BEHIND THE SCENE BATTLE AT THE ZOO

The Dallas Zoo is suffering from a surfeit of supporters, with the Dallas Zoological Society and the Friends of the Dallas Zoo, clawing at each other over promotion and improved animal habitats.

After 18 months of discussion, the Friends and the Society remain stalemated over such basics as when and under what rules the two sides will meet to discuss their differences.

“We’re not making any progress,” says Sharon Torell, president of the Friends. “We don’t understand why our help has been turned away. I hate to see the zoo suffer because we are trying to expand the support base, but I think it is also time the zoo allowed more public participation and a more active support group.”

The Society has been the support group for the past 25 years. Made up of Dallas establishment members, it has concentrated on building the zoo’s collection. The lion’s share of animals at the zoo is owned outright by the Society, which has the final say over buying, selling, loaning and trading. It has always opposed the kind of promotion the Friends want.

Little is publicly known about the inner workings of the Society. Discussions on what to do with animals are held in private.

About a year ago, several zoos agreed to pool the nine Proboscis monkeys that are in captivity in the United States for a breeding program. The endangered mon-. keys, from Borneo, have a better chance of propagating in groups. But the Dallas Zoological Society wanted to be paid, and its one Proboscis ended up not participating, according to sources familiar with the zoo.

But Jack Robinson, head of the city’s Park and Recreation Department, which runs the zoo, believes the two sides will eventually get together.

“The park board is working toward having an organization that will be broad-based and will meet the needs of the community,” Robinson says. “I am sure that if it had not been for the Zoological Society, we would not have the outstanding collection of animals that we have today.”