Inspiring Conservation Leadership - beyond words strategic ...

Below: Guests at the elephant yard enjoy a Zoo Chat, one of
many popular, informative encounters offered daily by
zookeepers and staff.
Visitor Programs
In 2007, more than 2.1 million people visited the Chicago Zoological Society’s Brookfield Zoo. In fact,
more guests visit here than any other cultural attraction that tracks attendance in the Chicago
area. Each individual that enters our gates represents an opportunity: a chance to introduce
representatives of the wild world, to convey our intertwined connections to the animal kingdom,
and to encourage individuals to effect positive change in the world. Each exhibit and event is an
invitation to discovery and action.
Below: Stingray Bay was a phenomenal success in
2007—providing thousands of visitors with a
touching experience of marine life.
Stingray Bay
The largest traveling exhibit ever hosted here provided an
unprecedented opportunity for more than 300,000 visitors
to meet and touch two dozen cownose rays and southern
stingrays. Dedicated to showing guests how easy it is to
care for the planet, the exhibit also provided information on
minimizing pollution and making environmentally-friendly
seafood choices. Stingray Bay was presented by Chicago-based
Feldco Windows, Siding and Doors.
holiday magiC
For 27 years, guests have braved winter’s chill to enjoy a
different kind of zoo experience. Enticed by a laser show,
animated lights, a talking tree, and holiday treats, more
than 60,000 visitors saw animals as they never may have
before–during winter and at night. Nocturnal animals,
including bats, were active and polar bears, as always,
delighted in the cold and snow. Presented in 2007 by ComEd
and sponsored by American Airlines, Sara Lee Foundation,
LaSalle Bank, Comcast, and Lang Ice.
10 ChiCago ZoologiCal SoCiety
11
2007 annual report
Below: Zoo Tunes events drew in enthusiastic crowds
of different ages, giving the zoo an opportunity to
entertain and educate a variety of visitors.
adventureS with agua
A new permanent exhibit outside Tropic World opened in
2007, tackling the issue of water conservation in lively and
interactive ways. Guests discover challenges facing the
Great Lakes and simple steps to become part of the solution.
The Chicago Zoological Society is a partner in the Zoo and
Aquarium Partnership for the Great Lakes (see page 14), and
this new exhibit helps teach the public how to preserve
our region’s precious water supply. Adventures with Agua was
made possible with support from the Illinois Environmental
Protection Agency.
Zoo tuneS
This new summer music series sponsored by American
Airlines debuted in 2007. A full schedule of performances,
including Disneymania! Concerts for Conservation, drew
new audiences to visit and current zoo-goers to return
again and again. The Concerts were sponsored in part by
Children's Dimetapp and The Boeing Company.