GREETINGS FROM THE COLUMBUS ZOO AND THE WILDS!
the wild through our continued participation in a collaborative effort working to protect this species. With 80 percent of our funding in place, we began construction on the North America Trek. This $40 million project, our largest since Adventure Cove, will transform our North American region, one of the oldest Zoo regions, with new habitats for Mexican wolves, black bears, river otters, and more, along with a new restaurant. Our new North America Trek will be ready to welcome guests starting in the spring of 2025. We also completed the first draft of our 2040 framework, our ambitious 16-year master plan that will fundamentally reshape the Columbus Zoo, The Wilds, and include significant additions to Zoombezi Bay and Safari Golf Club. You can read more about these and many other initiatives in the following pages. As we edge closer to our centennial, we are excited about our future as a wildlife conservation institution that encompasses a great Zoo, a wildlife safari park, our region’s only water park, and an award-winning golf course. Collectively, we have the passion and expertise to scale our wildlife conservation efforts, and that work is needed now more than ever. We hope we can count on your guidance and support as we continue our transformation.
We are pleased to present our 2023 Impact Report. We hope you enjoy and are inspired by what we were able to accomplish last year largely due to your support and partnership. We began the year on a strong note, with the notification that we achieved accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Many of our programs received merited recognition, including our diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts; our elephant care, animal training, and wellbeing programs; our educational initiatives; and our commitment to wildlife conservation work here in Central Ohio and around the world. However, we did not stop there. Both the Columbus Zoo and The Wilds achieved American Humane Certified™ distinction for animal care and wellbeing from American Humane, the first national humane organization in the United States. Our commitment to saving wildlife also reached a new level this fall as we shared a major announcement about our work with key wildlife partners to launch several new conservation centers focused on Asian elephants, American bison, mountain and Grauer’s gorillas, and black and white ruffed lemurs. Here at the Zoo, the former My House is transforming into the Ohio Center for Wildlife Conservation, which, for the first time, will bring together all our local and regional conservation projects to highlight local imperiled species. And, speaking of conservation, we completed the rehabilitation of five manatees and returned those animals to Florida for release. We also welcomed two orphaned manatee calves. For the next several years they will spend time at the Zoo growing and getting stronger as we prepare them for eventual release back into
Sincerely,
Tom Schmid President & CEO
Katie Wolfe Lloyd Chairperson, Board of Directors Columbus Zoological Park Association 2023-2024
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