Ken Lee

“This was rural at that time,” Lee said.

Docent sees change

Lee began volunteering at the zoo to take his mind off crunching numbers as assistant regional commissioner for the Bureau of Labor and Statistics in Kansas City, Mo. Retired in 1990, he continued to volunteer on Saturdays and sometimes on Tuesdays.

“After I retired, I just continued to volunteer,” he said. “I just enjoy it.”

Lee guides school groups and families through the zoo and likes to select one animal to feature. He is fond of the gorillas.

“They’re so human-like and so large, “he said. “They look fierce but are gentle.”

One of the biggest changes Lee has seen is a change in employees.

“The majority of the zoo keepers are females,” he said.

Lee said zoo keepers traditionally had been large men who dominated the animals.

“Women do much better,” he said. “They talk to them differently, using food as treats. The women avoid contact.”

Until the 1980s, Lee said most animals were kept in an old building but many have since moved out doors.

“You can see them in their native habitat,” he said.

Lee said the animals receive better treatment today and live longer. Zoo keepers give them dried food, such as chimp or gorilla chow enhanced with vitamins, and the zoo hired a full-time veterinarian with a staff and animal hospital.

Looking to the future

Before coming to Kansas City, Wisthoff worked as associate director of the Omaha Zoo, where he watched the success of a cat complex lead to tremendous growth, which he wants for the Kansas City Zoo.

Wisthoff said he wants to transform the zoo into a world-class facility, the same vision early planners foresaw.

“That’s my vision,” he said. “We’re trying to build a zoo everybody can be proud of,” he said. “Kansas City deserves a great zoo.” 

Wisthoff, who said the zoo was operating deeply in the red when he arrived, has a lengthy to-do list. He wants to improve exhibits, animal selection, education, conservation, research, gift stores, food courts, rides, programming and events. He said coming to the Kansas City was a perfect opportunity to make a difference and most days he can see positive strides since he arrived.

The zoo received $65 million for capital projects between 2007 and 2011. Projects completed include a new entrance, zoo learning center, river otters, trumpeter swans and an endangered species carousal. Wistoff said the zoo plans to complete a new polar bear habitat by 2010 and a penguin exhibit is in the works. 

“It’s been a challenge,” Wistoff said. “It’s rewarding to see families using the zoo.”

Wistoff said zoos are more than a place to observe animals in their habitats, they offer a form of education, recreation and entertainment for all ages. He said zoos are an important mix in urban and suburban communities.

“It’s a time to be together,” he said. “There’s not much of that left. It’s that quality family time that’s worth saving.”

Help from Friends

Friends of the Zoo, which supports the zoo, began operating in the 1950s, but made a significant shift in the mid-1990s. The group raised money and worked in a cooperative effort with Kansas City Parks Department to develop the Kansas City Zoo Sprint IMAX Theater, a front entrance and the Africa exhibit. Then on Jan. 1, 2002, Friends of the Zoo took over management, but the zoo remains a city park with assets still belonging to the city.

“That’s very common,” Wisthoff said. “It’s easier on the city.”

Wisthoff said the city provides some funding through property, sales or dedicated taxes, which helps keep a city zoo affordable.

“We can keep the admission price down,” he said. “Zoos are meant to be enjoyed by the masses.”

Mandy Featherston, Overland Park, made a recent trip to the zoo with her two children, Lettie, 4, and Brody, 2, and another family. She said the children enjoyed the morning, running through the zoo and picnicking on the grounds.

“They’re excited to go back,” she said. “Especially when it gets cooler.”

Featherston joined Friends of the Zoo while attending, saying it was economical and a way to support the zoo.

“It’s nice for them to see different animals they wouldn’t see elsewhere,” she said. “They can watch and hear the real true sound they make in a habitat.”

Amy Hopkins, Overland Park, with her children, Graham, 4, and Libby, 18 months, accompanied the Featherstons. Hopkins received a Friends of the Zoo membership as a Christmas gift and has taken her children to the zoo four times this year.

“We went in January,” she said. “All the animals were out. We bundled up. All the animals are active.”

Hopkins said she and her children have enjoyed seeing the zoo in different seasons.

“It’s good family time,” she said. “It’s a neat learning experience.”

FAST FACTS

Kansas City Zoo, 6800 Zoo Drive, is open 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. The zoo is closed for Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Years Day. For admission information, Admission go to www.kansascityzoo.org or call (816) 513-5700.