Conservation Partners and Programs
Your visits and support of Reid Park Zoo make it possible for the Zoo to be actively involved with conservation programs around the world. Here are the projects we are working on with our colleagues now.
Tanzania Conservation Research Program
Reid Park Zoo has had a personal relationship with Charles and Lara Foley over the past two decades. Their in-situ conservation efforts related to African elephants have been inspirational.
Over the last few years, they have been working to create habitat corridors for elephants to move outside the park as they search for water and food. They have found new ways to collaborate with local people and create a community-based approach to protect the elephants. To date, over 2 million acres of habitat around the Tarangire National Park have been protected.
Anteaters and Highways Project
The largest remaining populations of giant anteaters live in the grasslands and forests of Brazil’s Cerrado habitat. This habitat is being disrupted due to rapid agricultural development and the building of roads.
Giant anteaters are one of the animals most frequently involved in car accidents. The Anteaters and Highways project works to provide a better understanding as to why this is happening and to prevent anteater roadway mortality. Follow them on Facebook.
Kids can learn more about how zoos help conserve anteaters by listening to “Why Did the Anteater Cross the Road.”
Baird’s Tapir Survival Alliance
The Baird’s Tapir Survival Alliance works to ensure the survival of the Baird’s tapir in the forest habitats they live in throughout South America.
The main threats to the survival of Baird’s tapirs include unsustainable hunting, retaliatory killings for crop-raiding, habitat destruction, road development, and global climate change. Working in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama, the BTSA is working to reduce tapir poaching and develop conservation actions, such as patrols in areas of known tapir poaching and environmental education in communities that coexist with tapirs. Follow them on Facebook.
Tiger Conservation Campaign
Worldwide, tigers are found in less than seven percent of their original range and are threatened by habitat loss and degradation, poaching, tiger-human conflict, loss of prey, and other factors.
Four of nine subspecies have disappeared from the wild just in the past hundred years, and the Amur, Sumatran, and Malayan tigers are all thought to number fewer than 500 individuals in the wild.
International Rhino Foundation
Working to protect all 5 rhino species, the International Rhino Foundation focuses on protecting habitat, anti-poaching and building community relationships throughout rhino habitat in Africa and Asia.
You can join “Team Rhino” and stay up-to-date on rhino news by following the IRF on Facebook.
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy
Established in Kenya in 1983, Lewa was the first private rhino sanctuary in East Africa.
From an initial 15 black rhinos to over 250 rhinos today, Lewa is a model for successful conservation programs that support many species and communities through community development and education programs. This robust ecosystem supports not only black rhino but also the endangered Grevy’s zebra, elephant, lion, cheetah, giraffe, and more. Lewa Wildlife Conservancy was the staff-nominated conservation program to receive funding for 2024.
Komodo Survival Program
In anticipation of the Zoo’s Pathway to Asia expansion, the Zoo is working with the Komodo Dragon SSP Conservation Fund to support the Komodo Survival Program in Indonesia.
This program works with the Indonesian government by monitoring the population of Komodo dragons throughout the 5 island they inhabit. Their work has provided important information about the lizards to ensure their future survival.
University of Arizona Study
Biodiversity, connectivity, and impacts of anthropogenic barriers on vertebrate communities in protected areas of the southwest borderlands
This study will conduct vertebrate biodiversity surveys and assess the impacts of border-related disturbance on both sides of the US-Mexico border, including the Chiricahua National Monument. Few studies have directly monitored space used by vertebrates to understand how wildlife use natural corridors and respond to border-related disturbances and barriers; this information can be used to inform conservation on both sides of the border. During this study, black bears will be fitted with radio collars so that their movements can be tracked. Since black bears are large-bodied animals, they will be used as a model to assess animal movement and response to human activities. Reid Park Zoo is participating in this study by providing funding and assisting with bear health assessments while the bears are fitted with radio collars.
SAFE Program – Saving Animals from Extinction
Reid Park Zoo has joined forces with fellow Association of Zoos and Aquariums facilities to help save animals from extinction.
Each SAFE (Saving Animals from Extinction) program highlights a species that is in immediate need of assistance. By focusing the collective expertise within AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums, and empowering our massive audiences, we can achieve the goals of all of the SAFE programs.
Reid Park Zoo is partners with the following SAFE programs:
Andean Highland Flamingo
Reid Park Zoo is the program leader for this SAFE initiative. As program leader, the Zoo coordinates securing funding for existing and new research taking place in the Andean Highlands to study the Chilean, James’, and Andean flamingo species. Additionally, the Zoo coordinates all education and conservation materials used throughout AZA zoos to educate our guests about these species, as well as the conservation challenges threatening their survival, and establishes a call to action to save habitat for these unique birds.
Giraffe
Giraffe populations throughout Africa have suffered from poaching and habitat destruction. Reid Park Zoo partners with the SAFE giraffe program to provide conservation messaging about giraffes and funding to assist population- and health-monitoring projects in Africa.
North American Monarch
Reid Park Zoo has planted a native garden to provide food and shelter for monarch butterflies as they travel to and from Mexico on their annual migration. Educational messaging throughout the garden invites guests to learn more about why native habitats are important, as well as how to support these habitats in their yard and community. Funding for this project provided by Freeport-McMoRan Sierrita Operations.
North American Songbird
In partnership with Tucson Audubon Society and funding from Freeport-McMoRan Sierrita Operations, Reid Park Zoo has planted a native garden to provide our local songbirds with food and shelter. Additionally, nest boxes are being installed for several native bird species. Educational messaging throughout the Zoo invites guests to learn more about our native birds and how we can protect them and their native habitats.
African Lion
Over the last 25 years, lion populations throughout Africa have decreased by half, this program’s goal is to double the number of lions in the wild by 2050. Through the SAFE – Lion program, Reid Park Zoo is partnering with organizations in Africa to reduce threats to lions throughout Africa by mitigating conflict between farmers and lions and addressing habitat loss.
Andean Bear
It is expected that the Andean bear may become endangered in the next 20 years due to deforestation and human encroachment into their habitat. This project monitors Andean bears found in 15 protected areas across Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia to determine changes in Andean bear populations and identify areas that need protection. This research is needed to design effective conservation strategies for this threatened species.
Jaguar
The AZA Jaguar SAFE program conducts, funds, and supports jaguar-related fieldwork in Central and South America. Using objectives outlined by the IUCN Species Survival Commission Cat Specialist Group, the SAFE jaguar program is focused on protecting jaguars primarily in Central America and expanding capacity to protect jaguars throughout their range.
African Painted Dog (African Wild Dog)
The African Painted Dog SAFE program works within three regions of Africa (West and Central Africa, East Africa, and Southern Africa) to increase conservation support, raise public awareness of African painted dogs, and build relationships between AZA institutions and key African painted dog field partners in Africa. Funding from Reid Park Zoo supports monitoring and population census work for the 3-4 packs of wild dogs in Senegal.
Red Panda
The Red Panda SAFE program, established in 2024 supports work to protect red panda in their native habitat through the Red Panda Network (RPN). Their conservation programs occur in 50% of Nepal’s red panda range and covers over one million acres. this project uses integrated, landscape-level approach to conservation that is built on the support and participation of local communities. We work with community partners in 13 districts (of 23 red panda range districts) in Nepal with over 75 Community Forest User Groups in adopting sustainable forest management practices.
Enjoy this video, narrated by Sir David Attenborough, to learn more about their award winning work.
