According to AZA research, 175 million people visit AZA accredited zoos and aquariums each year – this outnumbers the annual attendance at all of the NFL, NHL, MLB and NBA sporting events combined! This interest in the natural world is one reason why preserving the Lake Superior Zoo is so important. This zoo is the only zoo in northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin and is the only major zoo outside of the Twin Cities metro areas. In its present condition, the zoo draws around 100,000 visitors annually and half of these visitors are children under the age of 12. Zoo education programs serve 16,000 people each year at the zoo and through the zoomobile outreach program that travels throughout our region. Additionally, the zoo has about 2,400 active member households, which represent 10,000 residents of northern Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin. Once developed to its full potential, the zoo will have a larger educational footprint, serving more Minnesota and Wisconsin residents and visitors.

Yet, probably one of the most important reasons that the zoos in general should be preserved is that our culture is changing fast. Children and families today have less contact with the natural world, due in part to the explosion of technology over the past 25 years. Cable TV, video games, home computers and the internet substitute virtual entertainment for hands-on-experiences. According to Richard Louv, in his book Nature Deficit Disorder, children and families are showing signs of stress from the lack of connection with nature. These manifest in the form of obesity, depression, lack of creativity and the loss of respect for nature and for community. Because of zoo’s conservation and educational mission (and its potential to shape attitudes and behaviors and/or inspire the love and respect for nature) zoos are fundamental to preserving our cultural heritage.