Oregon Zoo's Baby Elephant Helps Smash Attendance Records

By Bill LaMarche 

Portland, OR - A blockbuster dinosaur exhibit, a baby elephant, camps, concerts and family-friendly events helped boost the Oregon Zoo's attendance to 1,621,521 for the fiscal year ending June 30 -- the highest figure in the zoo's 122-year history.

"The strong attendance is a testament to our community's support of the zoo," said Metro Council President David Bragdon. "The zoo not only provides a rich family experience, but also supports conservation education and our vision to create a better future for wildlife."

Oregon Zoo Director Tony Vecchio attributed the record year to the popularity of its dinosaur exhibit last summer and the arrival of Samudra, the charismatic baby elephant who has stolen the hearts of zoo visitors. Vecchio noted that zoo attendance might have been even higher if severe winter storms hadn't forced the zoo to close for nearly a week in late December, a peak time for its popular ZooLights winter light display. ZooLights, a holiday tradition featuring more than a million brightly colored lights, had been on-pace to set its own attendance record before the closures.

Events such as the summer concert series and the World Animal Festival also brought in big numbers, while the increased revenues help the zoo fund its many conservation and education programs.

"We attract large audiences because of our commitment to offer new exhibits and programs," Bragdon said. "With work under way on the new Red Ape Reserve exhibit and the highly anticipated opening of Predators of the Serengeti this fall, I'm very optimistic that we'll continue to be the most well-attended zoo in the Pacific Northwest."

The first time the zoo's attendance topped a million was during 1962-63, the fiscal year immediately following Packy's birth in April 1962. The baby pachyderm drew 1,010,964 spectators from all over the Northwest, eager to see the first elephant born in the United States in 44 years. It wasn't until 1988-89 that the zoo broke the million mark again. Since then, the zoo has welcomed more than a million guests in 17 of the past 20 years.

The Oregon Zoo continues to have the highest attendance of any fee-based tourist attraction in Oregon.

The zoo is a service of Metro and is dedicated to its mission to inspire the community to create a better future for wildlife. Committed to conservation, the zoo is currently working to save endangered California condors, Washington's pygmy rabbits, Oregon silverspot butterflies, western pond turtles, Oregon spotted frogs and Kincaid's lupine. Other projects include studies on black rhinos, Asian elephants, polar bears and bats.

The zoo opens at 8 a.m. daily and is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26. The zoo is also accessible by MAX light rail line. Zoo visitors are encouraged to ride MAX or take TriMet bus No. 63. Visitors who take the bus or MAX receive $1.50 off zoo admission. Call TriMet Customer Service, 503-238-RIDE (7433), or visit www.trimet.org for fare and route information.

General admission is $10.50 (12-64), seniors $9 (65+), children $7.50 (3-11), and infants 2 and under are free; 25 cents of the admission price helps fund regional conservation projects through the zoo's Future for Wildlife program. A parking fee of $2 per car is also required. Additional information is available at www.oregonzoo.org or by calling 503-226-1561.

Caption: Samudra the baby elephant, along with a blockbuster dinosaur exhibit, camps, concerts and family-friendly events, helped boost the Oregon Zoo's attendance to more than 1.6 million for the fiscal year ending June 30 -- the highest figure in the zoo's 122-year history. Photo by Michael Durham, courtesy of the Oregon Zoo.

OREGON ZOO ATTENDANCE HISTORY (Fiscal Year July 1-June 30)

YEAR----TOTAL
08-09-----1,621,521
07-08-----1,500,462
06-07-----1,508,564
05-06-----1,365,459
04-05-----1,331,282
03-04-----1,318,458
02-03-----1,293,597
01-02-----1,319,459
00-01-----1,367,940
99-00-----1,226,002
98-99-----1,047,279
97-98-----1,004,795
96-97-----945,013
95-96-----1,052,810
94-95-----1,151,444
93-94-----1,104,369
92-93-----977,522
91-92-----1,162,078
90-91-----952,925
89-90-----1,080,342
88-89-----1,003,413
87-88-----892,220
86-87-----977,959
85-86-----794,578
84-85-----814,548
83-84-----738,444
82-83-----715,707
81-82-----694,994
80-81-----712,766
79-80-----675,877
78-79-----555,970
77-78-----562,645
76-77-----641,313
75-76-----556,675
74-75-----451,435
73-74-----475,903
72-73-----584,905
71-72-----594,180
70-71-----721,858
69-70-----739,082
68-69-----659,158
67-68-----720,892
66-67-----740,865
65-66-----712,029
64-65-----746,948
63-64-----837,322
62-63-----1,010,964
61-62-----915,911
60-61-----662,842
59-60-----665,775 

To View Oregon Zoo's web page on Zoo and Aquarium Visitor, go to: http://www.zandavisitor.com/forumtopicdetail-382-Oregon_Zoo