Zoo president speaks to chamber

Chris Pfefferkorn, president and CEO of the Birmingham Zoo, spoke about the current and future changes at the zoo to the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce on May 14.

Pfefferkorn, who began as president last year, is originally from Peoria, Illinois, said the zoo relies on its many fundraising opportunities throughout the state, as well as its ticket sales. The zoo has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums for more than 20 years.

The zoo has 315 annual employees, $28 million in economic impact, 80,000 children educated, 113,000 zoo members and about 600,000 guests annually, Pfefferkorn said.

It has hosted field trips from all but five counties in the state of Alabama, and has been “making memories since 1955,” Pfefferkorn said.

Since 1999, when the zoo and the city of Birmingham created a public-private partnership, the zoo has made almost $50 million of capital improvements, Pfefferkorn said. Their reach extends far beyond Birmingham, with half of their 2018 ticket sales coming from outside Birmingham and 25% of their sales coming from outside of the state of Alabama.

It made news recently by becoming the first zoo in the U.S. to become “sensory inclusive,” meaning they seek to provide parents and caregivers of guests with autism different tools they need, such as fidget toys, a calming space and other items, to have an enjoyable day at the zoo. Pfefferkorn said the zoo is still working with other organizations to help others who have different needs enjoy their time at the zoo.

The Birmingham Zoo is also the only zoo in the U.S. to successfully manage a group of African male elephants, Pfefferkorn said, and they’ve worked to “recreate a piece of Africa.”

Pfefferkorn’s work in Africa has taken him to Zimbabwe, where he has partnered with farmers there to mitigate their loss of livestock to predators like leopards and hyenas, so as to both protect livestock and the predators. Pfefferkorn has also connected Birmingham-area students with ZooSchool students in Zimbabwe, who are learning about the zoo, its animals and conservation.

Pfefferkorn told the crowd that employees at the zoo are also eligible for grants, with 32 employees receiving 40 grants since 2012. Those grants are used to conduct conservation research projects all over the world,  Pfefferkorn said.

The zoo is currently working to expand and upgrade their entrance, with the ribbon-cutting for the entrance set for June 27, Pfefferkorn said. They’re also creating new habitats for animals such as the bobcat and cougar, an Asian Passage exhibit to be in the current predator building, as well as a Golden Eagle Habitat, which includes a ropes course to allow visitors to view exhibits from the tree canopy.

For more information about the zoo, visit birminghamzoo.com.

Next month’s luncheon, set for June 11, will feature Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill, who recently won his second term in office after first being elected in November 2014. Merrill, a Republican, is from Wedowee, and a graduate and former SGA President of the University of Alabama.