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Council committee OKs gifts for Honolulu Zoo, including transport of two zebras
Summary
The council committee agreed to report two resolutions accepting gifts to the Honolulu Zoological Society — one to cover transport of two female zebras and another to fund education-sign and filtration repairs — and took public testimony in favor of the donations.
The Honolulu City Council Public Safety and Economic Committee on Sept. 25 reported two resolutions accepting gifts to the Honolulu Zoological Society and recommended both be forwarded for adoption.
The first measure, Resolution 25‑256, accepts an in‑kind gift valued at $9,300 to cover transportation costs to move two female zebras from the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas, to the Honolulu Zoo. The committee heard from Dida Hollyfield, director of Enterprise Services, who described the transfer as part of an accreditation exchange program and said the animals would be trucked to Los Angeles and flown to Honolulu as a gift; she said the zoo expected the animals to arrive "hopefully, by November." The chair reported no objections and ordered the resolution reported out for adoption.
A second measure, Resolution 25‑267, would accept $9,000 in monetary gifts to the Honolulu Zoological Society to replace and repair the base for an education‑program sign and to repair the zoo’s HIPPO filtration system. The committee accepted a technical amendment (CD1) to correct wording and to identify a departmental communication referenced in the title; the chair reported the amended measure out for adoption after hearing supportive testimony from the director and remote public commenters.
Public testimony was uniformly supportive. Angela Melody Young, who identified herself as testifying on behalf of CARES and said she represents an animal‑rescue interest, called the zoo "a top four zoo in the United States" and urged continued support for the zoo’s education programs. Council members thanked the Honolulu Zoological Society and administration staff for the donations and for seeking outside funding.
The committee discussion included a request — raised during debate on a separate agenda item — that the Department of Enterprise Services coordinate with emergency management and other agencies on plans to safeguard animals in the zoo during an evacuation; Council Member Kiayana specifically asked that the Department of Emergency Management work with Enterprise Services and the zoo on evacuation planning for animals.
No roll‑call vote was recorded in the committee transcript; the chair announced the measures were reported out after hearing no objections.
The measures now move to the council floor for further action. Committee members said they appreciated the society’s recurring support of the zoo and the administration’s efforts to seek private funding for city cultural and educational assets.
