bronx zoo

New York City's Bronx Zoo, the largest metropolitan wildlife preserve in the United States, is being hit hard by the economy. To prevent a $15 million budget shortfall, zoo officials are closing four exhibits and evicting all their occupants, estimated to number in the hundreds of animals.

Zoo officials admitted in a New York City Cultural Affairs Committee meeting today that they are forced to relocate the suddenly homeless deer, bats, foxes, antelopes and other animals to zoos around the country.

This is sad. Allie and I are going next week, I'll be sure to donate extra (not that it will help).

As a child growing up in Connecticut, I visited the Bronx Zoo at least five to ten times a year.It was my Disney World and science classroom rolled into one and it inspired a lifelonglove of zoology that led directly (eventually) to ZooBorns .Therefore it was with extremeconcern that I learned of Governor Paterson's proposal to cut funding for New York zoos, aquariums and botanic gardens from $9 million to $4 million in 2009 andcut funding entirely by 2010.

The Governor's plan is to focus funding on "capital initiatives that provide ongoing environmental benefits" rather than "annual operating support" to organizations. I believe the rationale behind this approach to be deeply flawed. Zoos and aquariums communicate the importance of conservation ina tangible way that environmental engineering projects simply cannot. What is more, they reach a far larger and more diverse audience, including millions of children, sowing the seedsofconcern for the living world around us. Essentially whatthese institutions provide is education inits most captivating and inspiring form. I can think of no more worthwhile investmentfor "ongoing environmental benefits" than the education provided by the Wildlife Conservation Society - the umbrella organization for the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, and New York Aquarium.

The Governor's office can be emailed here: http://161.11.121.121/govemail