Oregon Zoo's Egyptian spiny mice exhibit opens May 5th

Media Release:

METRO COUNCIL APPROVES BOND TO PROTECT ANIMAL HEALTH, SAFETY
Zoo seeks more humane conditions for animals, improved water conservation systems

PORTLAND, OR -- Late this afternoon, the Metro Council -- that governs the Oregon Zoo -- unanimously approved an initiative allowing the zoo to seek a $125-million bond to protect animal health and safety. The bond would also make the zoo more sustainable in its operations, while addressing serious water conservation issues.

The public will vote this November on issues relating to the zoo's aging infrastructure and the dilapidated veterinary hospital and quarantine facility. The bond measure also calls for improved conditions for elephants, polar bears, chimpanzees, hippos and penguins.

The measure focuses on five areas:

Providing more humane care for animals by updating four outdated and undersized enclosures with larger, more natural and safer spaces.
Protecting animal health and safety by modernizing the zoo's substandard 45-year-old animal clinic, which was deemed deficient by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Increasing access to conservation education by providing more space for summer camps, classes and hands-on learning for kids, adults and families.
Improving water quality by replacing the 1950s-era sewer system, while reducing pollution by separating sewage from storm water. The zoo would also harvest rain runoff for reuse.
Conserving and reusing water by installing water recycling filtration systems, while replacing leaking, worn-out plumbing and irrigation systems. These changes will save 11 million gallons of water annually.

The bond cost estimate is less than 9 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value per year. The average homeowner in the region would pay $1.38 per month. The average cost per household would be $16.56 for an assessed home value at $190,000. The average Metro region assessed property value is $190,000. Bonds mature in 21 years or less.

Accountability requirements include internal audits, an annual independent financial audit published in local media, and the creation of a citizens' oversight committee to monitor spending and recommend project modification if needed.

The zoo is a service of Metro and is dedicated to its mission to inspire the community to create a better future for wildlife. Committed to conservation, the zoo is currently working to save endangered California condors, Washington pygmy rabbits, Oregon silverspot butterflies, western pond turtles and Kincaid's lupine. Other projects include studies on black rhinos, Asian elephants, polar bears and bats.