Wildlife Hospital & Wellness Center The Campaign for Minnesota Zoo’s
1 | The Campaign for Minnesota Zoo’s Wildlife Hospital & Wellness Center
Wildlife Hospital & Wellness Center he Amur tigers at the Minnesota Zoo are stunning animals, known for their beauty, grace, and intensity. As the largest of all cat species, they are also critically endangered. The Minnesota Zoo’s Animal Health team is crucial in efforts to prevent these magnificent animals from becoming extinct. As the home of thousands of exotic species from every corner of the globe, the Minnesota Zoo is guardian to 76 threatened and endangered species. Caring for these animals is complex and requires the most skilled professionals supported by state-of-the-art facilities. As we strive to evolve and meet the increasingly complex needs of our animal residents, the time has come to embark on a journey to build a new Wildlife Hospital and Wellness Center for all of Minnesota. The Minnesota Zoo’s Wildlife Hospital and Wellness Center will serve as an oasis of care and wellbeing for our animals and as a high-powered research center bringing together zoological veterinarians and scientists from around the country to learn and work together to change the future for wildlife here and around the globe. This research will also improve the lives of every animal in our care. From the Asian wild horse to the sand tiger shark, each will benefit from a high-tech, state-of-the-art hospital facility built with large and exotic animals in mind. We can’t do it without you. Your support holds the key to their futures. t The Campaign for Minnesota Zoo’s
he new Wildlife Hospital and Wellness Center represents a place where the Minnesota Zoo’s animals will receive the absolute best care. At the Minnesota Zoo we care for animals from nearly every continent, and every class in the animal kingdom. The knowledge we gain from the preventative care and treatment of these animals will go a long way toward ensuring their continued existence in zoos and in their natural habitats around the world. The Wildlife Hospital and Wellness Center will differ from our existing facility in several ways. Through both its design and its centralized location, it will be a wellness hub for every animal at the Minnesota Zoo. Using the latest technology and spaces designed with both animals and the people who care for them in mind, it will serve as another critical step in our work toward our holistic approach to the care and treatment of every animal at the Zoo. We are expanding our integrative medicine and preventative treatment approach. This approach, focused on Care, Health, Conservation, and Behavior, is the guiding principle of our work. The addition of a new CT scanner, larger surgical suite, and better holding and treatment areas for animals of all classifications will facilitate a better life for the exotic birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals at the Zoo. healing & wellness A home for t
The Campaign for Minnesota Zoo’s Wildlife Hospital & Wellness Center | 4
5 | The Campaign for Minnesota Zoo’s Wildlife Hospital & Wellness Center
e will conduct the latest in non-invasive procedures, treat diseases at the earliest stages, and undertake a variety of preventative care applications. Through the new hospital, we will ensure a healthier, more robust animal population at the Zoo. Through our work in the new facility, we seek to start a revolution in healthcare for the hundreds of exotic species in our care at our Zoo and their counterparts around the globe. We will conduct powerful research into new preventative medicine and treatments, leading to dynamic, new ways to improve health outcomes for every species in our care. The research we conduct here will provide a cornerstone to new, more effective conservation efforts, ensuring that wildlife will benefit from our efforts for generations to come. This combination of care, wellness, and conservation will be made possible through the commitment and contributions of our very best supporters. People just like you. w A healthier, more robust animal population
7 | The Campaign for Minnesota Zoo’s Wildlife Hospital & Wellness Center
We’re excited for the new hospital for so many reasons. The facility will be centrally located for daily care of animals; technology will greatly improve our ability to diagnose and treat illnesses and injuries; and having this new facility will better serve our comprehensive approach to Care, Health, Conservation, and Behavior. We are designing the new hospital for better flow and greater effectiveness in proactively treating and caring for our animals, especially as they grow older. The number of animals going through the hospital for preventative management is much higher than we could have foreseen 50 years ago. This new hospital will make this work easier and more effective, leading to the prevention and elimination of pain and suffering. We have a passion for the animals and the environment and work every day to ignite that same spark in our guests. A zoo can create magic on so many levels, and we work every day to make that magic happen for guests of all ages. This is an innovative place, it’s in our DNA, so it only makes sense that we build a hospital that speaks to who we are and where we plan to go. I’m proud of the work we do here every day, and I hope you will join us in this important endeavor for our Zoo. We so appreciate your support. - Geoff Hall Chief Animal Care, Health, Conservation, and Behavior Officer innovative place This is an Minnesota Zoo Foundation | 8
as amazing as the new Wildlife Hospital and Wellness Center will be for the bats, birds, and bison in our care, it will also provide tremendous opportunities for students of all ages, from elementary school students who explore the observation deck to University of Minnesota students who will train and conduct research alongside our zoological veterinary staff. Outfitted with teaching and learning spaces for students of all ages, the new facility will be a teaching hospital unparalleled in zoological veterinary medicine. Our animals, and the scientific community here in Minnesota and around the country, stand to benefit. The opportunities for collaborative research with veterinary faculty at the University of Minnesota and other organizations throughout the region are boundless. There are thousands of species in our care, each of which stands to teach us something new about their wild counterparts. Our research into the care, behavior, and conservation of our Zoo animals impacts a wide range of species. From sea otters to seahorses and takin to tarpon, the new hospital will serve as a fulcrum for powerful, species-saving discovery that will benefit wildlife here at the Zoo and in the wild around the world. Your support will ensure that this hospital becomes one of the Nation’s foremost exotic species teaching hospitals, training the next generation of zoological veterinarians while providing our animals with world-class care. teaching & research A center for
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11 | The Campaign for Minnesota Zoo’s Wildlife Hospital & Wellness Center
I love working at the Minnesota Zoo. And I’m excited for our future. The Minnesota Zoo is a very progressive institution with an interest in moving the needle forward in advanced care for animals. We want to optimize the health and wellbeing of all the animals in our care, and a new hospital outfitted with better facilities and 21st century equipment will make that possible. We’ll be adding a new CT scanner, an additional radiology plate, and a large animal surgery table. Being able to take a large animal through a CT scanner will make a difference in how we prevent and treat so many conditions here at the Zoo. Another piece of equipment in the pipeline is a multi-headed microscope, one of many instruments that will be critical in teaching students and interns at the Zoo. As we expand our teaching capabilities, we will grow our brand as a leader in the industry. While we’ve long had a teaching focus, this hospital will move us to the next level, helping us train the next generation of zoo veterinarians. I’m excited by the possibilities that it presents for our animals and our staff. This project is going to be the cornerstone in the next chapter of Minnesota Zoo’s history, expanding our capabilities for an integrated approach to the care of our animals. Thank you so much for everything you do to support our Zoo! - Dr. Anne Rivas DVM, DACZM Director of Animal Health Helping us train the next generation Minnesota Zoo Foundation | 12
13 | The Campaign for Minnesota Zoo’s Wildlife Hospital & Wellness Center
he Minnesota Zoo will construct the Wildlife Hospital and Wellness Center with human caregivers in mind. In the process, we will create a place that will stand apart as a professional center for the top veterinarians, zookeepers, behavioral scientists, and conservationists in the country. A larger facility will allow for several procedures to occur simultaneously. It will ensure that animals are easier and safer to transport and unload. It will ensure that the humans – and the animals – are together in a safer environment for everyone. This extends beyond the amount of physical space. The new hospital will have better ventilation and therefore better air quality. It will have better lighting. It will feature better, safer holding locations for all animals, including the larger animals in our care. The second floor will feature a workspace for animal behaviorists and nutritionists. The new hospital will be a Well Building, focused on the health of the humans who care for the animals at the Minnesota Zoo each day. It will feature quiet rooms, filtered water, muted sound; it will provide an environment focused on reducing stress and encouraging healthy behaviors. Each of these changes focuses on caring for humans as well as our animals. The hospital will serve as the cornerstone of the Zoo for future generations. We will become a hub of training, education, and care. As we do so, we will attract the best students and brightest professionals to collaborate with us in an environment carefully constructed with the wellbeing of all in mind. All of this will be possible thanks to people like you. t best & brightest A place for the
It was about 30 years ago that we became more involved with Zoo activities and Zoo strategy. Today, we know and appreciate the people behind the Zoo, people like John Frawley and Dr. Rivas. We know how special it is, and love watching new visitors discover the exhibits, the events, and the experiences that only the Zoo can offer. We both grew up from humble beginnings and feel blessed to have had wonderful careers and families. Over the years, we felt it was important to live up to the values we were brought up with by our parents and have focused on making an impact in our community through organizations that we feel passionate about. Among those organizations is the Minnesota Zoo. We’ve supported the Zoo over the years in various projects. We believe that the Zoo is innovative, and we appreciate the focus it has on the health and wellbeing of every animal and those who come to see them. The opportunity to upgrade buildings, equipment and through them health services for animals at the Zoo and throughout the state is very important. This new facility will expand capacity and capabilities, while providing educational experiences for the public and the next generation of animal care providers. As donors, we are pleased that our funds are always put to good use. When the Zoo Foundation raises money, it does what it says it’s going to do. It’s a good steward and communicates openly and honestly about timelines and impact. This new animal hospital is a must-have and will be well known throughout the country for the level of care it will provide and the research it will make possible. We hope you will join us in supporting it. - Jeannine Rivet & Warren Herreid The K.A.H.R. Foundation Make an impact in our community 15 | The Campaign for Minnesota Zoo’s Wildlife Hospital & Wellness Center
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Your support hen we think about the new hospital in bricks and mortar terms, we think of surgical suites, CT scanners, weather-proof holding and transportation facilities, and spaces designed to make both animals and humans comfortable. As important as all of that is for our Zoo, the hospital represents far more. It’s the down payment on a new way of thinking about the animals in our charge. It’s the manifestation of what it means to be a zoo focused on Care, Health, Conservation, and Behavior. It represents our calling to be one of the nation’s top centers for teaching and research. It will happen because of people like you. Thanks to you, a brighter future beckons for our animals, our employees, and the communities of both humans and animals that we serve. At the heart of this future stands a hospital, located in the center of our Zoo, and the timeless work that we do, together. Join us today and make a gift to contribute to the healing and wellbeing of every amazing animal in our care. The Komodo dragons, tigers, and chinchillas thank you, and so do we. w 17 | The Campaign for Minnesota Zoo’s Wildlife Hospital & Wellness Center makes all the difference
13000 Zoo Boulevard Apple Valley, MN 55124 952.431.9237 | [email protected] MNZoo.org/Foundation