Turnaround-From Worse to World Class
 |
|
|
On May 13th, his first day
outdoors, Willie B. explored his new home in The Ford African Rain Forest. |
In 1984, a series of highly publicized events belied deteriorating conditions at the Zoo, prompting Parade Magazine to label the institution as one of the top 10 worst in the nation. A subsequent investigation lost the Zoo its accreditation, and an outraged public demanded that the facility be closed. Mayor Andrew Young appointed an emergency crisis team. In support of a new vision for the Zoo, Young appointed Dr. Terry Maple as interim director. The team set out to address immediate issues, beginning with reducing the collection in order to provide more appropriate living spaces for the animals.
New governance followed, and the nonprofit “Atlanta Fulton County Zoo, Inc.” was created with the Zoo’s privatization in 1985. The first governing board convened that same year, and the rebounding institution emerged with a fresh new name – Zoo Atlanta. Thanks to a stellar capital campaign and an ambitious renovation plan, the Zoo was in redevelopment mode by the following year. A number of high-profile projects, including Flamingo Plaza and the Wildlife Theater, were completed in the late 1980s. Notably, The Ford African Rain Forest opened in 1988, providing the now 30-year-old Willie B. with his first foray outdoors since infancy. The Ford exhibits also created lush habitats for a collection of gorillas loaned by the Yerkes National Primate Research Center at Emory University. Willie B.’s social life became an immediate source of public attention, and Atlantans were delighted when the former bachelor’s first offspring, Kudzoo, arrived in 1994. The silverback would sire four more offspring – Olympia, Sukari, Kidogo and Lulu – over the next five years.
Zoo Atlanta debuted several impressive new exhibits in its centennial year: Masai Mara, featuring a recreation of the African savanna; Mzima Springs, with elephants grazing near an authentic watering hole; and new naturalistic habitats for animals like black rhinos, drills and Sumatran tigers. The Zoo that had once disgraced the city was now a point of pride, receiving awards at the local, state and national levels. Just 10 years after losing its accreditation, Zoo Atlanta hosted the national conference of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA).
| Previous: A Zoo Growing Up and the Advent of Willie B. |
| Next: Pandas to Present |
