Dear Friends - Denver Zoo

Dear Friends:DENVER ZOOLOGICAL FOUNDATION, INC.2300 STEELE STREETDENVER, COLORADO 80205-4899WEBSITEwww.denverzoo.orgZOO INFORMATION720.337.1400In cooperation with theCity and County of DenverACCREDITED BY THEPRINTING BYWelcome to a special publication celebrating the next major milestone in Denver Zoo’s 116-year history, ToyotaElephant Passage. The outpouring of support for Toyota Elephant Passage has been phenomenal. We wouldlike to thank everyone who has supported this incredible endeavor. In 1999, the voters of Denver approved zooimprovement bond funds that provided 50 percent of the funding for Toyota Elephant Passage. This project wouldnot be possible without the support of the citizens of Denver. With more than 3,000 donors to the project, it is trulyamazing how many gifts we received from our staff, volunteers, members, children and the community as a whole tohelp us exceed our $50 million campaign goal. We are especially grateful for the generous support and commitmentof our naming sponsor, the Denver Toyota Dealers Association, and other major supporters, including The AnschutzFoundation, El Pomar Foundation and the Monfort Family Foundation. We are very fortunate to live in a communitywhere so many people share our vision for conserving wildlife and ecosystems.Nearly nine years in the making from initial design to opening, our new home for elephants Mimi and Dolly, along withmany new animal friends, is unlike any other zoo experience. In a few short weeks, you’ll find yourselves surroundedby elephants, rhinos and tapirs exploring a network of six interconnected habitats; experience gibbons swingingdirectly overhead; share space with fruit bats; and be mesmerized by fishing cats showing off their angling expertise.These and a host of other engaging Toyota Elephant Passage experiences are truly fun with an important purpose.I’m often asked why Toyota Elephant Passage is so vital. I firmly believe it’s fundamental to fulfilling Denver Zoo’smission to secure a better world for animals through human understanding. During my zoo career, the wildAsian elephant population has plummeted from more than 100,000 to less than 35,000 – an alarming loss in justa few short decades. If we don’t do something bold, elephants could well become extinct in this century. DenverZoo will not sit idly by and allow these incredible animals to disappear forever. If we can’t mobilize to save one of theworld’s most beloved animals, what’s the prospect for thousands of other less-charismatic, yet equally preciousendangered species as well as ourselves? That’s why we developed Toyota Elephant Passage to advance elephantconservation in a number of ways. This exhibit will serve as an important center in collaborative zoo efforts tocreate a stable insurance population of elephants in human care. It also provides unparalleled habitats that giveanimals a great deal of variety and choice in their day, coupled with engaging guest experiences designed to help ussee animals in completely novel ways. The exhibit shares compellingstories about the challenges faced by animals and people in tropicalAsia and innovative strategies by Denver Zoo staff and colleaguesto resolve conflicts and help both. Lastly, thanks to the tremendousefforts of every Denver Zoo staff member, led by our talented PlanningDepartment, Toyota Elephant Passage will undoubtedly be the mostsustainable zoo facility in the world and will mark a major step inour goal to be a zero-waste institution by 2025. As a conservationorganization, we simply must be a model for how people can live, workand thrive with a lighter touch on our planet.I hope you’ll enjoy the stories that detail the animals and people whomake Toyota Elephant Passage an experience that will be differentevery time you visit. You’ll also find important information on how youcan be one of the first to be welcomed by Mimi and Dolly in their newhome at our exclusive sneak peeks. I look forward to sharing ToyotaElephant Passage with you. I’m sure you’ll find it tobe fun with a purpose.Craig PiperPresident/CEO- 1 -