The Zoo is involved in many conservation projects including:
The San Antonio Zoo has been contributing to the recovery of the whooping crane since 1956. Since then, staff have successfully costume-reared seven chicks, of which three have been released into the wild to date. Captive propagation forms an integral part of the Whooping Crane Recovery Program by preserving the gene pool and providing an opportunity to educate the public about the plight of this species.
At the Zoo, artificial insemination was successful in the whooping cranes and two female chicks were raised in 2002. The first chick was sent to Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, while the second was released into the wild in Florida.
In 1956, Zoo Director Fred Stark announced that a whooping crane had been
found in Lampasas County by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department, and had been turned over to the San Antonio Zoo for care. Rosie, one of only sixteen cranes known to be alive at the time, became the first participant in a captive breeding program that has helped increase the population of cranes in the wild to more than 549 today.
The Zoo has been a participant of the Attwater’s Prairie Chicken Recovery Program since 1996. This program’s primary objective is to restore and maintain a genetically viable, self-sustaining population of at least 5,000 individuals in three different areas of Texas. The long-term goal is to annually raise a total of 600 birds from all of the breeding centers for placement in the wild. The current recovery efforts are focused on five major areas: habitat management, public outreach, population management, coordination and research.
The San Antonio Zoo has been designated as a refuge for two species of endangered salamanders from Comal Springs and San Marcos Springs. These species are found in springs fed by the Edwards Aquifer. The drought situations that greatly diminished the flow of these springs are threatening the existence of these amphibians. The Zoo is involved with the salvage, exhibition, and husbandry of Edwards Aquifer native species in concert with respective U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Recovery Plans. Participating institutions include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Edwards Aquifer Research and Data Center in San Marcos, Texas. Adults and offspring would be returned to their native environment, and at such time that the springs return to normal flow, the original specimens would also be returned to their collection sites. The San Antonio Zoo is a refuge site for the rare Comal Springs salamander. In the event of a prolonged drought in which the springs that sustain the salamander¹s habitat dry up, drawing on the stock that is maintained at the Zoo could restore the salamander population.
The San Antonio Zoo, one of the project’s longest standing members, has contributed Andean condor eggs to this project since 1988. The project places Andean condor eggs with inexperienced California condors for fostering. This enables them to learn how to incubate, hatch, and rear young without risking chicks of their own highly endangered species. After foster rearing, the Andean condors used in this project are released into the wild in their native habitat in South America. The California Condor Project has enjoyed remarkable success, and the population of California condors has increased from a low of 22 individuals to over 180 birds in a span of 17 years.
The San Antonio Zoo collaborates with the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon to conduct herpetofaunal field surveys and specimen collection of endemic reptile species throughout Mexico. These field surveys and natural history studies help establish appropriate habitat for species survival. Species collected are used to create husbandry procedures and captive breed programs.
The San Antonio Zoo and Simon Bolivar Zoo in Coata Rica are part of a keeper exchange program. We have collaborated with Dr. Gordan Schuett of the University of Arizona on a Mexican rattlesnake phylogeny project.
This group of zoos and related institutions was established to consolidate and focus efforts to recover imperiled butterfly populations and involve the public in outreach, education, and community conservation activities. The San Antonio Zoo was one of the founding members of BFCI for the Karner Blue Butterfly Recovery Program with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and will play an active role in its future development.
This project is dedicated to protecting and preserving the Okapi Wildlife Reserve in the Ituri Forest of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Funds will assist with anti-poaching efforts, research, community outreach and training, and new facilities construction on the Reserve. The Zoo received two okapi from the captive breeding program in 2002.
The Peregrine Fund was established in 1970 to restore the peregrine falcon in the United States, a recovery it accomplished in 1999 when the bird was removed from the Endangered Species List after the release of over 4,000 captive-raised falcons in 28 states. The Peregrine Fund is presently working to save other endangered species, such as the California condor and Aplomado falcon, in the United States and around the world.
CBSG is part IUCN – The World Conservation Union – and is one of the largest of over 110 specialist groups comprising the Species Survival Commission (SSC). CBSG works to develop scientifically based tools for risk assessment and decision making for in situ and ex situ species management. The group also conducts workshops that support the exchange of information across diverse stakeholder groups in order to reach agreement on the important issues facing both humans and wildlife.
In Africa, the term “bush” refers to the forest and “bushmeat” describes the wildlife and the meat derived from it. Commercial hunting for bushmeat, including elephants, gorillas, and chimpanzees, has become a major threat to wildlife in Africa and around the world. BCTF is dedicated to improving awareness of and finding means to eliminate the illegal, commercial trade of bushmeat in Africa. To that end, BCTF is developing an action plan to create a global network that will inform the public, secure legislative support, and establish wildlife management guidelines and training programs.
The initial focus of this organization was to increase knowledge of small antelope species and the nutrition of black rhinoceros. Most recently, however, its efforts have expanded to other conservation projects in Zimbabwe. The San Antonio Zoo's contributions will assist the MZT's current Cheetah Project, which will study cheetahs and their ability to compete with other predators on land outside the protected reserves. An important part of this project is the development of wildlife management techniques to reduce livestock depredation by cheetahs and thereby lessen conflict between landowners and the protected species.
The goal of this project is to conduct a combined ground and aerial survey of the three populations of Grevy’s zebra in Ethiopia, which will supplement previous data collected on Kenyan populations and complete surveys of all wild populations of this species. During this survey, the size and structure of and threats to these populations will be determined so that viable conservation strategies can be developed.
TKCP is part of the AZA’s Tree Kangaroo Species Survival Plan and focuses on researching the natural history of tree kangaroos, collaborating on conservation education programs, and establishing conservation areas in tree kangaroo habitats. In addition to population census and research, TKCP performs extensive outreach to village landowners to facilitate sustainable development in with wildlife and forest protection.
The MFG was created by zoos and related organizations to consolidate conservation efforts in Madagascar. MFG works towards protection of wildlife reserves and habitats; research on a variety of species, and the education, training, and employment opportunities for local students, residents, and teachers. Their flagship program is the release of captive-bred lemurs into the wild and the Betampona Reserve Ruffed Lemur Release & Conservation Program of which the San Antonio Zoo is a participant and won the AZA International Conservation Significant Achievement Award in 2001. A lemur born at the Zoo is currently undergoing evaluation for possible reintroduction into the wild.
The ISLT works with rural communities in Central Asia to protect snow leopards and their mountain ecosystems by implementing conservation, education, and research programs in the field. For example, the Snow Leopard Enterprises conservation model helps raise local income while protecting snow leopards.
ZCOG is an organization designed to provide technical, material, and financial support to Latin American zoos and aquaria in their wildlife and habitat conservation efforts. Examples of past projects assisted by ZCOG include the Bi-national Andean Condor Conservation Project, the Scarlet Macaw Reintroduction Initiative, and the Mexican Baird’s Tapir Research Project. In addition, ZCOG outreach committees organize a variety of regional training workshops for Latin American zoo professionals.
We are proud of the conservation successes at the San Antonio Zoo and around the world. We would like to thank our members and donors for making this possible.
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