The Pueblo Zoo wants to upgrade its security systems with $102,000 in federal money

An owl in New York City. A pair of monkeys and a snow leopard in Dallas.

Recent animal heists and escapes have made national headlines: the Association of Zoos and Aquariums advised members, which includes the Pueblo Zoo, to be “extra cautious and alert” last week.

The Pueblo Zoo does not have an active security camera system or regular security patrol, but its executive director asked Pueblo City Council during a work session Monday evening for grant funding to change that.

“I'm shocked that the zoo doesn't have cameras,” Council President Heather Graham remarked. Pueblo Zoo Executive Director Abigail Krause said that Graham is “not the only one.”

The Pueblo Zoo has also contended with security problems

Krause shared that the zoo has experienced several security breaches within the past few years: for example, someone posing as a volunteer threatened to staff and the police SWAT team had to be called to detain him.

Last year, someone squatted in the basement of one of the zoo buildings, staying overnight with animals.

“He was a very clean intruder — he cleaned the place up, but he wasn't an animal,” Krause said, adding that some property was damaged during the incident. “Our keepers came in and were very surprised when there was someone down there.”

Krause said that the Zoo has been collaborating with local law enforcement, including holding a training day for multiple agencies to practice an active shooter response at the zoo.

The zoo has also explored working with the Pueblo Police Department’s drones — heat-scanning drones helped track an escaped snow leopard in Dallas, Krause said.

“However, that is all after the fact. That's forensic: going back and seeing what happened instead of preventing something from the get-go," Krause said. "And this is what we're trying to protect.”

Krause asked city council for funding to expand broadband at the zoo and install a security camera system. The total cost is $102,000.

How the zoo wants to upgrade security

Expanding broadband at the zoo will support an expanded security system. Previous surveillance technology required digging for laying cables, which can be costly, Krause said. New security cameras can be connected to the internet and don’t require an intricate network of cables.

The grant could also improve internet connectivity throughout the campus, which could help zoo staff reach more areas for virtual education.

The zoo has already made some broadband investments, Krause said, but the entire area is not covered.

The grant would also cover cameras and upgrade locks to administrative buildings, along with licensing for the security system for five years.

Krause said that the zoo will be able to work annual licensing fees into the zoo budget in future years, in response to a question from Councilor Vicente Martinez Ortega.

A new security gate would also be installed with grant funding.

City Attorney Dan Kogovsek advised council at the meeting that the grants for the security system would have to come from a specific subset of the city’s American Rescue Plan Act funding to comply with federal regulations.

The city received nearly $37 million from the federal government during the COVID 19 pandemic. Of that, $10 million has been set aside to use for government services, such as a new fire pumper, new dump trucks with a snowplow and mowing equipment.

Council also approved $60,000 from the government services funding to cover some of the costs for upgrading the security system along the downtown riverwalk in August.

Approximately $1.5 million of the government service revenue replacement dollars remains to be allocated, Director of Public Affairs Haley Sue Robinson told the Chieftain.

The Pueblo Zoo attracts 90,000 visitors per year and is on the national register of historic places, according to the website.

Anna Lynn Winfrey covers politics for the Pueblo Chieftain. She can be reached at awinfrey@gannett.com or on Twitter, @annalynnfrey.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo Zoo wants to upgrade its security systems with federal money