Meet your 'PreZoodent': Utica Zoo names winner of animal presidential campaign

Edward Harris, Observer-Dispatch
·2 min read

All the votes are in and Mei Lin, the red panda, was elected the first "PreZOOdent" of the Utica Zoo, officials announced Tuesday in a statement.

In the role, the zoo said Mei Lin will be an ambassador to help share the important part zoos play in protecting various species in the wild.

Mei Lin was born at the Utica Zoo in 2019.

She was transferred to Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo in 2021, after she reached breeding age — her Utica habitat was shared with related males at the time. Based on recommendations from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Program, she returned to the Utica Zoo in the spring of 2022.

Mei Lin, the red panda, was elected the first PreZOOdent of the Utica Zoo
Mei Lin, the red panda, was elected the first PreZOOdent of the Utica Zoo

Zoo launched fundraising campaign for animal president

Five animals, representing each area of the Utica Zoo, were in the running for this new position. Over the last month, the zoo shared updates from the candidates, and encouraged the public to support the campaign with donations.

In return, the animals they were supporting would receive additional votes. The public was also invited to vote during their visit over President’s Day weekend.

After totaling the in-person and online votes, Mei Lin won with a total of 477. Coming in second place was Tasha, the Nigerian Dwarf Goat, with 184 votes.

“The idea was created as a way to engage the community during a time that visitor attendance is generally lower due to the colder weather,” Allie Snyder, Utica Zoo marketing and community engagement manager said in a statement.

“It was a chance for our staff to share some of the animals’ personalities in a fun and quirky way, and share some of their traits that visitors may not see normally.”

Voting results for the first PreZOOdent of the Utica Zoo contest.
Voting results for the first PreZOOdent of the Utica Zoo contest.

How much money was raised for Utica Zoo

The goal of the campaign was to raise additional funds for the zoo, as well as engage the community during a time that zoo attendance is lower due to the winter season.

The campaign raised just over $1,000 to help support the daily needs of the animals and zoo.

Prior to in-person voting, the community could make donations to their favorite candidate’s campaign. For every $10 donated, the candidate would receive five extra votes. Mei Lin received a donation of $500 prior to the in-person voting, giving her a paw up on Tasha and the other candidates.

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Utica Zoo names winner of animal presidential campaign: Meet Mei Lin