Roger Williams Park Zoo’s harbor seal exhibit closed in mid-May, but Zoo officials hope to reopen it by late summer. A community fundraising campaign began in late June to raise $100,000 to complete the repairs, which represent an unplanned but necessary expenditure for the nonprofit organization. An anonymous donor has stepped forward to offer a dollar for dollar match up to $50,000 to encourage strong and timely community support.

In mid-May, RWP Zoo drained the harbor seal pool, one of the oldest exhibits in the Zoo, to conduct routine maintenance. This resulted in a cracked window that, upon further inspection, revealed more structural issues with the enclosure’s outer viewing wall. After assessing the extent of the damage, the Zoo deemed the exhibit unsafe for both the animals and guests. Work crews completed demolition of the wall in June and construction will begin this month.

Repairs to the harbor seal pool are estimated to be about $100,000, so RWP Zoo has launched a fundraising campaign called “Bring the Boys Home” to offset the unexpected, but necessary cost. Jeremy Goodman, DVM, the Zoo’s executive director, said that there will be an additional benefit once the new pool is completed. “The upper viewing area will be improved and the lower viewing area will be constructed to create a cave-like access, making it even more fun for kids and families to enjoy Bubba and Action.”

The two harbor seals, Action and Bubba, were held in the Zoo’s indoor facility while more appropriate summer quarters could be located for them. They were moved at the end of June to suitable accommodations at the Aquarium of Niagara (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) for the summer.

For more information, or to make a donation visit http://www.rwpzoo.org/seal-appeal.

Roger Williams Park Zoo, one of the oldest in the nation, is Rhode Island’s number one outdoor family and tourist attraction and is also a leader in conservation efforts undertaken by a zoo of its size. The Zoo has received numerous awards for environmental education, and conservation work done locally and around the world, caring for species that without human intervention would face certain extinction. Roger Williams Park Zoo is supported and managed by the Rhode Island Zoological Society and is owned by the City of Providence.