Challenges Ahead: Like many area nonprofits, Birmingham Zoo seeking community’s support in wake of pandemic closure

At press time, Mountain Brook and the state of Alabama continue to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The virus has caused tremendous human suffering and taken many lives. In addition to that human toll, the United States is facing an economic crisis, one that has affected not only businesses of every size and type but also nonprofits.

The organizations affected include the Birmingham Zoo, which was forced to close March 19 due to the pandemic.

Zoo officials announced June 1 that the facility will begin a phased reopening for the public on Thursday, June 11, in compliance with city, state, and federal guidelines.

“We are excited to welcome our guests back to their Zoo,” Chris Pfefferkorn said in a news release. “Our staff is taking every precaution to keep our visitors and animals safe during every phase of reopening.” 

Phase One is a reduced opening with strict limits on attendance, one-way traffic patterns and some parts of the zoo remaining closed.

However, the zoo has already lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue during the closure due to a loss in ticket sales, Pfefferkorn told Village Living.

That revenue is critical to maintaining daily operations and infrastructure, he said. However, the responsibilities of zoo staff have not changed, even during the closure.

The zoo has a staff of more than 60 animal care professionals and veterinary and nutrition staff on grounds to take care of the animals.

“Our greatest priority is to continue providing exceptional care for our animals seven days a week, no matter the circumstance,” Pfefferkorn said.

In response, the zoo announced in late April it had established the Emergency Animal Fund and was soliciting donations from the public.

The money in the fund is to help the zoo feed its more than 700 animal residents, including endangered species. Aside from nutrition, it costs the zoo about $30,000 per day to operate the facility and provide animal care even while closed to the public.

In addition, Pfefferkorn told Village Living in April that even if the zoo is able to reopen in May or June it will need to continue to solicit donations — through the fund, a membership drive and other fundraising tools — to make up its revenue shortfall.

“We still have to operate the rest of the year, and we are kind of in a deficit now, and there will be a need to make up revenue when we do open,” he said.

The zoo is typically a large visitor attraction, drawing approximately 600,000 people annually, or roughly 12,000 per week, according to officials.

The zoo was hit particularly hard on the revenue side by the timing of its COVID-19 closure.

“We had to close down on a Thursday just before spring break, and we can get 30,000 people or more just that week, so that was a big kicker,” Pfefferkorn said.

The spring is also the time when schools are doing field trips and people are getting out and enjoying the nice weather.

“We just lost all that revenue,” Pfefferkorn said.

The closure also meant the zoo could not hire all of the people who normally work during the busy spring season.

The zoo has about 140 employees overall, many of whom worked from home during the closure to allow essential employees working on the grounds to maintain social distancing as much as possible.

However, in a typically busy spring and summer season, the zoo would have normally added another 25-30 seasonal workers, Pfefferkorn said. In addition, the restaurant and gift shop, which are operated by an outside vendor, would have added some people, he said.

Originally from Peoria, Illinois, Pfefferkorn graduated from Eureka College with a degree in biology.

He held a variety of jobs at the Oregon Zoo and the San Antonio Zoo before becoming senior vice president at the Birmingham Zoo in 2015.

He became CEO and president of the Birmingham Zoo in 2018, replacing Dr. William Foster, who retired.

Pfefferkorn said he has never faced anything like the COVID-19 pandemic. “On an operational level, this is the most challenging thing I've been through,” he said.

“We have created the Emergency Animal Fund to help defray costs so our existing dollars can be used in other places,” Pfefferkorn said. “We have an outstanding team that is doing a lot of creative things to keep us afloat.”

In addition to the Emergency Animal Fund, the zoo received more than $165,000 in donations and matching gifts on Giving Tuesday on May 5.

People can help the zoo while shopping on Amazon by using AmazonSmile and choosing the zoo as their charitable organization.

Donations can also be made to the zoo using the PayPal Giving Fund.

Current zoo members can help by renewing their memberships, and non-members can join at the zoo website.

People can also go to the website to make a one-time donation or a recurring monthly donation.

The Birmingham Zoo is an independent not-for-profit organization and is the only zoo in the state to be accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

The city of Birmingham, which operated the zoo until it was privatized in about 2000, still owns the property.

“We lease the property from the city for $1 per year,” Pfefferkorn said. “We are charged with growing the zoo and managing the zoo for the city.”

The zoo is an important asset for the Birmingham area, Pfefferkorn said.

“Studies have shown that it improves the mental and physical well-being of people to visit places like zoos and aquarium parks and green space, so it goes to the livability of the city,” Pfefferkorn said.

The zoo also has an annual economic impact of about $28 million in the Birmingham area, said Pfefferkorn, citing a study the zoo commissioned in recent years.

The zoo also draws visitors, with about 65% of the tickets sold at the facility going to people from outside the Birmingham area last year, Pfefferkorn said.

“We have people come on a regular basis from Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida and from all over Alabama,” he said.

“People are driving here,” he said. “They buy gas. They buy food. They may shop. They even may stay in a hotel.”

However, the zoo’s biggest impact transcends dollars and cents, Pfefferkorn said.

“When I talk to people, they have come to their Birmingham Zoo for generations,” he said. “They came as kids. They brought their kids. Now they are bringing their grandkids. We are part of the fabric of the lives and livability of Birmingham, and we are very proud of that.”

Many zoo visitors and supporters come from Mountain Brook, Pfefferkorn said.

“We are right next door,” he said. “We also have a good relationship with the Mountain Brook mayor and city council.”

But he added that “all of the municipalities around Birmingham are very supportive of the zoo, just as the city of Birmingham is.”

Even during this time of pandemic, Pfefferkorn hopes people will help support the zoo.

“We are very cognizant that people are in a time of uncertainty, but this is their zoo, and they have always supported us, and I believe they always will,” Pfefferkorn said. “We are going to be there for them when this is over. It’s going to be a place for folks to come out of the house and enjoy a place they know, a place they love, a place to spend time with their family.

For updates regarding the zoo’s phased reopening or to make a donation, go to birminghamzoo.com.