abq biopark aza response 2016 - wordpress.com · page 8 of 16 major concern #2 multiple issues...

ABQ BioPark-ACCREDITATION INSPECTION RESPONSE Hearing September 7, 2016 @ 8:30 a.m.

Submitted July 29, 2016

ABQ BioPark, City of Albuquerque, New Mexico

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ABQ BioPark-ACCREDITATION INSPECTION RESPONSE UPDATE

INTRODUCTION

The ABQ BioPark in Albuquerque is the number one visited attraction in the state of New Mexico,

with an annual attendance above 1.2 million. The BioPark is roughly 150 acres in size and is

composed of a Zoo, Aquarium, Botanic Garden and Tingley Beach fishing ponds.

The ABQ BioPark is owned and operated by the City of Albuquerque. The governing body consists

of the Mayor, Chief Administrative Officer and a nine member City Council. The Cultural Services

Department oversees the operations of the ABQ BioPark.

The City is supported through the efforts of the New Mexico BioPark Society. The Society is

“dedicated to the development of, procurement for, and capital improvement of the ABQ BioPark,

to providing a quality facility through the support of related conservation, education and recreation

programs.” Together, the City and the Society have partnered to develop a number of exhibits and

programs that continue to build the ABQ BioPark’s reputation as the top tourist destination in the

state of New Mexico.

The City of Albuquerque and ABQ BioPark are proud to support and host the 2017 AZA Mid-Year

Meeting March 26-31, 2017. ABQ BioPark and Cultural Services Department are looking forward

to making the mid-year meeting a great success.

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The ABQ BioPark was inspected for AZA accreditation on June 9 through June 12, 2015. The exit

report did not have any concerns remaining from the 2010 inspection. The inspection team

identified three Major Concerns along with three Lesser Concerns. The responses to all areas

identified during the inspection are addressed in this document.

Preparators of this report:

Rick Janser, ABQ BioPark Director

James T. (JT) Allen, ABQ BioPark Chief Executive [email protected]

Lynn Tupa, Zoo Manager [email protected]

Holly Casman, Aquarium Manager [email protected]

Dana Feldman, Cultural Services Department Director [email protected]

Dave Mathews, Cultural Services Department Deputy Director [email protected]

UPDATES TO MAJOR CONCERNS FROM CURRENT INSPECTION

Major Concern #1

Reduced staffing is a major concern and directly compromises facility maintenance, high quality

animal care, enrichment, training and most importantly, animal care and human safety.

AC-50 Are there sufficient resources and staff available to implement the animal

enrichment?

AC-50b Is enrichment being provided on a regular basis?

Comments: Due to low staffing levels animal enrichment has been compromised. (Standard

1.6.2)

Response Update:

The ABQ BioPark provided a lengthier response to this concern in the 2015 Response. The ABQ

BioPark believes its animal enrichment program continues to meet AZA Standard 1.6.2. The

addition of three (3) 30 hour per week keepers has improved conditions for enrichment. Please see

page 5 for additional staffing information.

EI-10a Are exhibit labels and other graphics legible and in good condition?

Comments: The exhibit graphics throughout the park were inconsistent in quality, some

were aged or in poor repair. (The team is concerned this may be related to staffing levels.)

Response Update:

At the time of the 2015 inspection, a wayfinding signage project was underway at the Zoo. The

ABQ BioPark graphics department is continuing to change out additional signage throughout the

Zoo, and in Winter/Spring 2016 added wayfinding/information stations at key locations in the Zoo.

mailto:[email protected]





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Photos below show the new wayfinding and information signage within the Zoo entrance plaza, and

examples of exhibit-specific signage.

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GA-7 Is the governing authority supportive of the institutions goals and objectives?

S-17 Is there sufficient staff to properly care for the animals and to conduct the institution’s

programs?

Comments: Low staffing levels throughout the BioPark fundamentally make it difficult for

the institution to achieve its goals and objectives. For example, achieving modern standards

of zoological animal care, which include enrichment, welfare concerns, training and, most

importantly, safety for animals and staff. (Standard 6.2)

Significant reductions of permanent positions, along with the extensive use of minimally

experienced temporary employees creates a work environment that is marginally equipped

to meet modern zoological stands and possibly compromises human and animal safety.

(Standard 7.3)

Response Update:

In the 2015 Response, the ABQ BioPark proposed to add three (3) 30 hour per week permanent

positions to be used in the three main animal areas as ‘rover’ keepers. These positions would help

out in the areas of most need on a daily basis. Items 1-7 below outline steps taken by the City of

Albuquerque since the 2015 Response.

1.) In Fiscal Year 2016, which ended June 30, 2016, the City of Albuquerque and

BioPark met the proposal by adding the three (3) keeper positions to work within the

different animal areas throughout the Zoo as ‘rover’ keepers. They are 30 hour per

week permanent City employees, not temps. As intended, these positions are filling

in gaps where needed within the facility. This action has provided a gain of 90

keeper staff hours per week since the 2015 AZA Accreditation Inspection.

2.) The City of Albuquerque administration is committing to the following additional

full time staffing positions in a phased approach as follows:

a. Effective August 2016, upgrade the three 30 hour a week keeper positions (in

1. above) to 40 hour a week positions. This action will increase current

keeper staff hours by 30 hours per week and provide more stability in the

current keeper staffing ranks.

b. Effective January 1, 2017, add six (6) full time City positions:

One (1) Keeper Supervisor

One (1) Senior Keeper

Two (2) Keepers

Two (2) General Maintenance workers

The addition of these six full time, permanent employees will further increase

keeper staff hours by 160 hours per week and maintenance staff hours by 80

per week. The additional maintenance workers will further alleviate

maintenance work that keepers have been performing.

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c. The realization of b. above will not become final until approval by City

Council during mid-year budget action in January 2017.

3.) The BioPark’s registrar position has been changed to a Registrar/Vet Tech.

Interviews have been completed and a candidate identified as of 7/26/2016. As

Registrar duties are not required full-time, this position will also be available to

perform animal care duties.

4.) A Video Production Specialist position will be vacated by retirement in September

2016. This position will be changed to a Zoo Education Coordinator.

5.) A Mammal Curator position was filled on 11/14/2015 by Tammy Schmidt.

6.) A Bird Curator position was filled on 4/2/2016 by Karen Waterfall.

7.) An Entomology Curator, Jason Schaller, will begin employment on 8/22/2016 and

oversee the BUGarium facility, which opened in February 2016.

8.) With the recent passing of a 1/8th

of one percent Gross Receipts Tax by the citizens

of Albuquerque, the BioPark will be hiring new positions to implement the BioPark

master plan, all of which will be funded through the tax revenues:

a. James T. (JT) Allen was hired 6/24/2016 as the Chief Executive to oversee

all administrative aspects and capital improvement projects of the BioPark.

b. A BioPark Project Coordinator position has been filled by Erica Hubbard.

c. One (1) each BioPark Project Manager and Project Administrative Assistant

will also be hired and funded from the tax.

9.) BioPark Director Rick Janser is retiring effective July 29, 2016. The City of

Albuquerque has every intention of hiring, within a realistic amount of time, a

qualified and experienced zoological, aquarium and botanic garden program

administrator as the #2 position at the ABQ BioPark. The official title within the City

structure is Associate Director or another approved title.

The Associate Director will report to the BioPark’s Chief Executive and will be

directly responsible for the care and welfare of the BioPark’s living collections

through staff management, species management, husbandry, conservation, education

and more.

From current BioPark management, the Chief Executive will name an Interim

BioPark Director (Interim Associate Director) on August 1, 2016. The City will

externally post the job opening, including on the AZA website, on or about August 1,

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2016. City hiring policies and timelines will be followed, with September/October

2016 as a goal for hiring, October/November as a goal for start date for the new

Associate Director.

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Major Concern #2

Multiple issues regarding delayed maintenance and repair were identified.

PF-4 Is there an adequate program of both building and mechanical maintenance?

Comments: Insufficient staff are available to adequately carry out the maintenance

(Standards 10.1.2; 10.2.1)

Response Update:

Since the BioPark reorganized its maintenance/construction department in 2013, it has used outside

vendors for a portion of the larger repair jobs at the facility.

Recent projects include:

Installation of Giraffe restraint chute and new Giraffe flooring

Re-meshing the Siamang and Lemur exhibits

Repairing faux rock work in Polar Bear viewing cave/tunnel

Re-meshing the entire Butterfly Pavilion exhibit

Current and upcoming projects include:

Renovations to the Tiger exhibit

Design and build out of an expanded, new Jaguar exhibit

Replacement of 26 Gorilla and Orangutan transfer doors

Installation of a second Elephant Restraint Device

Re-meshing of the Parrot exhibit

Renovations to the Parrot kitchen

The BioPark is developing a strategy for utilizing on-call vendors for specialized services,

including:

HVAC service and repair

Concrete work

Fencing/Caging repair (in non-safety sensitive areas)

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Painting

Roofing

Balancing the use of BioPark staff and outside vendors is still a work in progress and as we move

forward the projects that our staff need to complete will become more manageable. In this area we

have not been utilizing temporary employees to help with maintenance projects. Our attempts to

partner with Job Corps did not work out as we had hoped. With the additions of the Gross Receipts

Tax positions that will be guiding construction and major repairs, it will free up our current

maintenance managers to concentrate on daily maintenance. As noted earlier in this report, two (2)

general maintenance workers are planned to be added in January 2017.

PF-13 Are the buildings in good repair?

Comments: Multiple issues regarding delayed maintenance and repair were identified

(Standard 10.1.2)

Response Update:

All items noted in the list of concerns have been completed.

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Major Concern #3

Multiple issues regarding delayed maintenance and repair were identified.

SS-27 Are the four basic types of live-action emergency drills (fire; weather/environment

appropriate to the region; injury to staff or a visitor; animal escape) being conducted,

recorded, and evaluated annually?

Comments: All drills were not documented in the last 5 years. Furthermore, the actual event

that took place does not constitute a drill. (Standard 11.2.5)

Report Update:

Drills completed since the 2015 Accreditation Inspection are as follows:

Fire Drill/Injured Visitor (August 23, 2015)

Fire Drill Aug

2015.docx

Polar Bear Escape Drill (December 8, 2015)

Polar Bear Escape

Drill Dec 2015.docx

Severe Weather Drill (December 23, 2015)

ABQ BioPark Zoo

Weather Incident Drill 23 Dec 15.docx

Snake Bite Drill (January 14, 2016)

Venomous snakebite

drill report.docx

Fire Drill/Injured Employee (February 11, 2016)

2016 FIRE DRILL.docx

Giraffe Escape Drill (March 3, 2016)

2016 Giraffe Escape

Drill.docx

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Emergency Human Injury Drill (April 16, 2016)

Emergency Human

Injury Drill 21 April 16.docx

Emergency Table Top Drill (May 3, 2016)

2016 Animal Escape

Talk Thru.docx

Snake Bite Drill (July 9, 2016)

2016 Snakebite Drill

July.docx

Condor Escape Drill (July 27, 2016)

2016 Condor Escape

Drill.doc

SS-40 Are the four basic types of live-action emergency drills (fire; weather/environment

appropriate to the region; injury to staff or a visitor; animal escape) being conducted,

recorded, and evaluated annually?

Comments: Live action drills were not carried out annually. (Standard 11.7.4)

Report Update:

The aquarium has conducted two (2) live action drills and one (1) table top drill since July 2015.

Dive Drill Report

6-16-16.docx

Dive Drill Report

7-10-15.docx

dive drill.docx

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Lesser Concern #1

AC-5 Does in the institution’s IPC incorporate the suggested elements outlined in AZA

Accreditation Standards? (Standard 1.3.1)

Comments: Although ICP was complete and well thought out for a majority of the

institution, the aquarium ICP did not meet the accreditation standards and related policies.

Report Update:

The Aquarium has completed updating and transitioning their data to the same ZIMS format as the

Zoo.

Lesser Concern #2

VC-18 Are the quarantine, hospital, isolation, and holding facilities in compliance with the

standards and guidelines of AZA?

Comments: The animal holding walls of the painted dog holding and the hyena holding

areas are built of dry stacked cinder block and are unsealed. These walls are animal contact

surfaces are not sealed, not disinfectable and may harbor pests with in the blocks and

spaces between the blocks. This is inconsistent with modern zoological practices.

Report Update:

Both the Wild Dog and Hyena enclosures have been completed.

Lesser Concern #3

C-4 Is the institution’s level of participation in SSPs, TAGs, and other such programs in line

with similar sized institutions? (Standards 3.3.2; 3.3.3; 3.3.4)

C-4a Is the institution supporting an appropriate number of conservation program leaders?

S-16 Is the level of staff involvement in AZA activities and other professional organizations

in line with that of similar-sized institutions? (Standard 7.7)

F-11 Are sufficient amounts allocated for conferences, continuing education,

training/seminars, etc.? (Standard 7.5)

Comments: The institution’s historic professional leadership status seems to be diminished.

The staff does not participate in leadership roles in AZA conservation programs such a

TAGs and SSPs as well as other professional programs at a level consistent with the size of

the institution. In addition, it is particularly noticeable that attendance at the annual

meetings of TAGs and SSPs as well as other professional meetings has declined in recent

years. (Standards 3.2.1; 7.7; 7.5)

Report Update:

The BioPark staff holds many leadership positions within AZA and other professional organizations

as detailed in the following list.

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Rick Janser, BioPark Director, serves on the Monotreme and Marsupial TAG steering

committee and Koala SSP steering committee. He is the Tasmanian Devil Studbook Keeper

and serves as an AZA Accreditation Inspector.

Lynn Tupa, Zoo Manager, is the TAG institutional representative for all mammal species

and the regional Snow Leopard Studbook Keeper. She also serves as an AZA Accreditation

Inspector.

Tammy Schmidt, Mammal Curator, serves in many capacities:

Amur Leopard SSP Management Committee/Secretary

African Lion SSP Management Committee

Snow Leopard SSP Management Committee-Advisor for Coloboma Issues

Otter Keeper Workshop Instructor

Otter Keeper Workshop Facebook page Administrator

Otter Training Resources Facebook page Administrator - an IUCN-SSC OSG group

IUCN-SSC OSG Member/OZ Task Force

Ungulate TAG Species Profile Contributor

Karen Waterfall, Curator of Birds, new hire as of 4/2/2016; will attend 2016 AZA

Conference and learn how to become a part of TAGs and become further involved.

Richard Reams, Reptile Curator, is on the Cyclura (Rock Iguana) Steering committee

with four other reptile curators and is the Cyclura Species Coordinator.

Carol Bradford, DVM, is an AZA professional fellow, certified in June 2016 as an AZA

Inspector, serves on the PR Committee for the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians

and is a member of the Association of Avian Veterinarians, the Association of Reptile and

Amphibian Veterinarians and the American College of Zoological Medicine (Diplomate).

Kathryn Venzor, BioPark Education Curator, is involved in the Volunteer Managers

Committee for AZA; is President of the Board of Directors for the Environmental Education

Association of New Mexico (EEANM); and presented at the annual AZA Conference in

2013. She is a member of the following organizations: New Mexico Science Teachers

Association, the Volunteer Managers Group with the United Way of Central New Mexico’s

Center for Nonprofit Excellence, and the AZA Conservation Education Committee.

Rhonda Saiers, Elephant Manager, is Institutional Representative and member of

Elephant TAG, SSP and a member of Elephant Managers Association and International

Elephant Foundation.

Keith Crow, Avian Zookeeper Supervisor, is the Abyssinian Ground Hornbill Studbook

Keeper.

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Matt Eschenbrenner, Herpetology Zookeeper Supervisor, is the Crocodillian TAG

Webmaster.

Catherine Hubbard, Botanic Garden Manager, serves as Chair of American Public

Garden Association Annual Awards Committee and served as a two-term APGA Annual

Conference Program Selection Committee member in the past. She is a member of the Think

Trees New Mexico Board of Directors and involved with AZA (Professional Fellow),

Association of Zoological Horticulture, Botanic Garden Conservation International,

International Zoo Educators Association, Southwest Marine/Aquatic Association,

Albuquerque Council of Garden Clubs, New Mexico Orchid Guild, New Mexico Garden

Railroad Association, and Albuquerque Rose Society.

Jon Stewart, Curator of Plants, and Dave Ferguson, Associate Curator, are on the New

Mexico Rare Plant Council.

The Aquarium senior leadership—Holly Casman, Kathy Lang, Tommy Farrell and Rich

Lerner—are involved in many aquatic conservation organizations:

American Fisheries Society

World Aquaculture Society

American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists

Desert Fishes Council

A.A.L.S.O (Aquatic Animals Life Support Operators)

REEF

The Ocean Project

Regional Aquatics Workshop - Steering committee

AZA Institutional Representative - Zebra Shark

AZA Institutional Representative - Ocellate River Stingray

AZA Institutional Representative - Sandtiger

Marine Fish TAG

Freshwater Fish TAG

Over the past few months the City has streamlined its process for requesting time off to attend

conferences and meetings. This new system will allow staff to secure the proper and timely

authorization to attend required professional development meetings. These are the conference and

meetings attended by staff since the AZA Inspection Report and hearing in September 2015.

Carol Bradford 9/2015 Abidjan, Cote de Ivoire Croc. Conservation

Matt Eschenbrenner

Robert Henderson 9/2015 Portland, OR Software Training

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Rick Janser 9/2015 Salt Lake City, UT AZA Conference

Lynn Tupa

Kathryn Venzor

Holly Casman 9/2015 Bahamas Fish Collecting

Karen Waterfall

Carol Bradford 10/2015 Portland, OR AAZV

Diane Longenecker 10/2015 St Louis, MO AAZK

Josephine Frentzel 10/2015 Wichita KS Orangutan Workshop

Kathryn Venzor 11/2015 Hobbs, NM Education Workshop

Richard Reams 11/2015 Flagstaff, AZ Garter Snake Workshop

Matt Eschenbrenner

Angela Harrell 12/2015 Mole Creek, AU Devil Training

Ralph Zimmerman 1/2016 Orlando, FL NAVCC

Dannette Beck 2/2016 Billings, MT IAATE

Joshua Davis 2/2015 Wheeling, WV AZA Training

Lynn Tupa 3/2016 Omaha, NE AZA Mid-Year

Tammy Schmidt

Keith Crow

Richard Lerner 3/2016 New Orleans, LA RAW

Madeline Caristo 4/2016 Monterey, CA Jelly School Training

Tommy Farrell 4/2016 Denver, CO AALSO

Donald Schmitz

Rhonda Saiers 4/2016 Colorado Springs, CO Elephant Workshop

Richard Janser 5/2016 Perth, AU ZAA

Lynn Tupa 5/2016 Denver, CO Felid TAG

Dave Ferguson 5/2016 Newark, NJ Iris Society

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Catherine Hubbard 6/2016 Miami, FL APGA

Carol Bradford 6/2106 Sioux Falls, SD AZA Inspector Training

Carol Bradford 7/2016 Atlanta, GA AAZV Conference

Lisa Moore 7/2106 Namibia, Africa Earth Expeditions

Botanic Garden Staff 8/2016 Albuquerque, NM Hosting American Public Garden Association “Sentinel Plant Network” workshop attended by 60 public garden professionals from around the country.

James T. (JT) Allen 9/2016 San Diego, CA AZA Conference

Lynn Tupa

Tammy Schmidt

Rhonda Saiers

Karen Waterfall

Catherine Hubbard

CONCLUSION

The City of Albuquerque, ABQ BioPark and New Mexico BioPark Society acknowledge

and take very seriously the concerns presented by the AZA Inspection Team and

Accreditation Committee. We have provided our updated responses in an honest and

straightforward manner. The ABQ BioPark has worked hard to remediate these concerns

within a reasonable timeframe and will continue to strive toward exceeding AZA standards

wherever possible.

abq biopark aza response 2016 - wordpress.com · page 8 of 16 major concern #2 multiple issues...

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