What now?

Since the letter, and the board's investigation, a few things have changed at the zoo.

The prairie dogs have a new enclosure, one not filled with sand, where none has died. A new ostrich enclosure is underway, being built after an anonymous complaint was filed with OSHA in September. Clark first said it would be complete in October but has requested multiple extensions for the project because of rain, according to OSHA correspondence.

The new animal care manager and new veterinarian are widely liked among the zookeepers, though the vet must fly to Austin periodically from her home in Arizona or advise local vets by video.

“Some things may be getting better, but if one person still has control of everything, they can revert back at any time,” Ford said. “The board claims to keep her in check. But if she’s the president, how can they do that? ... There should be checks and balances, especially when animal lives are at stake and human safety is a factor.”

After the letter, at least four other former keepers sent their own letters to the board, raising concerns. Of the 24 current and former staff members who spoke to the Statesman, two praised management and said the complaints in the letter were exaggerated. The others, even those who weren’t aware of the letter to the board, told similar stories of animals in their care they said suffered from management decisions and described times they were reprimanded for raising concerns.

Many emphasized how much they loved the animals and how badly they want better quality of care for them. Many said they had struggled to balance following orders they considered misguided with pushing back and risking termination.

“For a lot of us, it was our first zookeeping job and we didn’t know any better,” former zookeeper Marcy Griffith said of Clark’s approach to animal care. “Looking back now, it’s disgusting some of the things that I did, and I can’t believe I did it. … But a lot of us were afraid of her.”

King blamed any shortcomings in animal care on the keepers.

“The leading cause of animals dying or being injured is zookeeper negligence,” he said. “A lot of times, they lack the discipline and focus that you have to have."