Fortunately for both zoo animals and the children who visit them, many cities are privatizing their zoos rather than letting the gates close for good. For years, private zoological societies worked alongside city zoo officials, raising funds and running education programs and concession stands. Now, as local governments are forced to rein in runaway budgets, zoological societies are taking charge of operating entire zoos. The success of privately financed and managed zoos should not be surprising. After all, running a zoo is foremost a problem of managing resources.
Financial independence brings two other important aspects to zoo management.
In addition to revenue from admissions and concessions, zoos depend on donations from local families, corporations, and nonprofit groups. These sources tend to donate more to private organizations than to government programs, over which donors have little control. Unlike government, which has a notoriously short time horizon, private zoos offer stability. Donors can be confident that the large sums they contribute for long-term projects will be used properly. Like major shareholders of corporations, these zoo stakeholders are often board members and play an important role in monitoring the zoo's management and financial affairs.