Letter: Las Vegas Zoo is doing the best it can

Friday, Nov. 23, 2007 | 7:15 a.m.

I couldn't agree more with letter writer James Behrendt ("Zoo is small but needs an upgrade," Nov. 20.) He goes on to say the staff was extremely friendly, for which I thank him, and I agree. He then wrote, "I think they deserve more money from the city to fix the place up and make it a high-quality small zoo." More money from the city? If we were to receive a dollar in grant money from the city of Las Vegas it would be a dollar more than we have ever received from it in our 25-year history.

In fact, although the 3-acre Las Vegas Zoo is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we pay the city, county and state entities more than $10,000 each year for licenses, fees and the privilege of serving our community. Money we would rather use toward improving your zoo.

That does not mean to imply that our wonderful family of rare and endangered species of birds, mammals and reptiles does not receive the best of care or diets.

The San Diego Zoo has been our mentor for more than 25 years and has placed many animals with us. The San Diego Zoo has declared our Fossa exhibit the best in the United States, far superior to its own, and it is a world-class zoo. In a few weeks it's bringing up a large cat so rare she's the last one of her species in this country.

We do the best we can with what we have but it takes good people in the community to turn this diamond-in-the-rough zoo into the gem of Las Vegas we all want. San Diego understands that.

Pat Dingle, Las Vegas