Is it only in America that zoos publicly promote the cost of an exhibit?

[zooman]

I am wondering do European and UK zoos, rely so heavily on the cost of the exhibit as a selling point, when promoting a new exhibit as the US seems to?

As It seems a favourite of snowleopard to use the cost of the exhibit in the tag as well, is it also a Canadian experience?

 

[snowleopard]

I have found through looking at literally hundreds of press releases over the years that with both American and Canadian zoos/aquariums the price tag is mentioned perhaps 99% of the time. In western Canada there are two high-profile exhibits opening soon: Calgary Zoo's new penguin exhibit, opening in 2012, is costing $24 million and the price tag is always mentioned, while Vancouver Aquarium's expansion has gone through many incarnations but the latest is $25 million.

Why the constant mention of the cost of an exhibit? The reason is that in many cases taxpayers are footing the bill! Some zoos in the United States have up to 40% of their budget supplied by various tax laws and local neighborhoods, while for example in many zoos in England there is zero local support, zero government support, and the facilities are thus independently run. Maybe that is why they can only afford wood and wire cages! (settle down Brits) In North America the public wants to know what their government is funding, and while many exhibits are built via donations the level of govenmental/local support for many major zoos is amazing.

 

[Zooplantman]

Announcing the plan for a new exhibit is free publicity for the zoo.
Announcing the cost says, "Something really really grand and special is coming and you ought to plan on seeing it."

"Heart of Africa" at Chester Zoo certainly played up the projected cost.
I believe that London's gorilla exhibit's cost was promoted as well.
Sometimes it may be vague, such as "multimillion Euro exhibit" (http://www.independent.ie/national-...ree-asian-elephants-to-dublin-zoo-228134.html)


I expect others here will add to the list.

Now I wouldn't be surprised, though, if in America the public weren't more interested in and impressed by a big pricetag. In some countries such hubris would be in bad taste.

 

[ZooMan Texas]

Exhibit Cost

I think another reason costs are often mentioned is competitive impulses between the various zoo management teams. Bigger and more expensive is always better, right? You see costs mentioned not just in local press releases, but on websites like ZooLex, or in the AZA monthly magazine (it used to be called the 'Communique', but I can never remember the new name). However, I think the new 3 acre elephant exhibit at Lowry Park is probably just as satisfying to the elephants, and probably to the public, as the new one at Dallas, and at about 1/10 the price. I think mentioning price is a practice that should die out, personally.