Latest The National Elephant Center Stories

Save the date: World Oceans Day at AZA-accredited aquariums and zoos is June 8! Silver Spring, MD (PRWEB) June 08, 2012 As leaders in ocean conservation education and science, aquariums and zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) invite the public to dive in to ocean conservation on June 8 – World Oceans Day. “AZA-accredited aquariums and zoos are actively engaging millions of people in ocean issues and making conservation action attainable for families...

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums Hosts Annual Advocacy Day and Reception Silver Spring, MD (PRWEB) May 09, 2012 The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) today hosts its Annual Capitol Hill Advocacy Day and Reception. Leaders from the zoo and aquarium profession will educate Members of Congress about the importance of AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums to their communities. “AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums support tourism and local businesses,” said AZA President and CEO Jim...

The Explore blog brings you exciting, informative, and inspiring wildlife conservation features, zoo and aquarium stories, and profiles. Silver Spring, MD (PRWEB) April 26, 2012 Recognizing the critical need for wildlife professionals to address escalating conflict between humans and wildlife, four AZA-accredited zoos – Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Denver Zoo, and Houston Zoo – supported the participation of 15 wildlife conservation professionals from eight...

AZLE, Texas, Jan. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Elephant Foundation (IEF) today announced that it is providing more than $225,000 to support 19 elephant conservation projects for 2012. IEF-supported projects protect elephants from poaching, seek solutions for human-elephant conflict, equip and train community conservationists, increase our knowledge of the treatment and prevention of disease and educate people. In 2012, IEF will provide over $225,000 to support...

AZLE, Texas, Dec. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Elephant Foundation (IEF) is thrilled to announce another major grant to help fund the National Elephant Herpesvirus Laboratory (NEHL) at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Major donors of 2011's $52,000 grant include Alex Rines and Vinnie Christiano - fifth graders and best friends, whose fundraising efforts, dubbed "Pennies for Pachyderms," brought attention to the problem in the Buffalo, New York region. In addition,...

The Explore blog brings you exciting, informative, and inspiring wildlife conservation features, zoo and aquarium stories, and profiles. Visit http://wildexplorer.org to get your wild animal fix! Silver Spring, MD (PRWEB) November 17, 2011 New research funded by the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, and the conservation charities Elephant Family Foundation and Aspinall Foundation, reveals significant growth in the sale of illegal ivory in China. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums explores...

Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited zoos are leaders in elephant conservation education and science, and invite the public to celebrate and support elephants by visiting them this summer. Silver Spring, MD (PRWEB) June 06, 2011 Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited zoos are leaders in elephant conservation education and science, and invite the public to celebrate and support elephants by visiting them this summer. "Experiencing an elephant close-up is an...

Elephants living in zoos have shorter lives than their wild counterparts, according to a new study that will most certainly stir debate about their captive situations. Researchers compared the life spans of elephants in European zoos with those living in Amboseli National Park in Kenya and others working on a timber enterprise in Myanmar. Animals in the wild or in natural working conditions had life spans twice that or more of their relatives in zoos.The new findings were published in the...

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- Elephants in zoos are living as long as those in the wild, but their population in captivity is dwindling because it is so difficult to breed them, according to studies released Friday. The study of elephant life spans concluded that the average life expectancy of Asian and African elephants in captivity in North America is 45 years and 33 years, respectively. Those figures are similar for elephants in the wild, according to the study, presented Friday at the...