In many cases, they were provided by backyard breeders and unaccredited roadside zoos and disappeared into private hands after those appearances.Īs publicity around the film grew, Hanna's relatives said they hadn't seen it and could not comment on the claims.
#DINOSAUR ISLAND COLUMBUS ZOO TV#
The film tied the zoo and Hanna to the big cat trade, showing that some tiger, lion and snow leopard cubs that had been Hanna's fuzzy and adorable companions on TV neither came from nor returned to the zoo. Yet even more wrenching were the accusations leveled in the documentary “The Conservation Game,” which premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on April 6. Twenty-nine full- and part-time employees were furloughed, and 33 non-animal care positions across the zoo and The Wilds were eliminated. Yet, that year, it was closed for weeks, ultimately sustaining $20 million in operational losses. More than half its earned revenue comes from admissions and other sales, such as food and gift items. Typically, Columbus Zoo is open 363 days a year.
The spending abuse was a particularly painful blow after the pandemic-related financial hardship of 2020. Investigations by Ohio's state auditor and attorney general are still underway, their spokespeople said. The findings were confirmed in subsequent reviews, including a forensic analysis that found financial abuses by Stalf, Bell and two other former executives cost the zoo more than $630,000. Interim CEO Jerry Borin has overseen zoo business since then-CEO Tom Stalf and his chief financial officer, Greg Bell, resigned in March after a Columbus Dispatch investigation found they allowed relatives to live in houses owned or controlled by the zoo and sought tickets for family members to attend entertainment events. “The people who took liberties in their power are gone, and the people who are cleaning up the mess in the room, under new leadership, we're moving forward. “We can’t change what happened in the past, but we’ve done a lot to admit those wrongs, to apologize and to address our shortcomings," said zoo spokesperson Nicolle Gomez Racey. Keith Shumate, chair of the zoo's board, called Schmid “extremely smart, ethical and passionate about zoos and wildlife conservation." 6 as president and CEO of the zoo and its related businesses, including The Wilds safari park and conservation center and Zoombezi Bay water park. “It’s been a tough year for the Columbus Zoo, yes,” said association president Dan Ashe, while adding that the zoo’s roughly 2 million visitors a year can still be assured the facility’s 10,000 animals are well cared for.Īshe said bringing in Tom Schmid, who currently heads the Texas State Aquarium, as the zoo’s new leader bodes well: “He’s going to bring the Columbus Zoo roaring back.” Zoo officials filed an intent to appeal last week. In October, citing the financial and animal rights revelations, a commission of the respected Association of Zoos and Aquariums stripped the Columbus Zoo of its main accreditation.
A day later, in timing they said was unrelated, Hanna's family announced he had dementia and would retire from public life.
Then in April, just as a streaming international TV channel named for him was launching, a damning animal rights documentary alleging Hanna had ties to the big cat trade premiered in California. The next week, the zoo's beloved 29-year-old bonobo Unga died, and a 4-year-old cheetah injured a zookeeper. In March, news of a financial scandal broke. 1, the first day of famous zookeeper Jack Hanna's retirement after 42 years as the beloved celebrity director-turned-ambassador of the nation’s second-largest zoo.Īs if the khaki-wearing “Jungle Jack” were the life's breath of the institution that his upbeat animal-loving persona and masses of TV appearances made famous, the zoo seemed to deflate from there. COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium had a bear of a year.
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