'Hope' Springs Anew

Style Observer

Sunday, January 15, 2012

The raft of improvements is visible at almost every turn at Hope Zoo's sprawling 30 acres; and if like us you've not paid a visit in decades then the scores of freshly planted palm trees lining the roadway snaking through the property and thatched gazebos dotting the grounds underscore refurbishment in progress. There's more: workmen are welding enclosures; buildings have been given fresh coats of paint and spanking-new bird exhibits are in place. The extensive renovation underway at the zoo since last April is the collaborative effort of the Hope Zoo Preservation Foundation and Guardsman Group, helmed by noted businessman and animal lover Kenny Benjamin.

Benjamin, who has for years operated the wildlife-like sanctuary Serenity Park in St Catherine, subleased the zoo last year, with a personal mission: to "bring back the Hope Zoo".

The gregarious business tycoon tells SO, "I've had a passion for animals and plants all my life and it's demonstrated on all the properties Guardsman Group owns and operates. I think every capital city needs to have a proper zoo if you are going to have a zoo at all."

Benjamin harks back to his student days at the then College of Arts, Science and Technology now the University of Technology where he maintained a regular presence at the zoo. "Thirty-five years ago, I used to go there almost every day and since then I have seen the deterioration and lack of care. Due to the neglect of several governments, the zoo had deteriorated to almost nothing."

Enter the animal enthusiast's rescue plan for the zoo.

Benjamin's vision not only included restoring the property but also a long-term plan to recast the site as a world-class facility. The revamped zoo would see an intake of new and exotic animals, boast safaris, a lake with boat rides, fine-dining restaurants, rental facilities to host meetings and retreats, among other imminent amenities and attractions.

"Already, we have conceptualised a master plan for the expansion of the Hope zoo, and in the last seven months I have expended $60 million of our own resources to bring the zoo to what it is today," Benjamin discloses.

While the zoo has seen marked improvements since the transition from state to private hands, footing the bill for a complete overhaul is far from meagre. The immediate challenge to keep apace of the upgrading is monetary and as such, financial assistance is being solicited from both the corporate and government sectors that will see both groups gaining publicity for their input. "We are certainly getting positive response," Benjamin, who has served as chairman of the Jamaica Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for the past 15 years, shares with SO. Presently, applications have been dispatched for a variety for animal life, and a three-month timeline is in place for lions, zebras, camels and possibly giraffes to be shipped into the island.

"We are going to encompass not just a state-of-the-art modern zoo but with a serious bias towards education, conservation, bio-diversity and breeding of endangered species in captivity to be returned to the wild," the zoo's primary benefactor explains.

The price tag for the envisioned rehabilitation project (replete with new infrastructure and attractions) would be an estimated $500 million, and though a hefty sum, Benjamin sees it as a worthwhile investment.

A decade from now, Benjamin projects, "We certainly hope to have an infrastructure with happy animals, a major educational facility, one of the best places for families to visit for bonding and recreation, and a very wholesome experience."

Curator of the zoo, Orlando Robinson, whose job entails general husbandry, the development of education and conservation programmes, and the development of strategic planning, admits to SO that the zoo had fallen into a worsening state prior to last year's takeover. "The facility had deteriorated over the years so the degree of work required to restore it was quite substantial. It came down to funding. The Government provided a subvention but the shortfall was great and activities were limited to maintaining what existed with little room for acquiring new animals or building new exhibits."

Robinson praises the restoration efforts that have been undertaken by the Hope Zoo Preservation Foundation and is quick to note that "the changes have been phenomenal".

"The changes attest to what can be achieved when determined and passionate persons become involved. One of the highlights has been the introduction of a flight aviary that allows persons to hand-feed birds."

The curator is optimistic that the zoo's future is now certain. "We are on a path to implement the zoo's master plan and considerable investment has been made to bring together both local and international stakeholders to develop this plan. It's a great plan that will guide our development," Robinson, a 12-year veteran in the Hope Zoo's employ, points out.

Meanwhile, Karen Gandreti, who came on board as the Preservation Foundation's special projects manager only two weeks ago, has already caught the Obama-esque 'yes, we can' spirit.

"My ultimate goal is to be able to follow through with Kenny Benjamin's vision of having a world- class zoo for families to come and bond, and for the public and tourists to feel a sense of pride and joy when they visit the zoo," Gandreti shares.

When asked what she will use as a measuring stick to gauge how successful the revamping process is, the manager says she will be eyeballing increased patronage and an increase in the variety of the collection that she stresses will have to be tied to sponsorship.

She says that as the zoo undergoes a makeover and the facility does not have animals that are necessarily crowd-pleasers, the Foundation purposely made the decision to not close the facility as work was being carried out. "It would have been easy to lock it away and have a big grand opening, but what we have found is that many of our patrons are repeat visitors who are excited to see these developments. They are interested in the arrival of the animals as they come in one by one," she adds.

With the once beleaguered Hope Zoo hitting the restart button, and the promise of bigger and better to come, patrons will surely be queuing up to walk through its gates, eager to explore and excite the child within.

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'Hope' Springs Anew