A $350,000 donation from the University of Arizona, along with proceeds from Fridayβs ZOOcson fundraiser, will allow Reid Park Zoo to break ground on its new Animal Health Center in the next two or three months.
The project will transform the existing 2,000 square-foot space into a 9,000-square-foot center big enough to host students. The zoo still needs to raise $650,000 for the $3.85 million project and plans to break ground by the end of 2016 or January 2017, said Clara Cobb, the director of marketing and communications for the Reid Park Zoological Society.
The expanded center will not only enhance the care given to zoo animals, but it will also allow UA students to get hands-on experience.
βStudents from the University of Arizona can observe, assist and work with our vet Dr. Alexis Moreno, who will help teach and do clinical rotations there,β Cobb said.
The zoo plans to work with the UAβs new School of Veterinary Medicine, which is working toward accreditation. Through the veterinary medicine program, students would have clinical rotations at the zoo, even staying overnight.
Students from the UAβs School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences and the School of Natural Resources and the Environment will also be able to take advantage of the new facilities.
βThe Animal Health Center is key to the future of the zoo, because we canβt grow until we can provide this level and standard of care,β Cobb said, adding that floor-to-ceiling windows in the educational center will make it possible for students and other visitors to watch procedures live.
The current Animal Health Center was built around 1978, according to the zooβs 2014 Request for Qualifications for architectural firms. Swaim Associates Ltd. is the architecture firm doing the project.
The new center will include holding areas for aquatic species, birds, primates and more powerful animals, as well as quarantine areas. Larger surgical areas will allow for the treatment of bigger animals.
Other features include an intensive care unit, lab and pharmacy, digital imaging for improved X-rays and video surveillance, according to press materials.
