This is a press release courtesy of the Oregon Zoo

A blockbuster dinosaur exhibit, a baby elephant, camps, concerts and family-friendly events helped boost the Oregon Zoo's attendance to 1,621,521 for the fiscal year ending June 30 -- the highest figure in the zoo's 122-year history.

"The strong attendance is a testament to our community's support of the zoo," said Metro Council President David Bragdon. "The zoo not only provides a rich family experience, but also supports conservation education and our vision to create a better future for wildlife."

Oregon Zoo Director Tony Vecchio attributed the record year to the popularity of its dinosaur exhibit last summer and the arrival of Samudra, the charismatic baby elephant who has stolen the hearts of zoo visitors. Vecchio noted that zoo attendance might have been even higher if severe winter storms hadn't forced the zoo to close for nearly a week in late December, a peak time for its popular ZooLights winter light display. ZooLights, a holiday tradition featuring more than a million brightly colored lights, had been on-pace to set its own attendance record before the closures.

Events such as the summer concert series and the World Animal Festival also brought in big numbers, while the increased revenues help the zoo fund its many conservation and education programs.

"We attract large audiences because of our commitment to offer new exhibits and programs," Bragdon said. "With work under way on the new Red Ape Reserve exhibit and the highly anticipated opening of Predators of the Serengeti this fall, I'm very optimistic that we'll continue to be the most well-attended zoo in the Pacific Northwest."

 
The first time the zoo's attendance topped a million was during 1962-63, the fiscal year immediately following Packy's birth in April 1962. The baby pachyderm drew 1,010,964 spectators from all over the Northwest, eager to see the first elephant born in the United States in 44 years. It wasn't until 1988-89 that the zoo broke the million mark again. Since then, the zoo has welcomed more than a million guests in 17 of the past 20 years.

The Oregon Zoo continues to have the highest attendance of any fee-based tourist attraction in Oregon.

The zoo is a service of Metro and is dedicated to its mission to inspire the community to create a better future for wildlife. Committed to conservation, the zoo is currently working to save endangered California condors, Washington's pygmy rabbits, Oregon silverspot butterflies, western pond turtles, Oregon spotted frogs and Kincaid's lupine. Other projects include studies on black rhinos, Asian elephants, polar bears and bats.