Thursday, January 22, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Mercury

Editor's Note: The new zoo revue

You know who had a good idea? Phil Tobin. It was Tobin, an assemblyman from Humboldt County, who introduced the bill to legalize gambling in Nevada in 1931. Tobin's no-nonsense reasoning made sense then and it makes sense now: "The damn state was broke and we needed the money."

You know who else had a good idea? Steve Wynn. It was Wynn who opened the Mirage hotel-casino in 1989, ushering in a new era of themed resorts in which gambling was just one piece of the entertainment package offered to tourists. Wynn's idea catapulted Las Vegas forward after years of half-measures and uncertainty.

You know who has a bad idea? The people behind a proposal to build a big zoo in northwest Las Vegas. Television producer Jim Sher, his wife, Mona, and their partners want to spend $100 million on a "world-class zoo" to be located at Floyd Lamb State Park.

This idea has disaster written all over it. Here are six reasons, not listed in any particular order:

¥ Not many tourists will be interested. Certainly some Las Vegas visitors venture away from the Strip and downtown to check out major attractions such as Hoover Dam and Red Rock Canyon. But it's not a huge percentage. Most tourists, including the large and growing convention crowd, find that all their needs and then some are satisfied within the multifaceted resort corridor.

¥ Strip resorts already have a bunch of animals on display. There are elephants, lions, tigers, dolphins, flamingos, penguins--not to mention all the sharks and other sea creatures at Mandalay Bay's Shark Reef. Count 'em up and you practically have a zoo already operating along the Strip.

¥ There hasn't been a local outcry for a new zoo. The earnest little animal sanctuary on North Rancho Drive is nice for the occasional Saturday afternoon outing with the kids, but people aren't exactly lining up to get in. For one thing, at least five months out of the year it's too hot to feel anything but sorry for the animals. I swear, even the snakes look like they're sweating in July.

¥ When Las Vegas families get out of town, where do they go? San Diego. And when they go there, they're likely to end up at one of two places involving animals: Sea World or the San Diego Zoo. The San Diego Zoo is internationally known and respected, visited by more than 3 million people annually. The associated Wild Animal Park gets another 1.5 million visitors each year. Why would Las Vegas try to compete with it?

¥ Floyd Lamb State Park is a serene oasis within the increasingly urbanized valley. It has ponds and trees and grass. It's a mecca for ducks and birds. It's a great place for a picnic and to get away from the noise and aggravations of the big city. Why ruin it?

¥ Zoos are passé. Many people who study and love wild animals hold the opinion that they are better off living in their natural habitats rather than cooped up in confined areas at the mercy of shutterbugs. You won't hear me question the value of the San Diego Zoo, where the animals get excellent care and valuable research is conducted. But you hear plenty of horror stories about other, less-respected zoos across the country. A badly managed zoo in Las Vegas would not only fail to draw visitors, but it could damage the city's image in the eyes of animal lovers, which means just about everybody on the planet.

The scariest part is that city officials have offered this zoo group some encouragement. The city, you see, would like to take Floyd Lamb State Park off the state's hands. The perpetually cash-strapped state government wouldn't mind giving the city control of what has essentially become an urban park. But city officials are concerned that they would assume a major financial burden--something like half a million dollars a year. The solution, they think, is to come up with a revenue-generating use for the park acreage. Councilman Gary Reese put it succinctly: "Without the zoo, the city can't afford the park."

With this kind of thinking, Floyd Lamb State Park is better off remaining under steady-as-it-goes state management. At least that way we know it won't become the plaything of entrepreneurially minded council members.

Besides, the city has more pressing matters to attend to. As Councilman Lawrence Weekly wisely wonders, if the city decides to plunge into this zoo boondoggle, what other important projects will be pushed down the priority list? The city, for example, is on the verge of some major breakthroughs in downtown redevelopment. Now is not the time to divert resources to a highly questionable project situated 15 miles from the city center.

Las Vegas is a shining illustration of the value of good ideas boldly put into action. Were it not for dreamers willing to take big risks, Las Vegas would not be what it is today. The people proposing a $100 million zoo at Floyd Lamb State Park are dreamers who seem to have the very best intentions. But unlike other dreams that became successful realities in Las Vegas, this one has good odds of becoming a nightmare.

--GEOFF SCHUMACHER