DATE: Tuesday, November 25, 1997            TAG: 9711250576

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B5   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Column 

SOURCE: Guy Friddell 

                                            LENGTH:   60 lines

DONATION TO VIRGINA ZOO MAKES FOR AN UNFORGETTABLE DAY

The Ford Motor Co. gave the Virginia Zoological Society a check for $100,000 Monday, whereupon an elephant tossed a poster-board thank-you note sky high.

Her exuberance elevated the spirits of four dozen shivering spectators as well as the note.

Ford's donation was an elephant stride toward the horizon of $15 million for the construction and design during the next two years of a 9-acre African exhibit.

Skyscraper giraffes will stalk head high; rhinos will trundle along, ironclad; lions, fit to front a public library, will lie about and roar defiance. Later habitats will feature species from Australia, Asia, South America, and the Great Dismal Swamp.

Ground for the Africa enclave will be broken in about two months, said Mac Jenkins, manager of the fund drive.

It will be the first of three phases that will bring the Virginia Zoo on Norfolk's Granby Street to the forefront of American zoos, said its director, Gary Ochsenbein.

``Cue the elephants!'' cried a zoo official to start Monday's show.

The elephant house's door, big enough to admit an 18-wheeler, was darkened by Monica's swaying bulk, domed forehead, wise eyes and investigative snout. Behind her ambled Lisa, her kindred spirit.

Born within two months of each other 20 years ago, they are the same size, but Monica is dominant.

``Monica is more methodical. She will think a day or two about what she is asked to do,'' said Louise Hill, animal supervisor. ``She plots and plans; Lisa just reacts.

Noting the presence of six children of Ford employees and the animals, plant manager Bill Boggs observed, ``That's what zoos are all about.''

When invited by the City Council to join the campaign, Ford was ``more than happy,'' Boggs said.

Thanking Ford for ``one of our largest contributions to date,'' Mayor Paul Fraim noted Ford had been a corporate citizen since 1925.

Stopping near the railing lined with onlookers, Monica curled the tip of her trunk around a rope affixed to the thank-you sign. ``Pick it up, baby,'' urged trainer Heidi Fuciarelli.

Monica, who now and then throws a tractor-trailer tire aslant her head at a rakish angle, a dowager tipsy on sherry, managed to hold the note in the wind so as to show the words THANK YOU/ FORD MOTOR/COMPANY.

She hurled the flapping sign high so it sailed above and beyond the heads of the audience. Lisa essayed a curtsey and ended up on her knees. All of us forgot the cold. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

GARY C. KNAPP

Encouraged by trainer Heidi Fuciarelli, Virginia Zoo's Monica gave

onlookers a chance to read a thank-you sign to Ford Motor Co. before

hurling it up in the air. The $100,000 donation by Ford will help

fund the construction and design during the next two years of a

9-acre African exhibit. The African enclave will be the first of

three phases planned for the zoo in Norfolk.

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