GREAT BEND, Kansas – From safety violations to animal escapes, the Great Bend Zoo has had its share of troubles. But that’s all in the past, according to the new zoo director. He’s putting his heart and soul into upgrading the zoo, even teaming up with Sedgwick County to make it happen.
Great Bend Zoo Director Scott Gregory handles a snake without fear.
"We named him ‘Snuggles’,” he said. “He's very snuggly.”
Being fearless also helps Gregory in his new role of transforming the Great Bend Zoo.
Like the reptiles in his care, Gregory is withstanding the heat of negative headlines and various safety violations – all plaguing the zoo before he took over in December. Last spring, authorities shot a mountain lion after it escaped from its cage. A python escaped a few months later when a lawnmower cut its cage. USDA inspections found minor sanitation and safety issues like structural problems in the lion’s den and no shelter for the bison. In the midst of all this came the resignation of the zoo’s then director. So, when Gregory left Florida for Great Bend, those past issues and overall security were top on his mind.
“You know, for the first time ever I think we sat down a couple of weeks ago with our emergency department, our Great Bend Police Department and we went over what ifs emergency situations from animal escapes to animal attacks to bomb threats to protests,” he said.
Gregory set a goal for the zoo to be accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. To do that, upgrades in both infrastructure and animal care have to be made. And they are, in part, with help from other Kansas zoos, including Lee Richardson Zoo in Garden City and the Sedgwick County Zoo.
“What affects Great Bend affects all of us, because when a tiger dies or something escapes, or something positive -- if it happens in a zoo in Kansas, invariably people misread or mishear and think it might be here or there,” said Mark Reed, Sedgwick County Zoo director. “So we want nothing but positives to come out of there.”
Among the support coming from Sedgwick County are vet expertise, advice on animal diets and record keeping. A recent inventory in Great Bend found few records were being kept on the animals' health.
“It was an assessment that had a lot of safety issues and had a lot of things that needed to be done and they've gotten them addressed faster than we thought was possible,” Reed said.
Solutions include enclosures that are tougher to escape. Records show the mountain lion escaped through “unlocked doors” due to “keeper error.” New procedures should make that nearly impossible.
“A lot of the enclosures, they have two doors,” said Gregory. “So we don't have a mountain lion here now, but if we did have a mountain lion, you would have to leave -- right now -- two doors unlocked at the same for the animal to escape.”
All are improvements aimed at offering a better service for both the animals and the people of Great Bend.
“I always say that I'm not really in charge of the zoo,” Gregory said. “The community is in charge of the zoo. You know, I'm just captain of the ship.”
It’s a ship that’s been sailing since 1952. From big cats to small fish and a monkey that’s called this home for six years, the Great Bend Zoo means a lot to the city, including one of its newest residents and tireless workers.
The Great Bend Zoo is located on Main St. just north of downtown Great Bend. Admission is free.
