A curator, a coati, an exhibit and an attitude

Thursday, Feb. 11, 1999 | 11:21 a.m.

The large yellow banner over the entrance boasts 2.5 acres, 150 species, open 9-5.

A sign in the entrance states: "If you are looking for glitz and glamour, instant gratification or lions and tigers jumping through hoops, please visit the other wildlife available in Las Vegas."

Inside the park, a mule deer shares a small dusty pen with two golden eagles. The only thing separating the animals from the busy traffic on Rancho Drive is a chain-link fence.

The Southern Nevada Zoological-Botanical Park, heavily criticized over the years for its bare cages, questionable animal care and the death of a rare Barbary ape named Mujika in 1993, is still plugging along. With a new exhibit and a new curator, zoo officials are hoping for improvement.

In its 19 years, the zoological park at 1775 N. Rancho Dr. has tripled in size and species. Squeezed between a thrift store and a residential area, the zoo has no room to expand. Because it is nonprofit and relies solely on donations, the improvements don't come as fast as zoo officials -- or the community -- would like, officials say.

"We're pushing and moving it as quickly as we can, totally dependent on the support of the community," said Pat Dingle, director of the Nevada Zoological Foundation. "Everything here can be improved and should be improved. We're not big, beautiful, multimillion-dollar exhibits."

Last year the zoo served 37,000-plus visitors and since its opening has had 694,000 visitors. The annual operations budget is $250,000, which the admission price of $5.95 for adults and $3.95 for seniors and children does not cover.

The zoo offers animal adoption programs, in which people can pledge between $25 to $100 to aid in funding for upkeep, health care and exhibit enhancement. Several hundred donors also provide service, material and financial help, Dara Hall, the zoo's new curator, said.

"Right now our focus is on making improvements within our perimeter," Hall said. "As you can see, this zoo has tons of potential.

"Most zoos are funded by the city or state, we're funded only through donations and volunteers," she said.

The zoo will accept donated animals if there is space, and does not charge a fee to accept the animal, Hall said. One notable exception was one owner of a chimpanzee who wanted the retired primate to have the best home possible and paid for a botanical exhibit with running water.

Walking through the zoo, one can see the future plans in progress. The base for a waterfall in the mule deer exhibit is under construction and expected to be completed within a couple of months. Zoo officials plan to add pine trees to the exhibit as well.

Hall said officials are hoping for funds to build a 10-foot wall between the exhibit and Rancho Drive to stop the sound and keep people from harassing the animals.

"This is our plan," she said as she pointed to the flamingo exhibit, which consists of a small botanical garden with olive trees, a pond, fountain and rocks. "We look forward to more exhibits like this. It's all a matter of funding."

Over the years, however, problems and bad publicity have hampered community support for the zoo, Dingle said.

The death of the Barbary ape, beaten to death by an older female ape during its reintroduction, sparked controversy. Dingle faced a lawsuit by the city for default on a loan. The U.S. Department of Agriculture conducted an investigation into the death of the ape and looked at complaints made by former employees that the animals were cared for improperly.

"The zoo doesn't like to dwell on the past, rather look toward the future," Hall said. "We have a wonderful new image. We're really into education. Things are working very well."

Hall holds a bachelor's degree in biology and a master's degree in education. She works in partnership with the school district to bring classes to the zoo, in addition to working outreach programs.

"They are a valuable resource for teachers and the students," said Candy Schneider, assistant director for the School Community Partnership Program.

"It's a way of learning beyond the classroom."

They zoo also works with magnet schools, such as Clark High School in the area of science, Schneider said.

The zoo holds a mixture of animals from a Bengal tiger to emus, ostriches, coyotes, swamp wallabies and a collection of exotic birds. A number of the animals at the zoo are considered endangered.

Swamp wallabies, a small version of a kangaroo from Australia, rest in the afternoon sun. Lion cubs, new to their cage, sit on a rock in the center and listen curiously to a nearby garbage truck on the other side of the fence.

A $50,000 alligator exhibit is nearing completion. A reptile house under construction will be the zoo's centerpiece.

Roaming the grounds freely are peacocks, pea hen, crested guinea fowl and various chickens.

The zoo's newest arrival, a five-month-old coati, a Central and South American raccoon-like animal, was recently donated by a citizen who kept the animal as a pet.

As Hall stands outside the cage and jingles her keys, the small creature pokes his head out of a wooden house above and runs along a 2-by-4 and down the side of the pen. As soon as he's eye level with Hall, he begins to play.

"The beauty of having a coati here is he has a naturalistic home," Hall said, pointing to the mixture of brush, bamboo and grass litters on the floor of his pen.

"For enrichments we throw in different kinds of leaf litter, hide his food into holes drilled into rocks and branches so he will have to forage for it. They're big climbers and diggers."

Like the new coati, many of the zoo's animals are donated, Hall said. Some animals were purchased, others were rescued.

"Cougie," a mountain lion rescued as a cub after he was found nearly dead, has lived at the zoo for the past 10 years. The dirt floor of his den and debarked tree branches offer little color or diversity.

"This is reality," said Dingle as he points to the cougar exhibit. "This is what we have. What we're looking to do is expand. But the reality is it costs $20,000 to $25,000 to expand the cougar cage."

The Barbary apes, the only ones in North America, also live in a monochrome exhibit.

Creating richer habitats for the animals is possible, Dingle said. "We have no idea when. We work on it every day."

Dingle points to the flamingo pond, "It took so many years to get something nice like this."

For Bonnie Myers, a six-year resident of Nevada, the zoo serves as a sanctuary.

"This is one of my favorite places in Nevada. I hope they will remain here always," she said.

Myers had spent the better part of her morning last Wednesday visiting Zaira, the 19-year-old Bengal tiger.

Myers said she would like to see the zoo continue to grow. "I encourage more people to support the zoo," she said. "With so much money here, the community could do so much more."

Audrey Covner, visiting from San Francisco, expected more when she stopped in at the zoo.

"We came because we're looking for something to do with the kids," she said. "I wouldn't even call this a zoo. They really need big acres."

Her trip wasn't a total disappointment, however. Because she tries teaching her children about endangered species, the animals the zoo offers, especially the Barbary apes, were an interest.

"For what it is, it's great," she said. "There's a place in San Francisco called The Ranch that's similar to this. My opinion is they need a name change."

Dingle, who admits he has heard similar comments from out-of-state visitors, said the cultural things that work in other communities don't always work in Las Vegas. When they do, it's a slow process.

"We're just pioneering these cultural recreational things," he said. "I consider us a huge success by Las Vegas standards.

"It's been a horrendous struggle for 19 years. But I'm committed."

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