Open Letter to the owner of BRONX ZOO
Dear Tracy Morgan,
As a child, I dreamt of working with animals in college. I even attended the Urban Assembly School for Wildlife Conservation (an institution from which you often hire your employees) located 15 minutes from your Zoo, 2011 – 2013. Being from the hood, to put it frankly, my friends and I used our school -identification cards to get into the zoo for free on any day. We truly did love the animals and how much they mimicked us (or rather us them). But those blissful trips soon ended after high school. Without a job and a good reason for our parents, no one was willing to pay the elevating prices. Six years ago, admission to the Zoo was a mere 11 dollars give or take, mainly because for the attractions, such as the carousel, an extra 2 dollars per ride was to be paid. Now, the price is 20 dollars and 5 for the extra experiences, well the only real “experiences”. On top of this, there is an additional 15 -dollar fee when you pass the entry line. So, in total, excluding the likely 30 dollars on those extra rides, 40 bucks to enter a damned zoo? And no food allowed in the park, so jacked up prices inside to eat? You bet.
Animals hibernate, right? So as a reasonable person, I wonder: why do the prices stay so high when half of the animals aren’t available to be seen? Where’s the compromise? The Bronx Zoo’s revenue for 2016 was approximately 1 billion dollars, which is amazing for the animals (not all of the money goes to them and most of your employees make 9-13 dollars an hour) but what about the people who live there? It’s a tourist attraction after all, so why not have community events? Why not have more accessible discounts?
While many would argue that the money goes to the zoo, Mr. Morgan you are a very wealthy man with a net worth of 50 million dollars. I am sure you can afford to make the zoo experience more accessible to minorities (such as yourself). The zoo is yours so now and you have the power to make a difference. Prove that not all stars are the same.
This is America though. We have a choice not to go to the zoo. We can miss out on the opportunities, say no to our kids. But wouldn’t you agree that the expensiveness should be backed by safety? To know that my potential 100 bucks aren’t going to be a dreaded memory. Too many animals – dangerous ones- escape every year. Defunct elevators. Poor instructions by employees. Come on! Besides the adults, many of your consumers are children who do not get the protections they should. I’m not saying to wrap the place in bubble wrap, but more child safety would be appropriate. The water where the dolphins are could easily be invaded by a curious toddler. The trails make it easy to get stranded. If you make so much money, why not make it a safer experience? Give the people their money’s worth.
And so, while your love for animals is greatly appreciated, your greed and policies (food) are not. You are located in the South Bronx where almost everyone is in poverty. Where it is inexpensive because businesses know how to compromise. Why do kids have to miss out because it’s not even free for them? Free Wednesdays sound great until you realize one day out of seven translates to a traffic storm where no one actually enjoys the “experience”.
Thank you for reading,
Shyann A. Cooks
