Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo has a proud history of over 90 years as Connecticut’s only Zoo. As an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and participant in its Species Survival Plan (SSP) programs, we are committed to the preservation of endangered animals and are actively developing strategies that will protect species and preserve their wild habitats. Through education, conservation, research and recreation, Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo provides a wonderfully wild experience for students and families.
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Check around our website, plan your visit and we’ll see you soon!

Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo Mission Statement

​Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is dedicated to acquainting a diverse public to the delicate balance that exists between living things and their environment.

Animal exhibits, plantings, graphics, and Zoo programs are to be represented in such a manner as to give the visitor a sense of awareness and concern for the intricate beauty and fragility of our planet.

This mission is achieved by a master plan comprised of the following goals.

1. Education, through staff involvement and training, outreach programs, workshops, lectures, docent volunteers, natural animal exhibits, informational and interpretive graphics, and research by utilizing staff, universities and other zoological facilities.
2. Conservation, through participation in in situ and ex situ endangered species programs such as the Species Survival Program, Zoo Conservation Outreach Group, etc. Also through professional animal and veterinary care and a comprehensive animal management policy.
3. Recreation, through state-of-the-art exhibit design, well-run visitor services (i.e., food and gift concessions, rides, rest rooms and parking) and maximizing the natural and park-like setting by formal and informal landscaping.

The AZA Vision

AZA zoos and aquariums are places where people connect with animals. We are therefore dedicated to excellence in animal care and welfare, conservation, education, and research that collectively inspire respect for animals and nature.

To learn more about the AZA and to visit their website, click here!

2019 Annual Report

View our 2019 Annual Report here.

Board of Directors

Members of Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo’s Board of Directors provide advice and support to the Zoo. They bring skills, experience and talents to assist the administration with operations and help raise awareness and funds for the Zoo.

The Board also assists in promoting the Zoo’s activities.  They all share an interest in conservation, education and fun.

President
Kim Rodney
Connecticut Community Bank

Vice Presidents
Claudette Kunkes
Private Practice, Clinical Psychologist

Bob Natt

Treasurer
Harvey Rosenbloom
Retired, Saks Fifth Avenue

Secretary
​Michael Kaufman
Day Pitney LLP

Board Members

Bernadette Baldino
Bridgeport Public Library

Joseph Burke
Liberty Bank

Mitchell Cohen
Ernst & Young

Gerry Craig
Retired, C.N.A. Insurance Companies

Dean DeBiase
People's United Bank

Charles Dumais
Cooperative Education Services

Craig Elkind

Rick Fonte
​Ernst & Young

Jennifer M.F. Hillgen-Santa
Hillgen-Santa Financial Group
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William Kelleher
People’s United Bank

Catherine Ladnier
Compliance Consultant​
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Gina Malheiro 
City of Bridgeport

Robert F. Matthews
RFM Group

Barbara Miller
Brody Wilkinson PC

Robert Mitchell
Mitchell & Sheahan, PC

Sonja Narcisse

John Oliveto
Fletcher-Thompson, Inc.

Bruce T. Silverstone
Retired, Aquarion Water Company

Len Van Popering
Marketing & Innovation Adviser

AmyMarie Vizzo-Paniccia
Bridgeport Councilwoman, 134th District