- Former employee at AZA accredited St. Louis Zoo is accused of stealing thousands of dollars

A former zookeeper at the AZA accredited  St. Louis Zoo is accused of stealing thousands of dollars from the organization of zookeepers in two other counties.

Five counts of stealing were brought against Miranda M. Durfor, 36, of the first block of Scenic Cove Lane in St. Charles, this week in St. Charles County Circuit Court. She is accused of stealing more than $19,000 from the American Association of Zoo Keepers' bank accounts in St. Charles and Ferguson between 2019 and 2021 when she was the local treasurer for the Tucson, Arizona-based organization.

Durfor pleaded not guilty, according to her attorney. He declined to say anything more.

According to a zoo official, Durfor began working there in 2009 as a part-time employee and was promoted to group ticketing manager on January 1, 2020. She left on December 20.

On March 10, St. Louis County prosecutors charged Durfor with felony theft. She is accused of making illicit cash withdrawals from the group's bank account at least twice, according to charges brought in both counties.

Charges claim that Durfor was let go after confessing her theft to the St. Louis Zoo's safety director.

The AAZK has 116 branches at zoos across the continent, according to Ed Hansen, the organization's chief executive. He claimed that he thought Durfor was the St. Louis chapter's treasurer and that the crimes were revealed after new chapter officers took control.

Since he joined the group in 1994, there have only been a few instances of theft from AAZK chapters, and this may be the third instance. But never "to this magnitude," he added.

It is "disturbing" to steal from a conservation organization like AAZK, he said.

You're referring to teams of animal keepers, in this case at the St. Louis Zoo, who are working extremely hard to raise money for conservation, Hanson said. And when you're working together as a group to preserve animals and someone tampers with that money, it's kind of a slap in their face and the rest of our memberships, too.