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Where the Wild Things are Expensive
Gladys Porter faring better than some zoos during recession
Lions, tigers and bears could be among the casualties of the country's slumping economy, as state and local governments cut funding to zoos and botanical gardens.
Brownsville's Gladys Porter Zoo, like most of the nation's nonprofit organizations, will not go unscathed by the recession. But compared to other zoos around the country, the outlook for the zoo in Brownsville is promising, local zoo directors said.
In New York, Gov. David Paterson cut zoo funding in half, and in North Carolina and California, millions of dollars have been diverted from elephant exhibits and facility repairs.
Attendance at Gladys Porter in 2008 remained strong, with more than 400,000 visitors accounting for 47 percent of the institution's $4.2 million budget. It was the second-most successful year in the past decade.
In terms of public funding, the zoo is subject to the government's financial woes - but less so than many larger zoos, which depend on niche federal and state grants.
Gladys Porter received about a 10 percent of its funding - the equivalent of $525,000 in 2009 - from the city of Brownsville. With that money secured, the zoo has been granted the gift of financial stability in a year of economic tumult.
But that might not continue into 2010, zoo officials acknowledge.
"In 2009, we'll be OK," said Cynthia Galvan, the zoo's director of marketing. "But if (government) funding is cut and the endowment decreases ... we'll have to think about ways to generate more revenue."
Zoo upkeep can be a daunting undertaking. Large mammals consume thousands of dollars in food every year. Gladys Porter's 15 gorillas cost between $80 and $90 to feed every day. Its 12 tigers cost $170 to feed daily.
Gladys Porter directors are determined not to cut programs or services such as administrators at the Maryland Zoo and Los Angeles Zoo were forced to do in the past few months. But with 14 percent of Gladys Porter's income deriving from private contributions, which are then invested in the stock market, there is an element of uncertainty.
More than one-third of nonprofit organizations around the country have seen a decrease in donations this year, according to Guidestar, a Virginia-based research group.
To increase its revenue, the Gladys Porter Zoo now is looking to rent out its facilities for parties and events and pushing for an increase in memberships.
After hearing about the state of some of the country's big-name zoos, Gladys Porter employees acknowledged their good fortune.
"When our endowment was set up in the ‘80s, the founders were looking out for our long-term viability," Galvan said. "If not for them, we could be in a similar position."
Cost of feeding gorilla:
$4/day per gorilla
$28/week per gorilla
Total cost of feeding all 15 gorillas:
$630 per week
Source: Gladys Porter Zoo
Cost of feeding tiger:
$14/day per tiger
$98/week per tiger
Total cost of feeding all 12 tigers:
$1,190 per week
Source: Gladys Porter Zoo
