Care. Conservation. Connection.
their world, our impact
— in support of the oregon zoo —
Our annual Gratitude Report gives an inside look at the collaborative impact of the Oregon Zoo, the Oregon Zoo Foundation and the community. We can’t do this work alone — it takes a herd.
a letter for you
Thank you to our pack.
Amelia Gray
How do you provide exceptional care to over 2,000 animals daily? How do you bring a species like the California condor back from the brink of extinction? How do you build science and nature connections that will guide the next generation? The answer to all of these questions begins with you.
You sustain work that makes a world of difference — for wildlife and for all the people working at the Oregon Zoo and Oregon Zoo Foundation. This year’s annual gratitude report is all about you and your impact.
After years of planning and construction, we opened three new habitats in 2021. Polar bear siblings Nora and Amelia Gray are making a big splash in their saltwater pools at Polar Passage. The chimpanzee family is settled in at Primate Forest. And two eastern black rhinos, King and Jozi, have moved in at Rhino Ridge, heralding a new chapter in the conservation of this critically endangered species. You made these habitats a reality.
When you read about the conservation of Rodrigues flying foxes, or about a young college-bound man who was transformed by his zoo apprenticeship, know that you are at the center of these stories. None of this work is possible without you.
We hope your upcoming visits to the zoo are filled with joy and happy memories because that’s what you’ve brought to so many others with your generosity.
Thank you for sparking hope and helping create a better future for wildlife!
With gratitude,
Julie Fitzgerald, Executive Director
Oregon Zoo Foundation
Sharla Settlemier, Chair
Oregon Zoo Foundation Board of Trustees
you make a world of difference
The pack impact.
Here are a few examples of the work your generosity sustained this year.
improved landscaping led to
5 HAPPY ROARS
IN THE LION YARD
You added new logs, improved drainage and created safer pathways for the lions and their care staff.
Zawadi Mungu
King
animal care
A new chapter
for rhinos at the zoo.
With two new residents at Rhino Ridge, some might say this expanded new habitat was made for royalty!
King, a 3,000-pound male rhinoceros, came to us from Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo in September; he was born at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo in 2013.
conservation
Every little bat helps.
3 bat babies are living proof that
people can make a difference for wildlife.
In 2021, three Rodrigues flying foxes — Phil, Prince and Rocky — were born at the Oregon Zoo, adding to the growing population of a bat species once considered the most imperiled on the planet.
“Each new arrival is significant for this species,” said Amy Cutting,
the zoo’s interim director of animal care and conservation. “Forty years ago, Rodrigues flying foxes were at the very brink of extinction.
The fact that they’re still around shows how people can make a difference for wildlife.”
Bruce Wayne & Walter
connection
Zoo Animal Presenters.
Three-year paid apprenticeship builds skills and community for area youth.
Zoo Animal Presenters, or ZAP, is a grant-funded program that employs young people as educators at the Oregon Zoo.
ZAP teens serve for three years, receiving training and mentoring to hone their leadership and job skills and while exploring job and career opportunities.
For 22 years, ZAPs have: provided outreach to partner organizations like the Boys and Girls Clubs; taught outdoor recreation skills and environmental concepts…
great impact
All the stories we love.
Together for wildlife and people.
Since 2008, the Oregon Zoo and Oregon Zoo Foundation have supported community-based organizations working to conserve threatened species.
One Day At Your Zoo
From inspiring education programs to on-the-ground conservation efforts, we are working to create a better future for wildlife and for us all.
You are part of something special.
Memories linger like snapshots in our minds. Years later, we can relive the hot summer day we saw an elephant splashing in the pool or an orangutan building
it takes a pack
Your financial impact.
