MAY 27 • 2021 | 15

continued on page 16

I

can’t remember a time 
when I wasn’t in love with 
nature and critters,
” said 
Ron Kagan, executive director/
CEO of the Detroit Zoological 
Society (DZS), when I asked 
how far back his passion for 
animals went. It was the first 
question I posed to Kagan, 69, 
during our recent phone con-
versation to discuss the major 
change coming in his life.
Kagan officially announced 
his retirement earlier this year 
after an illustrious and trans-
formative 28-year run at the 
helm of Detroit’s zoo. For now, 
he’ll remain with the DZS until 
a search committee identifies 
his successor, which is expected 
to be sometime this summer. 
The number of accomplish-
ments during his tenure may be 
matched only by the number of 
species represented at the zoo 
— which is around 300, to help 
spare you the trouble of count-
ing the next time you visit.
Under Kagan’s care, zoo 
attendance has doubled, and 
memberships have tripled. 
Currently, guests are asked 
to schedule a time slot prior to 
their visit at detroitzoo.org/
reservations to help main-
tain capacity limits amid the 
COVID pandemic.
During the Kagan era, 
Detroit’s zoo has been named 
the greenest zoo in the nation 
by the Association of Zoos 
and Aquariums (AZA) and 
has received the highest rating 
from Charity Navigator, plac-
ing it in the top 3% of all U.S. 
charities. 
Then, there are the inno-
vative, iconic exhibits opened 
under his leadership that 
have raised the bar for zoos, 
including the Arctic Ring of 

Life (at its opening, the world’s 
largest polar bear exhibit), 
the National Amphibian 
Conservation Center, the Polk 
Penguin Conservation Center 
and the Holtzman Wildlife 
Foundation Red Panda Forest.

LOVE FOR WINKY 
AND WANDA
It wouldn’t surprise anyone 
who knows Kagan that he 
might consider the exhibit he 
was responsible for closing to 
be among his biggest accom-
plishments. In 2004, sighting 
the deteriorating physical and 
mental conditions of the zoo’s 
aging, treasured elephants, 
Winky and Wanda, Kagan 
arranged for their relocation. 
In 2005, they were moved to an 
animal sanctuary in California 

that provided them the room 
and natural habitat to live out 
their lives in comfort. They did 
so until their passing — Winky 
at 56 in 2008, Wanda at 57 in 
2015.
The effort initially received 
pushback, even by zoo asso-
ciations, but there was no 
compromise for Kagan when 
it came to the ethical welfare 
of the pair of pachyderms. For 
persevering, he received high 
praise from an unlikely source 
to side with a zoo — PETA, 
the People for the Ethical 
Treatment of Animals. Kagan 
maintains a close relationship 
with the organization in their 
animal rescue efforts.
“I think people don’t realize 
that, in some ways, we’re like 
a healthcare system,
” Kagan 

says about his philosophy of 
running the zoo and caring for 
the animals. “We have several 
thousand individuals, and we 
treat them like individuals. 
The difference between us 
and a healthcare system is 
that we’ve got like 300, maybe 
more different species. So, with 
healthcare, frankly, it’s easy. It’s 
one species. All humans. For 
us, the complexity is multiplied 
by 300.
”

REASON FOR RETIREMENT
Turns out nothing specific is 
pulling Kagan away from the 
place that has been his beloved 
home for nearly three decades. 
It just seemed to be the right 
time.
 “Is it the right time to write 
a book,
” I asked? “There have 
been several people wanting 
me either to write a book or 
they want me to let them write 
a book. But I don’t know,
” 
Kagan said, deferring that 
decision. “I might continue to 
do some film work,
” he added. 
Kagan has been involved in 
several documentaries.
 I did end up learning 
about one zoological project 
Kagan’s fully committed to in 
retirement and one surprising 
sports passion he may delve 
back into when, as I suggested, 
he’s “let back out into the wild.” 
More on that later. But first, 
a look at the intriguing life 
journey of one of the country’s 
most innovative and respected 
zoologists.

BIT BY THE ANIMAL BUG
Was a dog bite Kagan suffered 
really the inspiration for his 
zoology career? He can’t say 
for certain, but the story he 
shared about one such bite was 

A Friend 
to the 
Animals … 
and Other 
Inspiring 
‘Tales’

UNDER KAGAN’S CARE, ZOO
ATTENDANCE HAS DOUBLED,
AND MEMBERSHIPS
HAVE TRIPLED.

BY JERRY ZOLYNSKY

DETROIT ZOO

Zoo Tower