Oakland Zoo receives $1 million donation PHILANTHROPY

In this file photo, visitors look at Ginger, one of four tigers rescued from an overpopulated Texas zoo, at their new home at the Oakland Zoo in Oakland. In this file photo, visitors look at Ginger, one of four tigers rescued from an overpopulated Texas zoo, at their new home at the Oakland Zoo in Oakland. Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 13 Caption Close Oakland Zoo receives $1 million donation 1 / 13 Back to Gallery

A month after failing to persuade voters to pass a parcel tax, the Oakland Zoo last week received a welcome surprise in the mail - a check for $1 million from an anonymous donor.

"It wasn't just a letter saying we're going to get a million dollars. It was a letter and a check for a million dollars," said Emma Lee Twitchell, the zoo's director of development.

The check arrived Monday from the San Francisco Foundation's Serendipity Fund. The donor wished to remain out of the spotlight, only indicating the funds should be used for general purposes at the zoo.

Zoo officials don't have any good guesses about who the donor might be, Twitchell said. "Someone has reason to believe we're doing a good job, and we appreciate the vote of confidence," she said.

The zoo announced the donation on Friday after checking with the donor through the philanthropic foundation, hoping the news might prod other potential benefactors to follow the lead.

The zoo had hoped Alameda County voters would approve a $12- per-parcel tax to raise $137 million over 25 years for animal care, field trips for children, facility upgrades and other projects.

But some environmental groups opposed the parcel tax, saying the funds could be used to expand into environmentally sensitive portions of Knowland Park.

Measure A1 won the popular vote in November but fell short of the two-thirds majority it needed to pass.

"We have lots of pending needs that we were hoping to take care of, but many will be delayed," Twitchell said. "This is a big help, but it doesn't totally replace that."