After nearly 30 years of outreach events, education and work experiences, Iowa State has decided to shut down the university’s Insect Zoo, citing that its budget model is no longer viable.

In a statement to the Daily, University Spokesperson Angie Hunt said the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences made the decision after a review of its “structure and programming.”

“The review determined that the zoo’s budget model, which is primarily funded through user fees, was no longer viable,” Hunt stated.

Though the zoo will officially close, Hunt stated the university will explore “possible insect education and outreach opportunities in the future” and is “working to find a home for all the insects.”

The announcement came days after Lucia Salazar, a junior studying animal ecology and student employee who worked at the zoo for two years, was recognized with a “Student of Distinction” award alongside three other students at Iowa State’s annual Student Employee of the Year award ceremony.

“I was over the moon,” Salazar stated in an email to the Daily. “I had finally felt I had been given the recognition I deserved and hoped it would bring the zoo more attention and publicity. I am proud to say that I have never worked as hard or passionately as I have at the zoo.”

The news was difficult for some students to hear, including Salazar, who described feeling “very numb” and being unable to process it.

“All my future plans and past actions ceased to exist in a single moment,” Salazar stated. “It quickly grew into anger… It was made very clear we were the only ones that were going to advocate for ourselves.”

Jacob Peace, a zoo worker and junior studying biology, was concerned about how the closure was announced.

“The manner in which Iowa State informed my boss was via a letter one or two days after she got back from a vacation, so that was very disrespectful and shameful in my opinion on Iowa State and the people that delivered that,” Peace said.

According to Salazar, her supervisor, Ginny Mitchell, a program specialist for plant pathology, entomology and microbiology, held an emergency meeting after Mitchell was handed a letter to notify her of the closure.

“The day she learned, she avoided telling us because it was my 21st birthday,” Salazar stated. “She waited until the next day because she didn’t want to ruin my birthday, but to also have time to personally take it all in and think about what to say to us. I greatly appreciate that even in a time of crisis, she thought of others first.”

Peace also said he feels that the university is “telling a bold face lie” when they say that they are promoting “respect, mutualism and community.”

“I’ve lived in riverside communities in Brazil, and I know exactly what a community is and how it operates, and Iowa State is being very deceitful by comparing themselves to that,” Peace said. “It’s pretty shameful how they’ve composed themselves and acted about this entire situation.”

Peace also said some students will now have to find new summer employment.

“In three and a half weeks, [other students] have to find new summer jobs,” Peace said. “Their source of income is this job, and I think it also reflects that, and I believe that, most of the students are of the opinion that Iowa State doesn’t really care about the education outreach part. They’re more worried about making a profit.”

Salazar said she learned many skills during her stint at the zoo.

“I gained so many skills in my time there,” Salazar stated. “Social media management, insect preservation and pinning, fundraising, interpretation skills, rearing skills, everything under the sun. You could argue there was no other opportunity like this in the entire country.”

Salazar also reflected on a recent memory of a boy with autism who is “by far the zoo’s biggest fan.”

“Just a couple weeks prior to learning of the closure, I had given him and his family their tour,” Salazar stated. “I realized that would be the last time I would see his face light up when entering our rearing rooms or even hear one of his cool bug facts. At the tour, we even discussed him coming to Iowa State when he’s older to work at the zoo. It genuinely breaks my heart thinking about how excited he was when I told him that was an option for his future.”

“I think it is very important for outreach, especially putting myself back in time to when I was five,” said Aaron Eckley, a former biology and entomology student and now groundskeeper with Facilities Planning and Management. “You know, if I would have seen something like that, and an exhibit that could have definitely been an inspiration, or another inspiration for me to get into that future. 

Eckley also said he is “really sad” to see the zoo close and said it was a “very neat program.”

“I think that there is a benefit to having it, and I think people are inspired by it,” Eckley said. “So I think it will be missed.”

Salazar also said all bugs will be rehomed safely, despite some rumors.

“Sadly, there have been rumors that we are euthanizing all our bugs,” Salazar stated. “This is a very wrong, harmful and cruel rumor. These are live animals who we’ve cared for and formed relationships with. It doesn’t matter if they were dogs, horses, fish or arthropods. They’re still living animals and joking or spreading rumors about ending hundreds of lives is very wrong.

According to the university, the zoo had been operating since 1997, and as of 2016, had reached over a quarter million Iowans. The zoo will officially shutter its doors Sunday.