Show Zoo reo requesting 33 mi million ion bond Dominique Snow Community Editor Utah's Hogle Zoo is hoping to upgrade the conditions of its animal habitats However it is unable to do so without a 33 m million bond In November the Zoo hopes that Salt Lake County voters will choose Yes Yes' on Proposition 2 which would authorize the bond Its time timeY to upgrade Some of these exhibits are over 40 years old Renew the Zoo spokesperson Maura Carabello said If passed the 33 million dollars bond would be issued on the condition that the Zoo first raise 11 million in private funding to supplement the public funding debt This would cost the average County household 39 cents per month according to the Zoos Zoo's Web site If the proposal passes the first thing that would be bu built It Itis is an animal care center which would be finished by November December of 2009 The plan also includes adding two news exhibits The Artic Artie Exhibit would include bringing Polar Bears wolves and seals back to the zoo The other exhibit would be phase one of the African Savannah This will be a habitat for giraffes rhino zebras and other animals found in Africa The Artic Artie exhibit is a priority for the Zoo because wilderness habitats are becoming more endangered due to Global Warming Polar Bears are endangered in their natural environment This exhibit is part of the Zoos Zoo's mission of conservation The Zoo needs the public bond money to make the needed renovations Poor Continued on i flu 1 L' L Lc c r s y I P a t. k 1 f 4 II I e be tale e p photo oto ar t. t 4 I i YF I t tr t r r 4 r AM p 1 rR Y F 1 e o r e p to o Poor animals Continued from Al When youre you're talking about massive capital improvement profit non-profit institutions just cant It would take 40 30 years of stock piling this revenue Carabello said The Bond money would not be used to operate the Zoo The new exhibits are expensive to build but butare butare butare are expected to last for decades This is a once-in- once generation a-generation improvement If authorized the Bond money is expected to be paid off in 20 years The Zoo is an accredited member of the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums until September of 2009 The accreditation is given to only ten percent of the zoos and aquariums in the nation AZA holds high standards its members puts an emphasis on education and conservation making it itan itan itan an educational zoo facility ity differing it from wildlife preserve Hogle Zoo wants to put animals in a more humane condition that is more like their natural environment They w would uld like to make their habitats more natural and less like an exhibit Those interested in the bond proposal can find information at and th then n click on the Renew the Zoo icon on the lefthand lefthand lefthand left- left hand side of the page Its a rare fundamental infrastructure upgrade and the Zoo is contributing a lot lotof lotof lotof of private money towards the campaign But they need that extra little public bump to get to that level of the capital stability Carabello said |