Metro is considering a new bond measure for the Oregon Zoo. Its price tag? $380,000,000! This is over three times that of the 2008 bond measure, which was itself a failure.

FOZE opposes this bond measure for several reasons:

• Zoo attendance has been on a downward trend over the last two decades (even before Covid-19) and has not been keeping pace with the region’s population growth. This shows a waning interest in zoos with the general public (Sources).

• The 2008 bond measure has made no noticeable impact to the zoo attendance, suggesting that visitors haven’t been swayed by bond-funded additions.
• Metro’s subsidy of Oregon Zoo using our tax money has only been increasing over the last two decades, and propping it is fiscally irresponsible (Sources).

• The 2008 zoo bond measure spent a bulk of funding on exotic wildlife (70%) and just a tiny fraction (1.5%) on native wildlife conservation (Source). Exotic wildlife require greater care and expenses, as they are ill-suited to this environment, and unlike native wildlife, species reintroduction is not possible.

• Over $57 million was spent on upgrading the Elephant habitat, and yet there have been four deaths (Rama, Packy, Tusko, Lily) and a miscarriage (Chendra’s) since then. We previously compiled a list of problems with the Elephant Lands.
• The surviving elephants have a whole host of diseases, with all of them having foot diseases to varying degrees. One of the promises of the 2008 bond measure was increased space to improve elephants’ health, but clearly this has been insufficient.
• Moved by Chendra’s long list of illnesses, an accredited elephant sanctuary in US offered to take her at no cost to the zoo or taxpayer, and yet this was rejected, showing the zoo’s lack of interest in animal welfare and cost savings.

In conclusion, the upcoming bond measure only ends up subsidizing zoo waste and lining the pockets of a few contractors under the guise of wildlife conservation, leaving us taxpayers to foot the bill. We urge everyone to vote against the bond measure.

FOZE continues to reiterate our request for zoo reforms that are desperately needed to bring a 19th century institution to the present day.