Zoos, Aquariums Face the Ax in NY, Elsewhere

In New York, wildlife advocates questioned the fairness of state cuts, pointing to the governor's comments during his State of the State address last week calling for "shared sacrifice."

"We all understand that we are in financial difficulties, but the point here is work with a scalpel, not an ax," Calvelli said.

The Bronx Zoo and the New York Aquarium stand to lose about $3 million under Paterson's proposal — the equivalent of 30 staff positions between the two facilities, Calvelli said. He said the zoo may be forced to send some of its animals out of state if the cuts are carried out.

Wildlife Conservation Society supporters already have sent more than 10,000 protest letters to the governor's office, Calvelli said.

Zoo officials say the cuts couldn't come at a worse time. While the economy has soured, there has been some positive spinoff for the zoos, which have benefited from the "staycation" trend of people looking for entertainment opportunities closer to home.

Attendance at the Syracuse zoo increased 4 percent to about 345,000 visitors in 2008; the Buffalo Zoo topped $1 million in membership revenues for the first time.

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On the Net:

Wildlife Conservation Society: http://www.wcs.org

Association of Zoos and Aquariums: http://www.aza.org

YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?vLHGuofPUnLo

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