Fixing the KC Zoo (ongoing)

[Deleted User]

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[Gorlock]

Michael -

You may not be aware that the zoo is now being run the Friends of the Zoo, not the city.

[ComandanteCero]

Personally i don't mind the walking long distances, my main complaint is that if you are going to walk long distances the walk should be a quality walk. The zoo should focus on making the walk between attractions as cool and interesting as possible by looking to how parks in general create interesting walking experiences. If the path feels completely utilitarian it's no wonder people are going to complain because they know the only reason they are on that path is to get to something else. Now if you capitalized on those long stretches and made them into park like, refreshing/interesting/provoking stretches and marketed the zoo as that kind of hike/naturewalk/zoo experience i think they could really make for an interesting and unique zoo. As an example, for me among the coolest things at the zoo is the pedestrian bridge that goes over the rail tracks. Even if there weren't a destination on the other side i think that pedestrian bridge would be worth visiting. It's a very interesting juxtaposition between "I'm in Africa" and "I'm in Missouri". There are plenty of ways to capitalize on the park's strength (large land area) and perceived weakness (number of animals). All they need is an attention to detail and the full experience, which includes the stretches between animal exhibits.

(i know "naturalist" approaches to zoos aren't in vogue right now, but often with these things it's stupidity in design and how they tried to evoke a "natural" setting that is turning people off rather than natural settings in general)

Of course somepeople just want to look at animal exhibits, and don't want to hike/walk long distances. So for them i think a great option would be a gondola/tram/fatpeoplemover. Also, the zoo as some have mentioned should be funded by a regional tax, so as to make it free since not many people are willing to pay if they know a third of the experience is walking in a park. If it's free they don't feel guilty just exploring a particular section of the zoo for that day and maybe returning the next week for the rest.

[Highlander]

KC zoo has an appropriate home in Swope Park and should remain there. Swope Park is an excellent urban park although much maligned by suburbanites that mistakenly think it's a dangerous place. The park contains an excellent zoo

I don't know where you're from, but Swope Park is avoided by 80% of the population, not just suburbanites and it is avoided by everyone after dark. The only safe attraction is Starlight because of it's proximity to a major thoroughfare. Swope Park is a terrible location for the zoo, the only major highway is I-435 and even that is barely accessible. The park is dangerous, the zoo is poolry ran and KC could do better. I say scrap the current zoo and rebuild a smaller zoo and aqaurium next door to Union Station.

I'm from KCMO. I don't live there but visit every opportunity I have and have absolutely no fear of visiting the zoo (and why would you ever want to go to the zoo at night anyway?). I think the fear of Swope Park in general, and the zoo in particular, is misplaced and overblown. I have never heard of a security problem at the zoo outside of feral dogs attacking animals. At the very good Denver zoo, on the other hand, an infant was hit in the head by a stray bullet while I lived in the city....yet the zoo remains a favorite place to take children. The Swope Park zoo has incredible potential due to its areal sizeand location in a hilly forested park. Sure it has problems (like being too spread out...which is a feature I rather like) but those are in the process of being addressed. Rather than go on, suffice to say that I agree with CC's comments

I do not think zoos belong in densely urbanized areas like around Union Station. For one thing, the urban heat island created by the amount of asphalt and concrete raises temps to the point where the animals would be listless and uncomfortable. Even in Europe, the zoos remain on the outskirts of towns rather than in the central portion of the cities. A zoo in the area you prescribe would be hemmed in without opportunity for growth, out of sync with the surrounding area and interests of those visiting DT, and take up space that could be better used for a ballpark etc...

[KansasCityCraka]

One correction Grid...We dont need or want the KC Zoo.

[GRID]

One correction Grid...We dont need or want the KC Zoo.

Having been FOTZ for six years, I disagree .

It's getting better and should be much better this year.  Need to get the polar bear, penguin and Asia exhibits built and it could be a great zoo and yes, we have been to most of America's great zoos like San Antonio, San Diego, Omaha and Chicago.

We don't "need" a zoo, I would like to have a nice one though.

[Highlander]

Having been FOTZ for six years, I disagree .

It's getting better and should be much better this year.  Need to get the polar bear, penguin and Asia exhibits built and it could be a great zoo and yes, we have been to most of America's great zoos like San Antonio, San Diego, Omaha and Chicago.

We don't "need" a zoo, I would like to have a nice one though.

One last comment on the zoo, I was FOTZ for many years too, the KC zoo gets a bum rap.  What they do, they do as well as anybody in the world.  Africa and Australia are world class exhibits.  There just are not enough animals outside the marquee exhibits but that is starting to change too. 

[GRID]

^ Africa is an amazing exhibit, but this is KC and people hate having to walk.

The main, old part of the zoo needs attention and should be getting it in phases in the next few years.

One beef I have with the zoo is that it closes so early, especially in the summer time.

The zoo should be under a metro funding organization.  KCMO funds the zoo alone and once again, that just doesn't work too well.

[Highlander]

The zoo should be under a metro funding organization.  KCMO funds the zoo alone and once again, that just doesn't work too well.

I agree.  Frankly, this is one place where I think you would see metro-wide support for a bi-state.  The common thread in all of KC is that it is a "family" city and families do love zoos...even ones that require a modicum of walking.  I believe Johnson county would even rally behind a bistate plan for a kick-ass zoo.

Sorry for the departure from topic. 

[kcdcchef]

^ Africa is an amazing exhibit, but this is KC and people hate having to walk.

The main, old part of the zoo needs attention and should be getting it in phases in the next few years.

One beef I have with the zoo is that it closes so early, especially in the summer time.

The zoo should be under a metro funding organization.  KCMO funds the zoo alone and once again, that just doesn't work too well.

friends of the zoo is a great group, i was in it for 8 years. nice people too.

one thing that we all kind of agreed on in f.o.t.z, when i was in it, was that the primary problem with the kansas city zoo, was it was built, like the rest of kansas city, WAYY to sprawled out, which, is what makes it hard to make it into something nice.

the africa exhibit, is great, i really like it, they did a good job redoing it in 1990, an i agree, kansas citians despise walking "all the way out there"

[LenexatoKCMO]

It probably hasn't helped to have the modern, high quality part of the zoo way at the back behind the more dumpy, out of date areas up front.  I am sure a lot of first time/out of town visitors waste a large chunk of their visit on the more underwhelming parts up front and by the time they find their way to the cooler parts, they are running out of time.  Hopefully the projects they are working on now will help to remedy some of this. 

[Highlander]

It probably hasn't helped to have the modern, high quality part of the zoo way at the back behind the more dumpy, out of date areas up front.  I am sure a lot of first time/out of town visitors waste a large chunk of their visit on the more underwhelming parts up front and by the time they find their way to the cooler parts, they are running out of time.  Hopefully the projects they are working on now will help to remedy some of this. 

I believe current construction at the zoo is designed to provide a more direct route to the Africa exhibit.  Actually, the entrance of the zoo is really nice and the upfront areas, while set back from the entrance, were remodeled in the 90's.  Much of the dumpier part of the zoo has been abandoned (e.g., the old bear pits and the ape house).  Nonetheless, some type of transportation to the Africa exhibit would be helpful but the current system which is a motorized tram like they have at the WOF parking lots is terrible.  It embarks from the entrance of the zoo and goes directly to Africa so the rest of the zoo is not even visited by most people and there is more there than one might think. 

[trailerkid]

The IMAX is not closing now. The zoo negotiated something with IMAX and it's staying open...advertising has started again and there is a Tom Hanks narrated film showing there currently.

[cpt4599]

Did anyone see the article in the Star yesterday about the zoo getting 2 tigers.  Thats good news. 
Here's the link. 

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascit ... 227821.htm

[Highlander]

This is a very good article on the plans for the KC Zoo.  While I think criticism of the zoo has been overblown, it seems they are addressing the key issues that did detract from the experience.  These include increasing animal density and moving away from an overly educational theme, getting some exhibits up close to the entrance, making the zoo entrance more accessible, and making access to the Africa exhibit more direct.  They are also adding a large polar bear exhibit and tropical exhibit and are trying to secure funding to put penguins and otters near the entrance.  They still need to do a better job with signage (just more information on the species and geographical range would be a great start) and they need to increase the number of species in addition to the current plans.  Swope Park offers the ideal environmental setting to house a really spectacular natural-habitat oriented zoo in an urban area.    In any event, even though I do not live in KC,  I think I will rejoin the Friends of the Zoo...the article has inspired me. 

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/14406824.htm

[KCMax]

Is anyone here a "Friend of the Zoo"? What does that get you exactly? What are the obligations?

[GuyInLenexa]

Is anyone here a "Friend of the Zoo"? What does that get you exactly? What are the obligations?

I belong to KC FOTZ, the benefits vary from what type of membership you get.  The one my daughter and I have is called an Associate, it gives you five single day passes per year, one T-Shirt, invitations to special events, a newsletter, and discounts to many other zoos in the US.

We get our moneys worth from it.

GIL

[SWFan]

Is anyone here a "Friend of the Zoo"? What does that get you exactly? What are the obligations?

To me FOTZ is just an outlet for the zoo to collect private funds to help with zoo operation expenses.  So, a FOTZ membership is not going to give you much other than to say you're a member supporting your local zoo.  There are no obligations other than to actually pay them for the membership.

For more information check out the page at the zoo website,

http://www.kansascityzoo.org/FotZ/Index ... &x=110|010&~=

[Highlander]

To me FOTZ is just an outlet for the zoo to collect private funds to help with zoo operation expenses.  So, a FOTZ membership is not going to give you much other than to say you're a member supporting your local zoo.  There are no obligations other than to actually pay them for the membership.

For more information check out the page at the zoo website,

http://www.kansascityzoo.org/FotZ/Index ... &x=110|010&~=

While that is more or less true, the discounts at other zoos in the country (if you travel a lot) are a nice perk.  In any event, the zoo is among my favorite charities in the city, I do not mind giving up some money to help them out even if I do not receive that much of a benefit. 

[trailerkid]

IMO, after a few infrastructure issues are addressed at the Zoo, the biggest issue is marketing. I don't know how much they are paying Bernstein Rein, but they're not doing a very good job of getting people excited about the KC Zoo.

From my own experiences and other people I know...there isn't much of anything actually wrong with the KC Zoo. Of course, some new attractions will help, but if the biggest complaint is about walking from the parking lot to the main entrance I think we're doing OK. More needs to be done to get people in the FOTZ and get the zoo buzzing with people.