The Oakland Zoo is Ready to Grow – 2009 

**September 10, 2009 Community Meeting:

Click Here for more details about the community meeting.

Click Here to view the agenda for the meeting.

Click Here to open a visual facilitation map from the meeting, produced by Julie Gieseke (www.mapthemind.org).

**The Oakland Zoo hosted a Community Meeting on May 18, Click Here to see newly added information about the project.
The added files are at the bottom of the page. If you have more questions, you may call 510-632-9525, ext 178.  

Oakland Zoo’s History of Success: The Oakland Zoo is a successful 87 year-old East Bay institution with a history of progress and growth. Currently, the Zoo serves 550,000 visitors annually, and draws visitors from across Northern California.

• The East Bay Zoological Society is a 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization with a volunteer Board of Trustees representing the community.

• We have spent two decades renewing each section of the Zoo, overseeing $32 million in revitalization. 

• The Zoo pioneered a humane animal management technique now considered a standard in the industry, termed “protected contact,” which places barriers between the keepers and elephants, and all animal keepers practice persuasion through rewards and positive reinforcement rather than physical discipline.

• As a regional resource and major Bay Area attraction, the Zoo serves over 50,000 children through our educational activities and programs each year, of whom a significant number are offered free admission through our Zoo-to-Community program.

• The Zoo is an active center of research, conservation, and education for Bay Area families and educators.

• The Zoo participates in field conservation worldwide, contributing to preservation of wild communities and habitats.

Oakland Zoo Project – 2009 

Oakland Zoo Mission:

The Oakland Zoo inspires respect for and stewardship of the natural world while providing a quality visitor experience. We accomplish this mission by developing and maintaining naturalistic habitats for the animals in our care; providing leadership in superior animal management practices; delivering quality education programs; and participating in projects that conserve wildlife.

At the Oakland Zoo, our animals enjoy excellent care and quality of life that reflects our animal keepers’ and veterinarians’ dedication to our mission and commitment to every animal. The Zoo has become a magnet for exotic animals that have been rescued and are in need of a place of rehabilitation and a new life. Every year, we welcome new additions—the creatures who are born at the Zoo. Because of the success of our Animal Management and Veterinary Care programs, the Zoo’s population as a whole is growing, getting older, and in need of more specialized care.

The construction of a new hospital is the most urgent need of the Oakland Zoo, and is at the heart of our mission. Our current hospital was built in 1960 to accommodate one part-time veterinarian and a few hundred animals. The Zoo’s current staff includes two full-time veterinarians and two technicians who serve our current collection of 650 animals. In order to continue to provide the best care for our diverse collection of animals, accommodate additional animals, and expand opportunities for teaching and research partnerships, it is vital to build this new facility.