How Zoos support animals in the wild

J

Jurek7

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
Still many people think that zoos help conservation only by breeding endangered species for reintroduction.

Zoos, in fact, help national parks and wild animals by contributing money and specialists. Most of these don't involve any bringing animals to the zoo.

Eg. the conservation society build around Bronx Zoo helped to create some tens of reserves and national parks worldwide.

I hope others put examples from other zoos?
 
The Wildlife Conservation Society which runs the Bronx Zoo (as you mentioned) is the gold standard for zoos that support field conservation projects. But most AZA facilities do something. (It may even be a requirement of AZA accreditation?).

Around 20 U.S. zoos (I think) that house endangered grevy's zebras, including my Reid Park Zoo, donate to a ranch in North Kenya that protects wild grevy's.

My zoo also supports hornbill research in Asia. 100% of the money we take in at our daily giraffe feedings ($2 per person) goes to conservation projects. We also have a "rainforest meter," which is a painted parking meter that people can put coins in; all of that money protects South American rainforest (I forget which country).
 
Marwell funds and runs the Marwell Zimbabwe Trust which looks to the conservation of Cheetah, White Rhino and Small Antelope in Zimbabwe. It also supports a Grevy Zebra programme in Kenya, conservation work for Scimitar-Horned Oryx and Addax in the Sahara and work with British Wildlife at home. Marwell also takes in population management within the African countries they work in, and in the past they have released Przewalski Horses, Scimitar-Horned Oryx, Golden Lion Tamarins and Roan Antelope back in to the wild.
 
The Aspinall Foundation looks after a area of Gabon in a reintroduction programme where hand reared Gorillas born at Howletts and Port Lympne are sent to and gradually reintroduced into groups.
This has been a very succesful programme with Gorillas being born into these groups quite recently :)
See Conservation Overseas

Kent born Gorillas now were they should be - The Gabon Jungle's
This would not of been around if it wasnt for John Aspinall - The conservation effort is run by the Aspinall Foundation which also runs the two Wild Animal Parks.
 
Its been going on for about 15/20? years or so and its allready being proved to be very succesful :)
 
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (Edinburgh Zoo and Highland WIldlife Park) are the core funder of the Budongo Forest Conservation Field Station among many other projects around the globe. Other zoos do very much the same thing.

As Jurek 7 says, zoos do far more than just breed endangered animals. As far as I've seen so far most, if not all, zoos are run as registered charities and fund and assist in conservation projects all over the world in addition to the breeding and education work that they do within the zoos themselves. I think it would also be fair to say that zoos aren't just working together on a national basis but very much an international basis all over the world.
 
Lincoln Park Zoo supports wildlife conservation in Africa in a multitude of ways. There's a link here for more info about the various projects: Lincoln Park Zoo.

Lincoln Park Zoo has a large science and conservation department that is separately funded from the zoo's endowment and they regularly send scientists to Africa to assist w/ wildlife conservation. They use to participate in the Scott Neotropic Fund but I'm not sure if that participation is still going on?

As a former docent, I tried to get children and adults feel connected to the wildlife they saw in front of them and I answered a lot of questions.
 
Marwell Dalek said:
Marwell funds and runs the Marwell Zimbabwe Trust which looks to the conservation of Cheetah, White Rhino and Small Antelope in Zimbabwe.
Click to expand...

Do you know if they still are active in Zimbabwe? I heard that most outside organizations had left because Mugabe has made work almost impossible (security, getting permits, getting basic materials and more) and that wildlife has been decimated compared to 10 years ago when Zimbabwe had some of the best preserved nature in Africa. Tragic situation.
 
I met a lady a few weeks ago who is a doctor with a practice in Harare. Very brave lady. She told me the wildlife had NOT suffered because the big game hunters were still visiting Zimbabwe and the animal management programs were still in place.

This was a big relief to me because I know that when a country goes through civil upheaval like Zimbo has been, the wildlife usually suffers badly (Uganda, Rwanda, Zaire etc).

Having said that, I met a guy a couple of days ago who had just returned from Mana Pools and Lake Kariba where he'd been photographing wildlife. He said there was still plenty around, but some of the Big game Hunters were paying LOTS to shoot the old bull elephants in Hwange. Obviously someone in Parks and Wildlife is getting kickbacks. A bit of a worry, but still much better than I thought it would be.

:p

Hix
 
condor said:
Do you know if they still are active in Zimbabwe? I heard that most outside organizations had left because Mugabe has made work almost impossible (security, getting permits, getting basic materials and more) and that wildlife has been decimated compared to 10 years ago when Zimbabwe had some of the best preserved nature in Africa. Tragic situation.
Click to expand...

Marwell's work continues bravely in Zimbabwe - Marwell Wildlife: Conservation: Zimbabwe. Paignton still works with them too. Paignton Zoo Conservation: Zimbabwe
I must admit it is brave of them to continue their work, and shows definite dedication. I'd certainly have a hard think if I was selected to aid conservation work with MZT.
 
Thanks for your answer Marwell Dalek. Hope they are able to continue the work.

Hix said:
... She told me the wildlife had NOT suffered...
Click to expand...

I wish she was right but unfortunately this suggests she was wrong:

Wildlife, too, under siege in Zimbabwe. - Free Online Library
Elephants Are Latest Refugees From Mugabe's Zimbabwe | Guardian News & Media
Zimbabwean wildlife pays the cost of economic crisis | Mail Online
Zimbabwe : Transfrontier Park and World Heritage Site under threat | Sokwanele
Conservationists fear for Zimbabwe rhino - The Hurlington Post
Mugabe orders wildlife reserves to kill animals - NZ Herald News
Zimbabwe's Wildlife Decimated by Economic Crisis - National Geographic

From last article: "Some 90 percent of animals [in former private reserves] have been lost since 2000, while the country has seen an estimated 60 percent of its total wildlife killed"

A google search with words zimbabwe+wildlife+mugabe give 100s more results reporting about the decline in wildlife. But I will stop here as I already moved discussion to far from the subject of this thread:

How Zoos support animals in the wild.
 
TCSA gives out bags for people to recycle mobile phones at most talks to help save gorilla habitat. As well as being heavily involved in many research programs.
 
@condor:

Thanks for that. Not really what I wanted to hear, but important just the same. I should have known it would be too good to be true.

:(:(:(:(:(:(

Hix
 
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