This site is operated by The Columbus Zoological Park Association dba Columbus Zoo and Aquarium (the “Zoo”) that operates www.columbuszoo.org, www.safarigc.com, www.zoombezibay.com and www.thewilds.org.

Our postal address is: P.O. Box 400, Powell, Ohio 43065
We can be reached via e-mail at: info@columbuszoo.org
Our telephone number is: 614-645-3400

Purpose

The Wilds is committed to safeguarding the privacy of all our website visitors. 

This Privacy Policy describes The Wilds' policies and procedures with respect to the collection, use, and disclosure of your information when you use The Wilds web site. This Privacy Policy has a limited scope and applies only to the websites of The Wilds and its affiliates. We use your personal information to improve the website. By using the website, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

At The Wilds, we value your privacy and take steps to protect the information of our users. This includes online data that is collected through the The Wilds website, our secure e-commerce system, in any related e-newsletter registration, and offline, both on computers and on paper. We will never ask for your social security number, sex, race, national origin, or disability. We will never sell or share your information with other organizations.

Type of Information Actively Collected

Except where permission is knowingly and expressly given via acceptance of specific terms and conditions of use in the course of conducting normal business, we do not collect personally identifying information about online visitors to our websites. At various times, The Wilds may collect personal information from its website users to transact business with you. Such information may include your name, address, telephone number, and email address. Furthermore, for a purchase made through The Wilds's secure e-commerce site, a user may be required to provide additional information such as your credit card number, expiration date, and billing information.

Type of Information Passively Collected

In addition to the personal identifying information which users actively provide to The Wilds noted above, The Wilds also collects information about how users interact with The Wilds website. We collect passive information for purposes such as (1) testing and improving user experience with The Wilds website, (2) the compilation of demographic data and related usage information for internal purposes, and (3) disclosure in aggregate form to third parties, such as advertisers and business partners.

The types of passive information The Wilds collects include, without limitation, certain standard information sent by your Internet browser, such as your Internet Protocol (IP) address, your device ID, your browser type, capabilities, and language, your operating system, the date and time you access The Wilds website, and the referring web site from which you linked to The Wilds website. We also collect information related to pages viewed, links clicked, and other actions taken within The Wilds website. We may also utilize special links, electronic images, or other objects embedded within The Wilds website—sometimes referred to as web beacons or tracking pixels—to collect information that helps determine and analyze how you and other visitors use The Wilds website.

If you have provided us with personal information through voluntary means, we may connect your personal information with passive information collected through The Wilds website and use the combined information to help determine your potential interests in certain products, services, or the information and for other purposes described in this Privacy Policy.

Children’s Privacy

The Wilds website is intended for a general audience, and it is not intended for children under the age of 13. If you are between 13 and 18 years of age, you must obtain verified permission from a parent or legal guardian before using the Zoo website. If you are under the age of 13, do not attempt to provide personal information or otherwise use the website. If we are notified that we have collected personal information from anyone under age 13 without verification of parental consent, we will delete that information as quickly as is reasonably possible.

The Wilds abides by federal law and the guidelines of the Federal Trade Commission regarding youth privacy and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Although The Wilds website may contain information that may be of interest to children, The Wilds website is not directed at children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect or solicit personal information from such children.

To report use by a child under age 13 and to request deletion of any information relative to such child, please contact us at the e-mail address listed above, and include the following information:

  • Name of the child;
  • The username or alias the child is using;
  • E-mail address used by the child;
  • The actual age of the child;
  • Your relationship to the child; and
  • Your basis for making the report.

Internet Hyperlinks

This Privacy Policy applies solely to the information collected by us online through The Wilds website and does not apply to any website, application, or service other than The Wilds website. The Wilds website contains hyperlinks to other websites, applications, and services provided by third parties that we do not own or control. The Wilds cannot be responsible for the privacy policies and practices of those third-party websites, applications, and services. Similarly, we cannot be responsible for the privacy policies and practices of any other websites, applications, and services from which you linked to The Wilds website. We encourage you to be aware when you leave or stop using The Wilds website and to read the privacy policies of each third party that may be providing websites, applications, services, or information linked to The Wilds website.

Web Forms

We use forms on our website for many purposes, including but not limited to registration forms, event inquiries, membership donations, employment or internship applications, or even to give you an opportunity to ask us general questions. When you submit information through a form, it is stored in a database on our web server that can only be accessed by designated and trained Zoo staff. Depending on which form, a copy of the form may also be sent to the email address of the staff member collecting the information.

Web Analytics

In order to make our website the best it can be, we analyze information from site users to help us learn how people are using the site if they are using a mobile device or a desktop computer or visiting from a certain part of the world. We use Google Analytics, the industry-standard tool for web analysis. This information helps us constantly improve our site and better serve our guests. Google Analytics uses HTTP cookies, a small piece of data stored in your web browser, to “remember” what a user has done on previous pages/interactions with the website. The usage of a cookie is in not linked to any personally identifiable information about the user. Cookies may be disabled through the web user’s specific browser. Doing so may cause some sites, or functions of sites, to not function as expected.

Other Provisions

Your use of The Wilds web site indicates an acceptance of the terms of this Privacy Policy and the site’s Terms of Use. We reserve the right to update or amend this Privacy Policy at any time. We will post any revised version of this Privacy Policy on our website, and we encourage you to refer to it on a regular basis. The changes contained in any such revised version of this Privacy Policy will be effective from the time such revised version is posted unless otherwise specifically stated therein.

This Privacy Policy does not create or confer upon any individual any rights or impose upon The Wilds any rights or obligations outside of, or in addition to, any rights or obligations imposed by the privacy laws of such individual’s jurisdiction, as applicable. Privacy legislation and an individual’s right to privacy may differ from one jurisdiction to another. The rights and obligations described in this Privacy Policy may not apply to all individuals or in all jurisdictions. Should there be, in a specific case, any inconsistency between this Privacy Policy and the applicable privacy laws of such individual’s jurisdiction, this Privacy Policy shall be interpreted, in respect of that case, to give effect to, and comply with, such privacy laws.

Please be aware that, by accessing The Wilds website, you acknowledge that the various communications may necessarily result in the transfer of information across state and international boundaries. By accessing The Wilds website and communicating electronically with us, you consent to the processing and transfer of your personal information as set out in this Privacy Policy. By choosing to access The Wilds website, you consent to any such transfer, storage, or processing of personal data outside of your state or country. 

This Privacy Policy applies only to the websites of The Wilds affiliated parks: www.columbuszoo.org, www.safarigc.com, www.zoombezibay.com, and www.thewilds.org, and it is not applicable to any partner or sponsor sites to which we may link. It may be changed at any time by posting a Privacy Policy with new terms, and any information previously collected will be subject to the new Privacy Policy.

Effective date: March 13, 2023

Donor Privacy Policy

The Wilds respects your privacy and your choice not to have your personal information shared with other people. The Wilds collects only personal contact information (such as names, addresses, e-mail addresses, and phone numbers) when Website users submit it voluntarily. To make our Website more useful to you, our server automatically collects information when you visit our site, such as, but not limited to, your IP address, date and time of your visit, pages viewed, and click streams. We will not collect or track information that may identify you personally. Further, we will not sell or exchange your mailing or e-mail addresses.

The Wilds' Donor Bill of Rights

Philanthropy is based on voluntary action for the common good. It is a tradition of giving and sharing that is primary to the quality of life. To ensure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the general public and that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in The Wilds and causes they are asked to support, we declare that all donors have these rights:

  • To be informed of The Wilds' mission, of the way The Wilds intends to use donated resources, and of The Wilds's capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes
  • To be informed of the identity of those serving on The Wilds governing board, and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities
  • To have access to The Wilds's most recent financial statements
  • To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given
  • To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition
  • To be assured that information about their donation is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law
  • To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional
  • To be informed of whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organization, or hired solicitors
  • To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that an organization may intend to share
  • To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful, and forthright answers

Questions about The Wilds's development policies may be directed to our Philanthropy Office at (614) 724-3686 or give@columbuszoo.org.