Record visitors, real profit -- it's all happening at the zoo

Scan the license plates outside Turtle Back Zoo, and the evidence emerges: Pennsylvania. Connecticut. Even Texas.

"We do license plate studies. On any given day, we have 20 states," said Jeremy Goodman, the zoo's director.

Yesterday, the 20-acre zoo in West Orange cemented its reputation as a "destination" by breaking its attendance record for the fifth consecutive year.

The magic number -- 420,277 tickets so far this year -- came just after 10:30 a.m. when Steve and Melissa Mitas and their 2-year-old daughter, Claire, walked through the gates of the zoo, which houses kangaroos, prairie dogs, penguins and Asian apes.

"We never win anything," a surprised Steve Mitas said as his family was circled by Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr., Goodman and a turtle-costume-wearing mascot who at first seemed to frighten the preschooler.

"The turtle's got to stay away," Melissa Mitas said as a photographer took their picture with a large gift basket filled with stuffed animals, zoo sweat shirts, themed games and a free one-year membership.

The Mitas family are repeat visitors from Denville and arrived at the zoo just after a family from Dallas came early to visit a facility whose $2.48 million in revenue surpasses its $1.8 million operating budget.

DiVincenzo and Goodman, who is also a veterinarian, spoke of the primary economic message they heard while attending the Association of Zoos and Aquariums conference in Portland, Ore.

"Revenue," DiVincenzo said.

"And marketing," Goodman added.

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