Zoo Spurns Mayor's Request, Disputes Animal Ownership

The nonprofit organization that runs Lowry Park Zoo is at odds with Mayor Pam Iorio over the attraction's oversight and ownership of the zoo animals.

The mayor's staff met with zoo officials today for the first time since Iorio's letter last week demanding more accountability and that it sever all ties with Safari Wild, a private exotic-animal park owned by zoo president Lex Salisbury.

Salisbury has faced criticism in recent weeks after it was learned that the zoo built two barns on Safari Wild property and that some zoo administrative staffers did work for his for-profit venture.

The zoo did not agree to the mayor's request that her representative on the zoo board, Santiago Corrada, be placed on the zoo's powerful executive committee.

The zoo also disputed the mayor's contention that taxpayers own the animals at the attraction, not the Lowry Park Zoological Society, which leases 56 acres from the city.

"The city owns the zoo and has an agreement for the society to manage it on a daily basis," Corrada said after the hour-long meeting with the zoo. "It's not a zoo without the animals."

The zoo's attorney, Richard Harrison, downplayed the disagreement and said the zoo will review its bylaws to see whether it's appropriate for Corrada to serve on the six-member executive committee.

He noted that Corrada is one of seven trustees on the zoo board from various government entities, including the city, county and the state Legislature, none of whom serve on the executive committee.

"We will consider the request and see if that's something we can accommodate," Harrison said.

Corrada was more pointed. "I believe, based on the bylaws, that I should be appointed immediately."

The zoo's six-member executive committee is more deeply involved in the daily business of running the attraction than the full board, Salisbury said.

The arrangement came under criticism last week when several of the zoo's board members said they didn't know about the executive committee's now-voided memorandum of understanding with Safari Wild.

The agreement included a free, 10-acre lease of Safari Wild property for the zoo to send exhibit animals that needed a break from life on display.

Salisbury and St. Petersburg veterinarian Stephen Wehrmann bought 258 acres of land north of Lakeland in 2007 to build Safari Wild. The attraction will feature African-style safari tours in which visitors would see exotic and endangered species.

The Tampa Tribune reported last week that the zoo built two barns and erected fencing on the property as part of the lease agreement. Earlier, the Tribune reported that zoo staffers arranged for tours and promotion of Safari Wild.

Iorio sent a letter to the zoo Thursday saying Safari Wild needed to repay the city for any taxpayer money used for the animal park, along with appointing Corrada to the executive committee. The mayor also criticized the zoo for not checking with local governments that might have land for zoo animals that needed space to roam. She offered to facilitate conversations between the zoo and the city water department, which has 400 acres in Thonotosassa.

This year the zoo will receive about $900,000 from the city and Hillsborough County for operations. The county will give an additional $1.8 million for capital improvements. The zoo has a budget of about $18 million.

The zoo's executive committee severed the relationship with Safari Wild in June when concerns arose that Salisbury had a possible conflict of interest in running the zoo and the for-profit animal park, which hasn't opened and remains mired in state and Polk County permitting issues.

The zoo's executive committee also began an independent audit of all its dealings with Safari Wild. Board member Bob Merritt, who is overseeing the audit, said the executive committee didn't find anything improper when it reviewed the transactions.

Salisbury has said he did not financially gain from the relationship and that he had no say in which zoo animals went to the Safari Wild property. He said he offered the land as a favor to the zoo, which has outgrown the confines of its urban site.

While Salisbury might not have profited from the arrangement, he could have.

An agreement that allowed the zoo to board three white rhinoceroses on the Safari Wild property also gave Salisbury and his business partner the right to keep the second rhino baby born on the property.

The rhinos were moved off the land after the zoo board ended its relationship with Safari Wild.

The issue with the rhino baby is part of the reason that city officials are reaffirming the belief that the city owns the animals. They are concerned that Salisbury's private business could gain offspring of taxpayer-owned animals.

The zoo's attorney said many of the roughly 2,200 animals at the facility are owned by other zoos, or are owned by federal and state governments.

As to who owns the rest of the animals, "I would call it a divergence of opinions as to what the lease states," Harrison said.

According to the 1988 lease, the animals are owned by the city and leased to the zoological society. The lease also requires the zoo to provide the city with an annual inventory of its animals. The zoo has provided just two inventories, the last in 1994, according to city records.

Corrada said he spoke with Iorio after the meeting to discuss the disagreement with zoo officials, which included Salisbury, Harrison, Merritt and board chairman Fassil Gabremariam.

"We are steadfast in those requests," he said.
The next step is for city and zoo attorney's to resolve the differences, Corrada said.

The zoo did agree to some of the mayor's demands.

The zoo will inventory its animals for the city and move the two barns and remaining bison from Safari Wild to the water department land if an agreement can be reached.

Corrada has heard that Salisbury boarded zoo animals on his private ranch in Dade City. He insisted at the meeting that the zoo must not have any business relationship with Salisbury or any private property he is connected to.

"There was no reaction that I could tell," Corrada said.