Commissioner to New Zealand. He has now taken up his post in London.
As a charity we cannot flourish without the generous contributions of our supporters. And with your help, we can make an enormous difference for conservation, our visitors, and our community. Over the coming year, expect to see even more about what you can do to help make Wellington Zoo the ‘absolutely, positively best little zoo in the world.’
Denise Church, Chair, Wellington Zoo Trust
