Oregon Public Broadcasting

After more than a decade in charge of the Oregon Zoo, director Tony Vecchio is leaving for the zoo in Jacksonville, Florida. He’ll leave in early July.

Vecchio says it's sad to think about because big projects are underway that he won’t see completed.

Tony Vecchio: “The orangutans are finally getting a big, beautiful outdoor exhibit, we’re starting work on the new vet hospital, we’re in the process of looking at one of the few elephant reserves in the country. There’s so much here, that I’ve been working on the last few years that I’m not going to see the final product, and that hurts.”

Vecchio says 11 years is a long time for zoo directors to stay put, and that the Jacksonville job comes at a good time for him and the zoo.

The outgoing director says he’s proudest of Northwest-oriented projects, like the Zoo’s help in helping rare species, like the California condor, silverspot butterfly, and pygmy rabbit. He says Jacksonville has similar conservation efforts he’s eager to work on.