Like any other organization
zoo is effected by many external environ
mental factors that may directly affect its yearly attendance and its ability to break even to con
tinue to operate.
The first externality that the Akron
zoo faces is the climate. Because most zoos operate out in the open
, its attendance is affected directly to the weather. Due to its northern climate, the zoo con
ducts its open
from mid-April until mid-October.
s in weather also affect crop yields and prices of fresh animal foods, thereby influencing the costs of animal maintenance. Unfortunately, the Akron
zoo can not do anything about the weather. The on
ly other option
it may have would to be to open
more indoor activities, but that would be too high of a cost risk because the payback may have not been worth the con
in the first place.