2006 Top 10 Wildlife Conservation Success Stories; Saving the Elephants, Burying Beetles, Palilas, Bongos, Guans and More

To: NATIONAL EDITORS

Contact: Jack Wlezien of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, +1-312-558-1770

SILVER SPRING, Md., Dec. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Association ofZoos and Aquariums (AZA) today announced its top 10 wildlife conservationsuccess stories for 2006. From elephants to amphibians, AZA-accredited zoosand aquariums spearheaded new efforts to protect wild animals – in some casesbringing them back from the brink of extinction.

“When people come to an accredited zoo or aquarium, they are not onlygetting a safe, fun family experience, they are participating in a globaleffort to save wildlife. We are linking the animals you see in AZA-accreditedzoos and aquariums to significant wild animal conservation programs,” said AZAPresident and CEO Jim Maddy. “Zoos and aquariums are changing the way peoplethink about their role in conservation through an up-close connection to thenatural world.”

Top 10 Wildlife Conservation Success Stories in 2006:

1. Elephant Vasectomies. While poaching and habitat loss are causingelephant populations to decline worldwide, wildlife officials are cullingelephants in confined areas, such as South Africa’s Kruger National Park,where elephants are dangerously overpopulated. Culling can distress thecommunities of these highly social animals. Offering a safe and effectivesolution, a team of experts from Disney’s Animal Kingdom and San Diego Zoo’sWild Animal Park developed a procedure for population control – elephantvasectomies. The technical team trained several African veterinarians on howto do the procedure, and researchers hope it will help advance techniques forsurgery on other large animals, including hippos and rhinoceros.

2. Bringing back the American Burying Beetle. The American burying beetlewas listed as endangered by the USFWS in 1989 and this year became the firstinsect ever to be managed by an AZA Species Survival Plan. These beetles areimportant scavengers in their ecosystem, eating decaying carcasses and buryingthem in order to lay their eggs. Thanks to AZA-accredited institutions likeRoger Williams Park Zoo and St. Louis Zoo working together with the USFWS, newpopulations are being reintroduced and established in multiple areas.

3. Bongos are Back. The bongo, a threatened forest antelope native toAfrica, is returning to its homeland thanks to a breeding program and publiceducation efforts managed by the AZA Bongo Species Survival Plan and partnerconservation organization, Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy. AZA zoos workedto establish a stable population of bongos in American zoos then released theanimals back into the wild.

4. Sound the Trumpets. Two trumpeter swans bred and released into the wildby the AZA-accredited Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago have made history byhatching two healthy chicks. This is the first known wild trumpeter swannesting in the state of Illinois since 1847.

5. Manatees and Turtles Rescued. AZA-accredited institutions along theEast Coast of the United States are partnering to rescue and rehabilitatemarine animals that are injured, sick or stranded and release them back intothe wild. Threatened species, such as manatees, and endangered species,including sea turtles, are rescued through these networks. SeaWorld Orlandoand Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, Fla., have been instrumental in rehabilitatingand releasing over 475 manatees – a significant contribution to the 3,100manatees that currently reside in Florida waters. In addition, more than 20AZA institutions, including South Carolina Aquarium and Riverbanks Zoo andGarden, are involved with sea turtle monitoring, rescue and rehabilitation.

6. Evading Extinction. AZA’s Species Survival Plan (SSP) breeding programswere instrumental in saving the Guam rail, Attwater’s prairie chicken,California condor and Micronesian kingfisher from extinction. Each of thesebird species were essentially extinct in the wild; however, several AZA zoostook in pairs of the birds from the wild and breeding them, establishing astable population, and reintroducing the birds back to the wild.

7. Breeding the Black-footed Ferret. Twenty-five years ago, AZA- accreditedzoos captured and bred the last remaining black-footed ferrets in an attemptto prevent their extinction. Today, the black- footed ferret population numbersapproximately 1,000, of which more than half were reared in AZA institutions.Working alongside other AZA institutions, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has led thecharge in the Black-Footed Ferret Species Survival Plan. This year 24 kitswere born at the zoo, and seven have been sent to the U.S. Fish and WildlifeService (USFWS) National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center inpreparation for their release into the wild.

8. Saving the Frogs. Hundreds of frog, toad, salamander and otheramphibian species are on the verge of extinction due to a devastating diseasecaused by the chytrid fungus. Scientists from the Smithsonian NationalZoological Park played a large role in identifying the chytrid fungus as theculprit. Although individual frogs can be treated for chytrid, there is no wayto remove it from the environment. To save frogs, AZA zoos and aquariums arecollecting healthy pairs and bringing them into zoos to breed, creating ahedge against extinction. Through breeding programs, zoos are also activelysupporting research on amphibians in the wild.

9. Re-introducing the White-winged Guan. The white-winged guan is acritically endangered bird native to the arid valleys of northwest Peru. Fewerthan 200 individuals remain in the wild. The AZA Conservation Endowment Fundsupported a project to increase the population and enhance community outreachat the Chaparri Community Ecological Reserve in Peru. Goals includeestablishing a population of 40 white-winged guans in the reserve by 2007 andeducating local residents about the project.

10. Over the Rainbow, Palila Birds Fly. Seven palila, criticallyendangered honeycreepers native to Hawaii, were released into the wild inFebruary. They were released into the Puu Mali Forest Reserve on Mauna Kea.Twenty-two palila have been released into the reserve since 2003. The MauiBird Conservation Center was established in 1996 as part of the HawaiianEndangered Bird Conservation Program (HEBCP), which is part of the AZA-accredited San Diego Zoo’s department of Conservation and Research forEndangered Species. The HEBCP is working to recover 22 endangered bird speciesin Hawaii. Other native Hawaiian species that are being propagated and managedat breeding centers, and which may soon become part of the release efforts,are the Maui parrotbill, Hawaii ‘akepa and creeper, nene, and ‘alala.

Founded in 1924, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) is anonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums inthe areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation. Look for theAZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you aresupporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, agreat experience for you, and a better future for all living things. With 214accredited members, the AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation, andyour link to helping animals in their native habitats.

SOURCE Association of Zoos and Aquariums

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