News - Local

Sunday, Jul. 05, 2009

Zoo’s work moves ahead: Atascadero aims for accreditation renewal

Charles Paddock Zoo revamps relationship with local group, anticipates arrival of new tiger from San Diego

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The Charles Paddock Zoo in Atascadero must move forward with planned maintenance projects and enhance its relationship with the Central Coast Zoo Society before its accreditation will be renewed.

The national Association of Zoos and Aquariums tabled the city-owned zoo’s accreditation in March — giving the city one year to address the association’s concerns.

The zoo remains accredited during the process.

An accreditation team, formed by zoological peers nationwide, will visit the zoo again in November to assess its progress.

If none is made, the zoo could lose its standing with the association.

The zoo, established in 1955, is one of the smallest accredited zoos in the nation. It has been accredited since 1991.

Accreditation is essential because of the large network of resources it offers, zoo director Alan Baker said.

When the zoo’s Indochinese tiger, Sala, died in early June, Baker immediately contacted the association to vie for another.

The tiger exhibit has long been a key attraction.

“For us, a tiger is a big deal,” Baker said. “It is our signature animal, and losing Sala left a huge hole in the zoo.”

Baker was able to use the resources of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to secure a new tiger.

The year-old male Indochinese tiger, coming from the San Diego Zoo, will arrive some time in the coming months.

Brad Cherry, the city’s community services director, said the city remains optimistic that the zoo will once again be accredited.

“The last two times the zoo was evaluated for reaccreditation, the commission identified issues that it wanted us to address, and we did so successfully,” Cherry said. “The new requests are things we can easily address.”

Of the eight issues raised by the commission, five focus on the relationship between the zoo and the Central Coast Zoo Society.

The commission is concerned that the society is not doing enough to provide financial support for the zoo.

Baker said that over the years, zoological societies have shifted from small volunteer support groups to a corporate emphasis.

“Our zoo society has always been a little behind,” said Baker, adding that the society has reformed and revamped six times in the past 10 years. “It has been a struggle for us, but everyone is genuinely trying.”

Jon Jaeger, president of the society’s board of directors, said the Central Coast Zoo Society is well on its way to becoming more of what the association wants.

The society has rebranded its image, formed under a new nonprofit group, changed the majority of its board and is aligning its strategic plan with the zoo’s plan, according to its leaders.

“We are a better organization now than we were two years ago,” Jaeger said. “We’ve changed our mission and our focus to a capital campaign versus a bake sale mentality.

“But we, like everyone else, have been handicapped with the economy,” he added. “We continue to focus internally so that when the economy turns around we will be ready.”

Baker said ongoing conversations between the city and the society will determine the best way to proceed.

Meanwhile, the time to complete maintenance projects, such as a $500,000 upgrade to the zoo’s dated single unisex bathroom, is getting smaller.

The project is in the planning review process and likely won’t go out to bid for another month.

Baker said he isn’t daunted by the work ahead.

“The (association) wants us accredited — they are trying to help us,” he said. “This process is their way of saying, ‘What can we do to make Charles Paddock Zoo a great one?’ ”

Reach AnnMarie Cornejo at 781-7939.