The Toledo Zoo is celebrating an attendance record thanks to a banner 2015.
More than 1.3 million people visited the zoo last year, surpassing by 50,000 the previous record set in 1988 when the zoo exhibited giant pandas on loan from China.
“We are seeing people who first started bringing their children to the zoo many years ago now enjoying it with their grandchildren, and looking forward to their families continuing to enjoy it for many more years to come,” Executive Director Jeff Sailer said in a news release. “That speaks volumes about the delight and excitement the zoo brings to this community.”
The zoo also recently celebrated a record attendance at Lights Before Christmas, which ended Sunday. More than 230,000 people attended the 30th-annual holiday event, besting the 2014 record of 207,000 visitors. The holiday event also broke a single-day attendance record Dec. 12 with more than 19,500 visitors.
The zoo noted the late-March reopening of its historic and completely renovated aquarium was a primary factor in the zoo’s attendance last year. The zoo also opened the new pheasantry and Aquarium Adventure Trail playground and splash pad.
Awards and accolades earned in 2015 include the iconic “Big Tree” being named one of the Top 5 Most Beautiful Christmas Trees by Parade.com, being voted one of the Best Zoo Lights displays in the nation by USA Today’s 10 Best, named a Standout in Ohio tourism by OhioTraveler.com, and being recognized by Scenic Ohio.
In November, Lucas County voters also approved the renewal of a 10-year, 1-mill capital improvement levy.
“The Toledo Zoo is very grateful for the incredible support this past year,” Mr. Sailer said. “We take pride in being a year-round, family-friendly destination.”
New species added to the zoo’s collection in 2015 include two yaks, two Bactrian camels, three red pandas, and three Tasmanian devils. The zoo also celebrated the births of four saddle-billed stork chicks; Wakil, a male orangutan; and Mei Mei, a female Francois’ langur. Additional new zoo residents included three male gray wolves, three young Galapagos tortoises, three reindeer, and three young male cheetahs.
Conservation efforts across the world and in the local region in 2015 included the release of nearly 700 tagged monarch butterflies, maintaining more than 25 acres of native prairies in the region, and rearing more than 300 hellbender salamanders and releasing 28 into cleaned–up streams in southeastern Ohio. Zoo staff also participated in conservation efforts across the globe, including bird relocations in the Mariana Islands, collaring a snow leopard in Kyrgyzstan, and conducting Tasmanian devil research in Tasmania, boa research in Cuba and Aruba, and polar bear studies in Canada.
“The success of the zoo is truly a triumph for the whole community as many of our visitors also patronize other local businesses and attractions during their visits to the area,” Mr. Sailer said. “We are proud to be a contributing member of this community and look forward to all that 2016 has in store.”
First Published January 7, 2016, 4:58 p.m.