Denver Zoological Foundation Inc

DENVER ZOO IS A LEADER IN ANIMAL CARE AND VISITOR EXPERIENCE. WE ARE PASSIONATE (SEE SCHEDULE O) ABOUT OUR COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE IN SUPPORT OF OUR MISSION "INSPIRING COMMUNITIES TO SAVE WILDLIFE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS AND VISION - "A WORLD WHERE WILDLIFE THRIVES."WE PROVIDE EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCES EVERY DAY FOR OUR ANIMALS AND VISITORS AND OUR CORE VALUES ARE EVIDENT IN EVERYTHING WE DO:WELCOMING * UNITED * CURIOUS * COURAGEOUS * TRANSFORMATIVE

ANIMAL SCIENCES:DENVER ZOO'S MISSION IS INSPIRING COMMUNITIES TO SAVE WILDLIFE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. OUR LARGEST PROGRAM AREA IS CARING FOR OUR ANIMAL RESIDENTS. DENVER ZOO IS A RECOGNIZED LEADER IN ALL AREAS RELATING TO QUALITY CARE FOR OUR ANIMAL COLLECTION AS WE ARE FOCUSED ON PROVIDING THE BEST NUTRITIONAL, EMOTIONAL, SOCIAL, AND PHYSICAL CARE POSSIBLE.ANIMALS AT DENVER ZOO ARE VERY WELL CARED FOR BY THEIR DEDICATED KEEPERS AND VETERINARY MEDICINE AND WELFARE STAFF. SEE SCHEDULE O. OUR ANIMALS ARE BRED UNDER THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE ASSOCIATION OF ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS' (AZA) SPECIES SURVIVAL PLAN (SSP), WHICH ENSURES GENETIC DIVERSITY AND HEALTHY POPULATIONS. ANIMAL WELFARE IS EVERYONE'S JOB AT DENVER ZOO - ALL STAFF HAVE ANNUAL REQUIRED TRAINING ON THIS IMPORTANT TOPIC. DENVER ZOO IS ACCREDITED BY THE AZA AND CERTIFIED BY AMERICAN HUMANE.

LEARNING EXPERIENCES: DENVER ZOO'S CONSERVATION LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT TEAM HELPS STUDENTS, YOUTH, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES CONNECT WITH NATURE, BECOME SCIENTIFIC THINKERS, AND ULTIMATELY BECOME CHAMPIONS FOR WILDLIFE AND WILD PLACES. THE DENVER ZOO IS A ONE-OF-A-KIND PLACE WHERE PEOPLE OF ALL AGES AND BACKGROUNDS CAN EXPERIENCE THE JOY AND WONDERS OF ANIMALS AND MODEL HABITATS, AND THE MANY PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF SPENDING TIME IN NATURE. SEE SCHEDULE O. ON-CAMPUS LEARNING EXPERIENCES RETURNED ON A LIMITED BASIS IN 2021 AFTER THE COVID RELATED CLOSURES AND ATTENDANCE RESTRICTIONS IN 2020. THE CONSERVATION LEARNING TEAM ALSO HOSTED A VARIETY OF VIRTUAL LEARNING EXPERIENCES, WHICH WERE VERY WELL RECEIVED BY OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS. THE DENVER ZOO HAD NEARLY 34,000 PARTICIPANTS IN EDUCATION AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS.

GUEST EXPERIENCES: DENVER ZOO CELEBRATED ITS 125TH ANNIVERSARY IN 2021 WELCOMING 1,554,559 GUESTS WITH OVER HALF ENJOYING REDUCED OR FREE ADMISSION. WE SHARED OUR HISTORY THROUGH MEDIA STORIES, ON-SITE SIGNAGE, A PBS DOCUMENTARY, A MICROSITE FEATURING MEMBER'S ZOO STORIES AND PHOTOS AND FACEBOOK LIVE COLLABORATIONS WITH FIRST GENTLEMAN OF COLORADO, MARLON REISS.. DENVER ZOO EXISTS TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY CONNECT WITH WILDLIFE HERE AND AROUND THE WORLD SO THAT WE CAN ALL BE PART OF THE SOLUTION TO HELPING SPECIES THRIVE. OUR PASSION AND REASON FOR BEING IS TO INSPIRE COMMUNITIES TO SAVE WILDLIFE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. SEE SCHEDULE O. WE ACHIEVE THIS BY PROVIDING AN OUTSTANDING GUEST EXPERIENCE EACH AND EVERY DAY. DENVER ZOO MONITORS AND EVALUATES THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE THROUGH A MYSTERY SHOPPER PROGRAM, GUEST COMMENT CARDS AND EXTENSIVE GUEST SATISFACTION SURVEYS.THE DENVER ZOO CONTINUES TO MAKE A PROFOUND IMPACT, CREATING MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCES FOR GUESTS, BOTH AT THE DENVER ZOO AND OFF-SITE IN THE COMMUNITY, ENGAGING CITIZENS THROUGH IMPACTFUL ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS THAT INSPIRE A LIFELONG LOVE OF SCIENCE LEARNING. THE DENVER ZOO IS A PLACE WHERE VISITORS MAKE LOCAL, REGIONAL, AND INTERNATIONAL CONNECTIONS, LINKING PEOPLE, ANIMALS, AND NATURE. THE DENVER ZOO CONNECTS PEOPLE WITH ANIMALS, INSPIRING THEM TO CHAMPION THE DENVER ZOO'S MISSION TO INSPIRE COMMUNITIES TO SAVE WILDLIFE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. AS AN ACCREDITED ASSOCIATION OF ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS (AZA) INSTITUTION, THE DENVER ZOO IS AN IMPORTANT RESOURCE FOR THE DENVER METRO REGION TO UNDERSTAND WILDLIFE AND THE NEED TO CONSERVE THE PLACES ANIMALS LIVE. THE DENVER ZOO'S VISITORS LEARN ABOUT THE IMPORTANT ROLE ZOOS HAVE AS LEADERS IN CONSERVATION RESEARCH. WITH UP-CLOSE EXPERIENCES, VISITORS EXPERIENCE A STRONGER CONNECTION TO NATURE, CONSIDER THEIR ROLE IN ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS AND CONSERVATION ACTION, AND SEE THEMSELVES AS PART OF THE SOLUTION AS A RESULT OF THEIR VISIT. INTERACTING WITH ANIMALS AND THE STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS WHO PASSIONATELY INTRODUCE THEM TO GUESTS MAKES DENVER ZOO A UNIQUE DESTINATION. PATHWAYS, GARDENS, SIGNS, AND EVERY PART OF THE ZOO ENVIRONMENT ENGAGES THE SENSES AND TRANSPORTS GUESTS TO NEW PLACES. HANDS-ON EXPLORATION AND SELF-GUIDED DISCOVERY ARE KEY ASPECTS THROUGHOUT THE PARK, HELPING FOSTER HUMAN AND ANIMAL CONNECTIONS AND CULTIVATING MOMENTS OF AWE. IN 2021 DENVER ZOO OPENED A NEW SLOTH EXHIBIT IN TROPICAL DISCOVERY AND A NEW EXHIBIT FOR OUR AFRICAN PENGUINS. GUESTS WILL SEE PENGUINS SWIMMING UNDERWATER, RUNNING AROUND ON ROCKS AND GENERALLY MIMICKING THEIR NATIVE HABITAT IN SOUTH AFRICA.

FIELD CONSERVATION:THE DENVER ZOO IS A ZOO-BASED CONSERVATION ORGANIZATION AND A DEDICATED PLAYER IN THE MOVEMENT TO SAVE WILDLIFE. WE CONDUCT EXTENSIVE FIELD WORK IN FOUR DIFFERENT COUNTRIES FOR ANIMALS IN THE WILD. OUR APPROACH IS TO WORK WITH COMMUNITIES TO UNDERSTAND CONSERVATION ISSUES, THEN CO-DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE STRATEGIES TO PROTECT WILDLIFE. DENVER ZOO IS A LEADER AMONG ZOOS IN FIELD CONSERVATION. IN ADDITION TO CONNECTING AUDIENCES WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF SPECIES AT OUR 86 ACRE URBAN CAMPUS, WE WORK TO PROTECT ANIMALS AND HABITAT THROUGH FOUR CORE PROGRAMS AROUND THE WORLD IN - MONGOLIA, VIETNAM, PERU, AND THE COLORADO ROCKY MOUNTAINS AND GREAT PLAINS. WE COMMIT FULL-TIME, PART-TIME, AND CONTRACT STAFF ALONG WITH OTHER RESOURCES TO THESE PROGRAMS EACH YEAR. USING BOTH SOCIAL AND ECOLOGICAL SCIENCE TO IDENTIFTY AND UNDERSTAND TARGET SPECIES AND THREATS TO THEIR SURVIVAL, WE WORK TO MITIGATE THREATS BY STRENGTHENING PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT, ENGAGING LOCAL COMMUNITIES, INFLUENCING CONSERVATION POLICY, AND BUILDING THE CAPACITY OF INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS TO ENGAGE IN CONSERVATION ACTION.