Santa Barbara Zoo’s first zoo director dies
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Santa Barbara Zoo's very first zoo director, Edward "Ted" McToldridge, has died at 92 years old, leaving behind a legacy of decades of work shaping the Santa Barbara Zoo.
“Ted dedicated his life to building the Santa Barbara Zoo. His passion for animal care ran deep, and his vision and dream for what this place could be has truly become a reality that millions of guests from near and far get to enjoy today,” said Rich Block, President and CEO of the Santa Barbara Zoo.
“Ted instilled in us the privilege we share working in the care and conservation of the animals at the Zoo. He cherished his staff and animals so much, and leaves a tremendous legacy for us all. He will be dearly missed.”
Along with being the zoo's first director, McToldridge was the zoo's first employee, hired in 1964 by the Child Estate Foundation, according to Jennifer Zacharias, spokeswoman for the zoo.
He was born in London, England in 1930, and his interest in animals began with a collection of hedgehogs that he took care of while growing up, Zacharias said.
He remained at the zoo's helm for over three decades, retiring in 1997.
McToldridge guided the zoo through its early development and often cared for the animals and maintained the grounds himself, Zacharias said.
"Exceedingly resourceful, McToldridge managed to build a lot of the Zoo with very little money," she continued. "His creativity and eye for aesthetics is evident everywhere on Zoo grounds, from lush landscaping, donated by local nurseries and Lotusland, to the original animal exhibits that he designed and built himself."
McToldridge's vision was to create a world-class zoo, and the zoo grew from a dream to a multi-million dollar nonprofit organization and community treasure under his leadership Zacharias said.
The zoo is consistently ranked as Santa Barbara County's top tourist attraction and is recognized as one of America's finest zoos, making visitors smile since its opening in 1963.
Despite retiring in 1997, McToldridge's dream for the organization continued to live on through its contribution to conservation by teaching and inspiring zoo-goers constantly.
He is survived by Nancy, his wife of 19 years, his four children, and 12 grandchildren.
The McToldridge family requests that donations be sent to the zoo in Ted's memory to continue his life's work and legacy.
