Press Releases

The City of Topeka received a near-perfect Municipal Equality Index (MEI) score in 2023, earning 97 out of 100 possible points. The score is the highest in the city’s history.

The MEI is a nationwide evaluation by the Human Rights Campaign of 506 cities on how inclusive municipal laws, policies, and services are of LGBTQ+ people who live and work there. Cities are rated based on non-discrimination laws, the municipality as an employer, municipal services, law enforcement and leadership on LGBTQ+ equality.

“This is the third year the City of Topeka has participated in the Municipal Equity Index and receiving the highest score yet is a recognition of our efforts to make Topeka an equitable, inclusive, and belonging community,” said Ernestor De La Rosa, the city’s Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Officer. “As a city, we will continue to work within the organization and with our community partners to ensure we are a welcoming community where we recognize the contributions of ALL residents, including those of the LGBTQ+ community.”

“I’m so proud of our collective community efforts to reach this exciting milestone of a near-perfect MEI score,” said Topeka Mayor Michael Padilla. “This score speaks to the intentional investments and thought we’ve put into ensuring greater equity in Topeka, including the creation of our DEI Office in January of this year.”

To read Topeka’s scorecard in full, visit hrc.org.mei.

 

During the month of March, the City of Topeka temporarily had higher-than-normal cloudiness in its water.

The cloudiness, officially referred to as turbidity, was caused by conditions of the Kansas River due to recent rainfall.

City staff self-reported the information to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). KDHE considered the turbidity levels a minor violation. KDHE and City staff were in regular communication, and agreed the water remained safe to drink throughout the period of turbidity.

“We are alerting the public to this information to be transparent, and to also assure them that the water in Topeka is safe to drink,” said Braxton Copley, Director of Utilities. “While turbidity temporarily exceeded normal levels, cloudiness does often occur after the first heavy rainfall of the year. I am very proud of our Utilities staff who worked tirelessly to resolve this situation.”

The City’s turbidity levels were out of compliance with KDHE regulations for approximately 13 hours.

The City’s water remains in compliance with KDHE standards in all aspects.

 

It has been a really active past nine months for animal babies at the Topeka Zoo and Conservation center. People anticipated, watched and celebrated the births of two giraffes, four Sumatran tigers, a three-banded armadillo, a Hoffman’s sloth and a golden lion tamarin. Now through a series of ultrasound exams of a female black and white ruffed lemur, the Zoo is confirming the pregnancy of its female, Cleo.
“Maybe there’s something in the water or maybe it’s just really good animal care,” said Zoo Director Brendan Wiley. “Like with so many of the animals that live here, our lemurs participate in a cooperative animal training program that benefits their health. Our female lemur voluntarily participates in ultrasound exams. This training has allowed us to confirm one and possibly a second baby. We can only see into the part of the uterus that Cleo allows us to see. This is one of the reasons that we repeat the sonogram on the same day in consecutive weeks.”
The Zoo estimates that the female lemur is in the latter part of her third trimester. Gestation of this species is approximately 102 days. In North America, they typically give birth in either April or May. As part of the planning for the imminent birth, visitors to the zoo will see a thick layer of hay bedding and a new nest box on the floor in the lemur habitat. Zoo staff plan to continue the voluntary ultrasounds until parturition occurs.

Lena, a 38 year old Bornean orangutan, passed away at the Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center yesterday. She became ill last Wednesday. With her condition not improving, zoo staff planned to do a full medical workup on Lena on Monday. At about 10:30 and under anesthesia, she was transported to the zoo’s animal hospital. While the zoo’s medical team was taking radiographs, Lena went into cardiac arrest. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.

Lena was born at the Buffalo Zoo on April 2, 1982. She came to the Topeka Zoo from the Columbus Zoo in 2005. It was at the Topeka Zoo where she really flourished. She enjoyed interacting with people. If you were ever at the Zoo and had a kiss blown to you by an orangutan, that was Lena.

“Lena had a way of working her way right into your heart,” said Zoo Director Brendan Wiley. Cris Sandberg, one of Lena’s Zoo Keepers, said, “She was special. I will always remember the love she had for the people she knew and her afternoon need for back scratches.”

A necropsy performed on Lena showed that she had an abnormal left kidney. “At the moment, it is not obvious as to the cause of death,” said Staff Veterinarian Shirley Llizo. Dr. Llizo has submitted for blood testing and histopathology to better understand the illness that led to Lena’s demise.

“Social distancing has made it more challenging for staff to grieve for the loss of Lena,” said Wiley. “In these uncertain times, we could not be more proud of our team and the care they offered Lena. She will be missed.”

Kay Reece, a Topeka Zoo Docent shared this, “Lena was a spirit animal. She loved her time outside watching from her barrel as visitors and friends came to see her. Lena remembered her friends and was always interested in what they had to share with her, whether pocket contents or bubbles, pictures or a kiss. Her instinct for learning and love for friends will be something I will never forget. Where a beautiful soul has lived; beautiful memories remain.”

Contact for further information: Molly Hadfield, Director of Media Relations 785-368-0991, mhadfield@topeka.org
Thursday, December 26, 2019

TOPEKA, KS – The Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center will be accepting used live Christmas trees this year beginning as early as December 26. It is as easy as dropping the tree off at the same location as last year, on the south east side of Gage Park, just east of the horseshoe court parking lot inside Gage Park.
 
When entering Gage Park from the 10th St. entrance, take your first right on Munn Memorial Drive heading north west. Look for the orange snow fence and place your tree in the grass, behind the
“trees here sign”. “There is no need to make an appointment,” said Zoo Director Brendan Wiley. “We’ll find them and get them to the animals that can use them.”
 
For the safety of the animals, in order for the trees to be able to be used by the zoo animals, the trees need to be free of ornaments, hooks, tinsel, tree stands and not in plastic bags.
“This allows the trees to be used beyond the holiday season,” said Wiley. “Animals that benefit from them include lions, tigers, owls, mountain lions, giraffes, black bears, painted dogs and many others.”
 
Once the animals have had plenty of fun with the varieties of conifers donated, they will be ground up through a chipper and made into mulch for continued reuse. The zoo will accept the trees through Jan. 8th 2020.
 
Have a wonderful holiday season and Happy New Year from the Topeka Zoo & Conservation Center.

Phase 1 –Open Air Park

Phase 1 of the Topeka Zoo’s reopening plan will allow for high level restrictions to accommodate social distancing and prevent Covid-19 transmission. Phase 1 will be initiated after Stay at Home Order expires and social distancing is still required when the maximum gathering limit is set at ten or less.

 

Applicable Dates – Through the end of Shawnee County’s Phase 1 for Reopening

• May 14 – 17, 2020 – Soft limited opening for Friends of the Zoo Members. Single use or daily tickets will not be sold.
• May 18 till the end of Shawnee County’s Phase 1 – Single use daily admission tickets will be sold at regular admission price.

Phase 1 Zoo Guidelines:

• Total number of guests in the Zoo will be limited to no more than 500. At an occupancy level of 500, family groups within the Zoo will have enough space to social distance at 17 – 20 feet apart.
• Employees working at the Zoo will be required to wear masks when the Zoo is open when there is a chance that they may come within six feet of contact with a Zoo guest.
• Guests visiting the Zoo will be highly encouraged to wear masks or other partial facial coverings.
• Employees working in point of sale public areas will be working behind plastic or glass shields and will be required to wipe down or spray with disinfectant their work stations hourly.
• When the Zoo is open, there will be an Environmental Services crew on site continuously working their way through the Zoo wiping down or disinfecting high touch areas and other hard surfaces.
• Brochures and maps will not be available during Phase 1.
• Membership purchases or renewals will be encouraged to be completed online.
• Single day ticket purchases will be encouraged to be made online prior to arrival.
• When making financial transactions, guests will be encouraged to make that transaction with a debit or credit card.
• Guest flow through the Zoo will be in one direction and will utilize a figure eight configuration.
• All buildings will be closed to guests with two exceptions:
  • One bathroom near the Zoo’s café will be kept open. This bathroom will be sanitized and disinfected every other hour.
  • Camp Cowabunga Building will be utilized only to allow guests to pass through a stanchioned area to exit to the connecting path.
• The sidewalk leading to the Zoo’s entry will be marked with symbols to help guests social distance while waiting in line to enter. A similar spacing system will be utilized in front of exhibit viewing areas.
• During phase 1, guests will not have access to feeding machines or animal encounters.
• Animal interaction exhibits will not be open during Phase 1. This includes the Lorikeet Feeding Aviary, Farm Yard and Saving Sharks touch pool.
• Playgrounds and drinking fountains will be closed.
• Café food and beverage and Kona Ice may be available for purchase.
• While a limited number of trashcans will be available, guests will be encouraged to take their trash with them.
• Throughout the facility signage will remind guests to maintain social distance.

 

Phase 2 –Open Air Park with Limited Access to Buildings

Phase 2 of the Topeka Zoo’s reopening plan will allow for moderate level restrictions to accommodate social distancing and prevent Covid-19 transmission.  Phase 2 may be initiated when social distancing is still required but the maximum gathering limit is increased to 50.

 

Applicable Dates – The Topeka Zoo will transition to Phase 2 of its reopening plan at the same time Shawnee County initiates Phase 2 of its reopening plan.

 

Phase 2 Zoo Guidelines:

• Total number of guests in the Zoo will be limited to no more than 900. At an occupancy level of 900, family groups within the Zoo will have enough space to social distance at 8 – 10 feet apart.
• Employees working at the Zoo will be required to wear masks when the Zoo is open when there is a chance that they may come within six feet of contact with a Zoo guest.
• Guests visiting the Zoo will be highly encouraged to wear masks or other partial facial coverings.
• Employees working in point of sale public areas will be working behind plastic or glass shields and will be required to wipe down or spray with disinfectant their work stations hourly.
• When the Zoo is open, there will be an Environmental Services crew on site continuously working their way through the Zoo wiping down or spraying with disinfectant high touch areas and other hard surfaces.
• Brochures and maps will not be available during Phase 2.
• Guests that plan to purchase single day use tickets will be encouraged to do so online.
• Membership purchases or renewals will be encouraged to be completed online.
• In the event a financial transaction needs to occur at the Zoo, guests will be encouraged to make that transaction with a debit or credit card.
• Guest flow through the Zoo will be in one direction and will utilize a figure eight configuration.
• The following three buildings will be open during Phase 2:
  • One bathroom near the Zoo’s café will be kept open. This bathroom will be sanitized and disinfected every other hour.
  • Camp Cowabunga Building will be open.
  • The Animals and Man Building will be open.
• The sidewalk leading to the Zoo’s entry will be marked with symbols to help guests social distance while waiting in line to enter. A similar spacing system will be utilized in front of exhibit viewing areas.
• Guests will have access to feed machines.
• Animal interaction exhibits will not be open during Phase 2. This includes the Lorikeet Feeding Aviary, Farm Yard and Saving Sharks touch pool.  However, on a low traffic day Saving Sharks or the Lorikeet Feeding Aviary may be opened for short periods of time.
• Playgrounds and drinking fountains will be open.
• Café food and beverage and Kona Ice may be available for purchase.
• While a limited number of trashcans will be available, guests will be encouraged to take their trash with them.
• Throughout the facility signage will remind guests to maintain social distance.

The seven zoos in Kansas accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums are working together to evaluate the ornate box turtle population across the state in eight counties. The ornate box turtle is the state reptile of Kansas.

Turtles are the most threatened group of vertebrates worldwide. Nearly 42% of turtle and tortoise species are threatened with extinction (Turtle Conservation Coalition, 2018). There are anecdotal reports of a significant decline in ornate box turtle numbers across the state of Kansas.

To guide conservation management decisions, new baseline population data is needed as the last study reporting population numbers concluded in 1956 and was not considered a viable study as it was only conducted in one county.

The project will be closely supervised by trained staff from the seven accredited zoos and will include a citizen science component designed to engage members of the public in hands-on, meaningful conservation science while increasing awareness and understanding of ornate box turtles. “Engaging citizens in species stewardship and conservation is a proven method of affecting behavior change and positively impacting wildlife,” said Topeka Zoo’s Director of Conservation and Education Dennis Dinwiddie.

Each zoo participating in the project will set up two census plots – one with known ornate box turtle observations (current or historical) and one where the presence of ornate box turtles is unknown. By surveying areas with historical records of ornate box turtles, it will confirm if those populations persist and assess their viability. Choosing a second census plot where the presence of ornate box turtles is unknown will safeguard against biased survey results that would occur if only sites known to contain turtles were surveyed. Censuses will be conducted at scheduled times between early March to early November over the next three years.

This three year project will serve as the first viable ornate box turtle population study ever conducted in Kansas. Data collected will be shared with the Kansas Department of Wildlife Parks and Tourism and will be used to help guide future conservation management decisions regarding ornate box turtles at both the state and national level.

For additional information about the Ornate Box Turtle Project, contact Dennis Dinwiddie at ddinwiddie@topeka.org or 785-383-6784.

The Topeka Zoo is saddened to report that the staff has made the difficult decision to euthanize Sunda the elephant due to her deteriorating health and quality of life.

On Monday, Sunda was down and unable to get up in her enclosure and had to be lifted up with the help of the Topeka Fire Department. This morning, for the second time, Sunda was down and unable to get up. Sunda has been experiencing health issues and recently underwent a medical procedure to evaluate a sore behind her ear that has been reluctant to heal. She had also been experiencing kidney issues and a mass in her reproductive system. Biopsies and cultures are still pending from that procedure.

“It is hard to lose any animal, especially one who has been at the zoo for as long as Sunda has,” said Zoo Director Brendan Wiley. “Sunda was a wonderful elephant who has had the longest tenure of any animal at this zoo and has brought happiness to so many people who have come to see her. We will all truly miss her.”

Sunda was 58 years old and has called the Topeka Zoo home for 52 years. The median life expectancy for elephants is approximately 46.9 years.edian life expectancy for elephants is approximately 46.9 years.

In coordination with the Shawnee County Reopening Plan, beginning Monday, June 8, the Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center will begin reopening some of its buildings. The first buildings to be reopened will include Camp Cowabunga, the Lianas Forest and the Animals and Man building. By the end of next week, the Zoo also plans to reopen the Saving Sharks and Lorikeet Aviary experiences.  During phase three of the reopening plan, building and experience opportunities will be limited to less than 45 people at a time and the zoo will maintain a maximum occupancy of 900 people at any given time.

Monday will also be the debut of the Zoo’s newest resident, a baby black and white ruffed lemur that was born in the early morning hours on Friday May 28 to parents Cleo and Sorabe. This birth marks the first successful breeding of black and white ruffed lemurs at the Topeka Zoo. Black and white ruffed lemurs are an endangered species endemic to the Island of Madagascar. The lemur infant can be viewed daily during normal operating hours at the Zoo’s Animals and Man building beginning June 8 when she is out of the nest box.