Honolulu Zoo director resigns
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM / APRIL 7
Baird Fleming, director of the Honolulu Zoo is pictured with Lani Moo at the zoo in Waikiki earlier this year.
Honolulu Zoo Director Baird Fleming announced today that he is resigning his post due to a job opportunity elsewhere, city officials said.
The resignation comes in the midst of the city’s efforts to regain accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which stripped Honolulu of its seal of approval in March.
Fleming became zoo director in February 2015, its fifth in six years.
The zoo’s inability to retain a director was cited by the AZA as one reason Honolulu lost its accreditation although the main issue appeared to be the lack of a steady and consistent funding source as the major factor.
Fleming has been with the zoo four years in all, much of that time as its assistant director.
“We thank Dr. Fleming for his more than 4-½ years of service to the Honolulu Zoo and for putting us on a path towards re-accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums,” city Enterprise Services Director Guy Kaulukukui said in a news release. “Change is an opportunity for growth, and we are poised to grow in very exciting ways that our local residents and visitors will surely enjoy.”
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Last week, Oahu voters approved a change to the Honolulu City Charter that requires one-half of one percent of annual estimated property tax revenues go into an exclusive fund that could only pay for zoo expenses.
Fleming told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser last week that the Caldwell administration was aiming to re-apply for accreditation in either 2018 or 2019.
Bill Balfour, former city parks director and one-time manager of the Oahu Sugar Co., has been named temporary zoo administrator.
The 42-acre Honolulu Zoo formally opened in 1947.
35 responses to “Honolulu Zoo director resigns”
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Short list of possible candidates for the job:
Dan Grabauskas
Kathryn Matayoshi
Charles Djou
Mufi Hannemann
Norman Chow
Neil Abercombie
Barack Obama
How about our favorite son Barry?
Hope you are joking. Then the zoo will be on security lockdown just like Kailua.
I guess you didn’t read that he was last, but of course not least.
obama? We don’t want him and his family flashing their ugly mugs here anymore. Let ’em go back to Chicago where they belong. They overstayed their welcome here 7 years ago. Good riddance!
Carang, I don’t know why you wanted to take time out of your day to make the world just that little bit uglier by your mean comments. You should be ashamed of yourself.
Mahalo for your comment.
Put the Orangutan in charge…it’s the only one left with any seniority.
Need to put a Choo choo train in there to get CADwell’s support.
Close it down, just like HART, Hoopili, and Koa Ridge.
Hmmm…. Is there a pattern here?? I wonder why nobody wants to be the head of such a stellar attraction with backing by such a cooperative and helpful City administration???
“Honolulu Zoo Director Honolulu Zoo Director Baird Fleming announced today that he is resigning his post due to a job opportunity elsewhere, city officials said. announced today that he is resigning his post due to a job opportunity elsewhere, city officials said.”.
Something’s really amiss at the zoo.
I feel that the job wasn’t seeking “Baird Fleming”.
“Baird Fleming” went seeking another job… anywhere but at the Honolulu Zoo.
Zoo should raise entrance fees to pay for expenses, not raise taxes. If the public supports the Zoo, they will pay the higher entrance fees. If they don’t go, then the Zoo should curtail its size and expenses in accordance with public interest and willingness to pay. No more taxes!
The zoo comes under the managing director who comes under the mayor. The zoo fiasco akin to the rail and many other basic city functions are the result of below average leadership. So Honolulu (and the zoo) gets to remain below average for at least four more years.
Whoever that is …..get rid of him/her. Obviously they aren’t doing a very good job.
Apparently the show of support from voters doesn’t change the fact that there are major problems at the zoo. This is another black eye for Caldwell, it’s hard to believe voters re-elected this corrupt Mayor.
Caldwell has been the best mayor in my lifetime and that goes back to before Blaisdell which is the first I remember at age 6. Most have been good.
Wow! Does that lifetime include the 40 years you were in a coma?
I didn’t know that marijuana dispensaries were open yet.
Dementia is a horrible thing….
As my old coach would say…Caldwell isn’t qualified to carry Frank Fasi’s jock.
He is so corrupt and so is his choo choo! What is going to take over 10 years they can do in Bangkok, and do it better, and twice as long in 2 years. I am here and seeing it done.
Yep, been on the Bangkok rail. Nice and smooth, and there’s a line of shiny malls and department stores along its path (although much of the rest of the city is poor).
But I have a bad feeling about HART. And about Caldwell.
Even the poor people are very kind and nice.
When I read the headline, I was overwhelmed with joy because I thought it was referring to Mayor Caldwell.
The Mayor and the City Council need to come to terms with a plan to either invest more into the zoo or to close it down. If they can’t manage it to a high-level and avoid frequent embarrassing headlines, they should just fold and cut our losses. If they can’t run an adequate zoo, how are they going to manage rail and other departments and projects?
If given the chance how many of Honolulu Zoo animals would also resign
There goes the accreditation for the next cycle, and we’re stuck with mandatory funding from real property taxes for at least six years.
That’s a low comment and should be removed.
its not a low comment I did not mention any names but a person called barry theres alot of people name barry so stop thinking like aliberal it does no good.
Please remove this comment. It is offensive
The director of DES’ comments make it clear – they waited until they got their tax increase and then forced out one of the best directors in a long time. Bummer for the Zoo and for us.
Public-Private partnership for the Zoo. Non-government union employees and management working and running the Zoo. Get a private contractor to run the Zoo. Save the City and County money and headaches. Enterprise Services needs to come up with a solution so the Zoo can get back its accreditation. C,mon Mayor Kirk, fix the Zoo. I went vote for you.
All these accreditation agencies are concerned about is setting City priorities and directing that our limited resources (taxes) be spent in a certain way. They are one reason our taxes are so high.
Just get rid of the Zoo. I really don’t see the need for a Zoo out in the middle of the Pacific ocean. What we should have is a state of the art Aquarium.