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Friday, June 14, 1985
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Vol. 84 No. 158
Lil LL
Weather: Our weather pattern is finally working itself back
to normal again as we can expect warmer temperatures.
Today will be partly sunny with a high of 83 (28C). 20 percent
chance of thunderstorms tonight with a low of 62 (1 7C). Partly
sunny and warm for the weekend with highs in the upper 80s
(30C). Barb Brand aThe Nebraskan
University spreading.
itself too thin?...Page3
Training table serves
up controversy.. .Page 6
It9S
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9
By Bill Allen
Arts and Entertainment Editor
Sitting on a park bench in Zooville
Square yesterday Folsom Children's
Zoo and Botanical Garden director
Alan Bietz summed up the success of
Lincoln's "community zoo."
"To see what makes it successful
here you just need to sit out on this
bench and watch," he said. "Today
(Kiwanis Day) we mix three genera
tions. There are grandchildren, parents
and grandparents here. We're enter
taining, educating and making tons of
people happy. Today over 3,000 people
will enjoy the zoo."
Since 1965 the zoo, started by a
donation from Arnott and Jane Folsom,
has brightened the eyes of Lincoln
children, of all ages. Bietz, a former
biology teacher, who has been director
since 1973 said the zoo is financially
healthier today than it has ever been.
The zoo has achieved fame not only
through the eyes of children but also in
the true "zoo sense" of the word. The
Lincoln zoo is nationally known for its
success in breeding and sharing small
monkeys, most notably the near extinct
golden lion, cotton toD tamarin and
black howler monkeys.
Last summer the zoo sent monkeys
raised here to four other countries:
South Africa, England, Australia and
Sweden.
Bietz said the zoo's breeding success
started with the fact that the Smith
sonian National Zoo had enough faith
in the Lincoln zoo to let it try breeding.
Since then, Bietz attributes the breed
ing success to the small size of the zoo.
He said each animal is given more indi
vidual care, and credits curator Laurie
Trechsel with much of the work in this
area.
Bietz said another part of the zoo's
success lies in the fact that it is
respected and trusted by other zoos.
For instance, Reuben, a two-year-old
chimpanzee is on loan from the St.
Louis zoo.
Bietz said the Lincoln zoo has deve
loped good rapport, especially in the
last seven years or so, with other zoos
across the United States which en
courages them to share animals like
Reuben.
Reuben is a popular attraction. The
glass front of the cage allows the vis
itors to come face to face with the
frollicking youngster who enjoys swing
ing from a heavy rope for his audience.
And then there's Anna, a baby ele
phant and the zoo's newest attraction.
Visitors can talk with and touch Anna
for the rest of the summer. The first day
the new elephant was at the zoo, Bietz
said she attracted 2,000 visitors.
Perhaps the zoo's most popular attrac
tion is Ben, the 1,600 pound kodiak
bear, and former star of TVs "Grizzly
Adams." Ben, who came to the zoo in
1979 at age 4V4 stands 9Vfc feet tall.
Bietz said it took about eight months of
heavy negotiation with Ben's trainer to
convince him that Lincoln was the best
place for Ben to "retire."
The zoo is also listed in the Ameri
can Gardens Handbook, published by
the Brooklyn Botanical Society. This
listing is reserved for outstanding hor
ticulture eniimentsmtJieU
Over 85 species of trees and schrubs
are cultivated on the 8-acre zoo, and
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they also serve a useful purpose. Plants
and trees often hide the exhibit around
the turn so visitors always have some
thing to look forward to.
Being a successful zoo, however, is
not the sole pupose of the Folsom
Children's Zoo, according to Bietz.
"It's a philosophy of wanting to
share the best things in life with child
ren, and the child that still lives in
adults if they let it," he said. "We're1
always looking for something new, fresh,
and exciting, on a year to year basis."
Bietz said even the employees aren't
trained to see themselves as workers.
The zoo has about seven full time year
around people he said, with about 50
part time seasonal workers hired every
summer. They view their job, he said, as
"ambassadors for the place."
Bietz said the zoo has about a 50-50
mix of wild, exotic animals and domes
tic animals, such as cows and horses...
"like that little fellow," he said, point
ing to a lamb walking among the vis
itors. "He's so tame he thinks he's
human," he said.
The zoo also features an Affection
Section, which allows children of all
ages to pet and play with animals.
There are also pony and train rides.
The buildings in Zooville Square, in
keeping with the children's theme are
all five-eights size, and include among
other things, a livery barn, a theater
which presents live shows and a black
smith shop.
Lincoln's zoo is community supported,
Bietz said. It receives no tax dollars,
but depends on admissions, donations
and concession sales to keep running.
One popular program, Bietz said, is
the "adoption" of certain animals.
Commercial businesses and individu
als pick out exhibits that appeal to
them and "adopt" them, that is, pay for
their food for a year or more.
Bietz said one problem right now
Mark DavisThe Nebraskan
might be the fact that the zoo is a bit
squeezed in size.
"I think the next 10 to 20 years are
going to be exciting for the zoo in that
respect. There is some land opening up
to the west of here," he said. "Of
course, with a zoo like ours you have to
keep in mind that you can't expand
more than the community can support,
but I feel we can grow some now."
A family membership to the zoo is
$30, and also includes free admission
to more than 50 other zoos throughout
the United States, including Henry
Doorly Zoo in Omaha. Single admission
is $2.75 for adults and $1 for children.
