Study: Toledo Zoo s birds get above-average care
10/21/2005A study conducted by animal managers at the Toledo Zoo suggests that birds at the zoo get more individual attention than the nation s average zoo bird.
The Citizens Task Force, which this summer investigated the zoo, expressed concern that it had too few keepers for the nearly 600 birds in its care.
Bird curator Robert Webster told the zoo board s animal care committee yesterday that a survey of zoos around the country showed that Toledo s 10 full-time keepers actually care for fewer birds than the average bird keeper around the country.
On average, each Toledo keeper cares for 52 birds, while the national average is 66 birds per keeper.
The busiest bird keepers were at Palm Beach Zoo at Dreher Park in Florida, where there were 132 birds for each of the three full-time keepers. Keepers at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago cared for the fewest birds. There, a staff of 12 each cared for 23 birds.