Mayor Kirk Caldwell announced today that he has accepted the resignation of Honolulu Zoo director Manuel A. Mollinedo, effective March 1. 

“I want to say mahalo to Manuel Mollinedo for his two years of service running one of our city’s premiere attractions, the Honolulu Zoo,” Mayor Caldwell said. “Manuel was able to get the zoo accredited by the national Association of Zoos and Aquariums and he led the renovations of the zoo entrance and the new elephant exhibit. Under his watch, the zoo collected a record amount in admission fees which helped the city reduce the cost to taxpayers. …

“The zoo director is a highly skilled position so we are accepting applications from across the country to find a qualified replacement, but my preference would be to hire someone from Hawaii, so I urge anyone with the necessary experience to apply.”

Read Civil Beat’s related story, New Honolulu Zoo Director Quit San Francisco Job After Tiger Killed Visitor. 

Photo courtesy jdnx.