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Zoos a big boost for Indiana economy
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Going to the zoo is a tradition for many families, but this pastime is more than family fun. It generates $84.3 million in economic activity for the state and employs 947 people, according to a recent report by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
While the exhibits and animals are front and center, Purdue Agriculture alumni and students work behind the scenes at Indiana zoos.
Jim Anderson, an animal sciences alumnus, is director of the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo, one of four Indiana AZA-accredited zoos. When Anderson first began working at the zoo, he fed and cared for the animals. In his current administrative role he determines what goes on at the zoo, which hosts about 550,000 people each year.
"Our mission is to connect kids and animals, strengthen families and inspire people to care about the natural world and their communities," Anderson said. "Almost all of our visitors are within a 50-mile radius, and about 14,000 families have season passes."
The Indianapolis Zoo—the state's largest—hosts more than 1 million visitors every year. This summer, six interns from Purdue worked at the zoo.
Jessica Kendall, a senior majoring in wildlife sciences, helped arrange events at the Hix Institute for Research and Conservation on the zoo grounds. The institute supports the zoo's research, conservation and educational programs.
"My wildlife knowledge enhanced visitor experiences and helped them to understand the human components of wildlife conservation," Kendall said. "After spending the summer at the zoo, I decided that I want to help preserve these amazing creatures in the wild."
Indiana has two other AZA-accredited zoos: Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Gardens in Evansville and the Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend.
By Lisa Schluttenhofer
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