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The Denver Zoo considers itself a city within a city, with animal citizens whose upkeep is subject to the same rising costs many people in the metro area are facing.

That’s why the zoo is seeking an admission increase — the first since 2014.

The zoo wants to raise the price of tickets聽to $20 from $17 for those 12 and older; to $14 from $12 for children; to $17 from $14 for folks 65 and older. Children under age 3 get in free.

Winter admission fees, which are a couple of dollars cheaper, would also increase slightly under the proposal, as would rental fees for the zoo’s various spaces.

“Just like what many are experiencing in the city — rising costs of goods, services, housing,” said Andrew Rowan, senior director of external relations. “We’re not immune to that, and we’ve been experiencing increases to those in the last four years.”

Because of the zoo’s location in City Park, the price hike needs the Denver City Council’s OK. The council’s business committee on Wednesday unanimously moved the plan on to be heard April 2 by the full council.

Officials are also interested in implementing an annual zoo admission fee increase based on the Colorado Consumer Price Index, beginning in 2020. The zoo estimated based on current rates a 25 cent annual increase.

The zoo’s operational costs have gone up about 28 percent in the last four years, Rowan said. Much of this money, he said, was going toward animal welfare, like ensuring the leaf matter omnivores munch on is the freshest it can be.

“When you cut it off the tree, it loses a lot of nutritional content,” Rowan said. “We need to maintain the freshest we can.”

Zoo officials, who wrote in their council presentation that the Denver Zoo remains the most visited cultural institution in Colorado, also want to tackle deferred maintenance on the 80-acre complex.

“We’re approaching 122-years-old,” Rowan said. “Just like the infrastructure needs around the city, it’s a constant battle for us to keep up on those. We want to continue to invest in those at a higher rate so we can knock off a large portion of the deferred maintenance list.”

More than 50 percent of the campus’ more than 100 buildings is made up of infrastructure that is “functionally obsolete” and requires critical attention, according to the zoo’s interim president and CEO Denny O’Malley in documents provided to the council.

Competition for specialized zookeepers is also increasing, Rowan said. Denver Zoo has to compete for employees with similar metro zoos like those in Dallas or Salt Lake City.

“Denver is becoming an incredibly expensive place to live, and our animal care staff and vet staff are highly skilled positions,” Rowan said. “We want to make sure we can continue to recruit and retain these employees.”

Denver Zoo wants the community to know that they also plan to use an admission increase to provide more opportunities for discounted and free experiences for those who can’t afford to visit.

“We don’t take any cost increase lightly,” Rowan said.

The zoo will be proposing a new program through Denver Human Services allowing SNAP card holders — those utilizing the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — to enter the zoo for $1.

Rowan said this would remove the financial barrier to enjoying the zoo’s bounties for 20,000 to 30,000 Coloradans. Increased funds toward the zoo’s scholarship program and transportation assistance would also be high on the list.