On the eve of a $250-million zoo fundraising campaign, the Toronto Zoo Board has given the zoo's top bureaucrat the authority to sever relations with the Zoo Foundation - until now the lead on the massive campaign, and the group that founded the Toronto Zoo in 1974.

The board made the decision after meeting in private for almost two hours Thursday afternoon.

David Strickland, who sits on the board and is chair of the foundation, was visibly frustrated after the board meeting.

"I'm trying to say this as politely as I can - but there are obviously some differences of opinion that exist between some members of the board," said Strickland. "There's been a lot of talk about the board of management simply taking over. Despite the fact that the Toronto Zoo Foundation founded the zoo - that citizens of Toronto founded the Toronto Zoo Foundation - it just doesn't seem that that history or heritage is respected on this board."

The board of management, which runs the day-to-day operations of the zoo, voted to send Chief Executive Officer Calvin White to negotiate with the Zoo Foundation about various issues surrounding the campaign, which was announced earlier this year.

If White is not satisfied with the outcome of the negotiations, the board has empowered him to unilaterally remove the foundation from the project - a move that would effectively put an end to the 34-year-old organization.

"It's clear that the individuals on the board of management in the majority feel that a future that wouldn't involve the foundation would be acceptable to them, and they believe that's a real possibility unless we can work it out," said Strickland. "Obviously I hope we can, but that risk exists."

Strickland admitted that there has been long-simmering frustration on the citizen-led foundation with the zoo and its city-councillor-led management board.

"The reality is that I'm the third chair in the last 18 months," he said. "Seven foundation members have resigned in the last two years out of frustration. Let's just say (there are) broad frustrations around relationships. Certainly it has involved the management board."

Neither White nor Board of Management Chair Raymond Cho (Ward 42 Councillor, Scarborough-Rouge River) would speak specifically about what the issues were - but Strickland said that his board had wanted to evaluate the zoo's capabilities to fundraise the quarter-billion dollars.

"You go from a $40 million operation to raising $250 million so you evaluate that in the context of capabilities. All I wanted to do was validate the capabilities and that was challenged in the context of not being in a partnership. This was seen by this board as a challenge - of the foundation trying to get involved in the operation of the zoo, which would seem to be inappropriate," he said.

Cho said that he trusted White to negotiate, and although the motion indicated that White has final say now as to the board's future, Cho would ask White to report to a meeting of the board before taking such action.

"We have a great task to achieve which is $250 million - when I look at the goals and the foundation, I know there are good members in the foundation but all these things should be discussed with the foundation. If they come up with a good plan (that's good) but if they cannot satisfy and prove then we have to take a look."

White will be taking the task on immediately after returning from a long leave of absence.

In an interview, he said the foundation's fundraising has not been "that great" when programs such as the family membership pass - which the foundation markets - are taken out of the equation. White admitted that the possibility of severing the relationship is a real one.

"What's happening is we're going to be launching a fundraising campaign, and historically we've never done a big campaign like this - so there may be differences of opinion as to where to go. We just want to make sure the two groups can work together. What the board is saying to me is go and sit down with the foundation and see if you can make it work. If you can't, then we'll do it ourselves."