Conservation Action Conservation means different things to different people. In your home it may mean energy efficient light bulbs, reusable shopping bags, biking more, driving less or diligently recycling. In the Zoo, conservation means all that and more, including breeding endangered species, learning more about plants and animals, supporting the conservation of wildlife and wild areas, and inspiring others to become responsible stewards of the earth. Sacramento Zoo Conservation Committee
Most of the conservation activities at the Sacramento Zoo are coordinated by the Sacramento Zoo Conservation Committee. Formed in 2003, the committee has worked to further the Zoo’s mission by promoting local and global conservation projects. The committee is made up of staff members from all zoo departments as well as board members and a member at large. The group reviews proposals from field workers and conservation organizations wishing to receive money from the Zoo's Conservation Fund. Beginning in 2008, 2% of your Sacramento Zoo Membership fee will go directly to supporting conservation efforts locally and globally. The Conservation Fund is supported by private donations and fund raising efforts such as the twice a year Recycle Rummage Sale on Zoo grounds, e-waste recycling proceeds and money raised by teen education activities. Conservation Projects
Global - National - Local  Global Projects
Grevy Zebra
One of the Zoo’s largest conservation efforts is focused on protecting Grevy’s Zebras in Kenya. The Grevy’s Zebra Trust raises awareness of conservation issues in local communities, monitors populations, coordinates productive partnerships with local organizations, and secures resources for Grevy’s zebra through holistic management of community rangeland. A sign highlighting this work has been placed near our zebra habitat. More information on the Grevy Zebra Trust and Northern Rangelands Endangered Species Project can be found here in their newsletter.  Hornbill Nest Sponsorships
The Thailand Hornbill Project has been working since 1978 to conserve hornbills in Thailand and surrounding regions. A significant threat to hornbills is the lost of habitat and especially nesting trees. The Sacramento Zoo has been sponsoring the construction of artificial nest boxes which have been used successfully. Much more information on this project can be at this website.
The Captive Breeding Specialist Group
CBSG’s Mission is to save threatened species by increasing the effectiveness of conservation efforts worldwide. Through: innovative interdisciplinary methodologies, culturally sensitive and respectful facilitation, and empowering global partnerships and collaborations. CBSG transforms passionate commitment to wildlife into effective conservation. The Sacramento Zoo supports the activities of the CBSG through financial donations and staff involvement in CBSG led workshops. Heifer International
Heifer has learned over the years that a holistic approach is necessary in order to build sustainable communities. They’ve developed a set of global initiatives – areas of emphasis that must be addressed if they are to meet their mission of ending world hunger and poverty and caring for the earth. The Sacramento Zoo supports the work of Heifer International through a creative program where employees donate all or some of a year end present to Heifer International. In 2008 this resulted in 2 sets of trees, 3 sets of bees, 2 sets of Promise Baskets including geese, ducks, chicken, rabbits, 1 dairy goat, 1 sheep and 1 pig. Madagascar Fauna Group
The Madagascar Fauna Group (MFG) is an international consortium of zoos and related institutions working together to conserve Madagascar's lemurs and other spectacular wildlife. The Sacramento Zoo supports the work of the MFG through financial donations, raising interest and knowledge of Madagascar and its fauna through exhibiting Madagascar animals such as lemurs. Pan African Association of Zoos and Aquaria
The African Association of Zoos and Aquaria (PAAZAB) was formed in 1989 at the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa as an organization aimed at representing the interests of bona fide zoos and aquaria on the African continent. PAAZAB currently represents a total of 60 institutional, affiliate and associate members in 11 African countries. The association upholds modern zoo best practice in the provision of supportive environments for the animals, personnel and public; active involvement in the maintenance of biodiversity; management for the wider benefit of the community and the provision of education opportunities for learning about animals and their environments. The Sacramento Zoo supports the efforts of PAAZA through financial donations. Sahara Conservation Fund
SCF is a young, dynamic organization with a unique mission – the conservation of the wildlife of the Sahara and its bordering Sahelian grasslands. Our vision is of a Sahara that is well conserved and managed, in which ecological processes function naturally, with plants and animals existing in healthy numbers across their historical range; a Sahara that benefits all its inhabitants and where support for its conservation comes from stakeholders across all sectors of society. To implement its mission, SCF forges partnerships between people, governments, the world zoo and scientific communities, international conventions, NGOs and donor agencies. A powerful network with a common goal – the conservation of deserts and their unique natural and cultural heritage. People working together to share their commitment, resources, skills and enthusiasm. The Sacramento Zoo supports the efforts of the SCF through financial donations. The Center for Ecosystem Survival
CES is dedicated to creating global partnerships to inspire broadbased participation in the preservation of biological diversity through ecosystem protection worldwide. CES works in partnership with schools, universities, zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, natural history museums, and science centers worldwide to protect wildlife and nature. The goals of CES are to increase individual participation in and awareness of worldwide conservation by providing an opportunity for direct action. The Sacramento Zoo supports the efforts of CES through funds raised by the conservation parking meter located near the tiger exhibit. Money raised by this meter is used by CES to purchase habitat conservation easements. Zoo Conservation Outreach Group
The Zoo Conservation Outreach Group (ZCOG) in partnership with Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is working to save jaguars in Central and South America. Funding from the Sacramento Zoo Conservation Fund allowed the group to purchase a jaguar camera trap for research at the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary in Belize. This photo trap enables researchers to document individual jaguars using a particular habitat site.  International Snow Leopard Trust
Founded in 1981, the Snow Leopard Trust is the largest and oldest organization working solely to protect the endangered snow leopard and its Central Asian habitat. The Snow Leopard Trust uses a combination of approaches that focus on partnering with communities in snow leopard habitat. But as they build community partnerships they use science and research to determine key snow leopard habitat, assess wildlife-human conflict levels, and identify potential resources for conservation programs. Once they have this information they can prioritize the areas where they will work. High priority areas include key snow leopard habitat, with a history of conflict between predators and the communities, and potential resources to sustain a community-based conservation program. In addition to our successful snow leopard breeding program and participation in the AZA’s Snow Leopard SSP, the Sacramento Zoo Conservation Fund supports the work of the Snow Leopard Trust.
National Projects United States Fish and Wildlife Service Forensic Lab
The primary mission of the laboratory is to: Identify the species or subspecies of pieces, parts or products of an animal. Determine the cause-of-death of an animal. Help wildlife officers determine if a violation of law has occurred. Identify and compare physical evidence in an attempt to link suspect, victim and crime scene. In order to accomplish our assigned mission, and to meet the forensic needs of wildlife law enforcement officers at the federal, state and international levels, the lab's forensic specialists will conduct crime scene investigations, examine submitted items of evidence, and provide expert witness testimony in court. They do so much like their counterparts in a police crime laboratory. In performing this mission, we support federal law enforcement efforts of our 200+ Special Agents and Wildlife Inspectors throughout the United States, all fifty State Fish & Game Commissions, and approximately 150 foreign countries who have signed the United Nation's CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) Treaty. The Sacramento Zoo assists the USFWS Forensic Lab by providing DNA samples from endangered species in the collection. AZA Conservation Endowment Fund
Through its Conservation Endowment Fund (CEF), the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) supports important conservation and education projects led by AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums and their partners. Since 1991, the CEF has provided more than $4 million to nearly 250 projects worldwide. For over ten years, the Walt Disney World Company and the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund have provided significant financial support to the AZA CEF, nearly doubling the number of proposals funded each year. The Sacramento Zoo supports the CEF through financial donations and staff involvement in reviewing CEF applications. AZA/CBSG Amphibian Ark
Amphibians are an important component of the global ecosystem, as indicators of environmental health and contributors to human health. They watched the dinosaurs come and go, but today almost half of them are themselves threatened with extinction. Addressing the amphibian extinction crisis represents the greatest species conservation challenge in the history of humanity. The global conservation community has formulated a response in the Amphibian Conservation Action Plan, and an integral part of that response is the Amphibian Ark, in which select species that would otherwise go extinct will be maintained in captivity until they can be secured in the wild. Without immediate captive management as a stopgap component of an integrated conservation effort, hundreds of species could become extinct. The Sacramento Zoo supports the Amphibian Ark through financial donations, support of field studies focusing on amphibians, captive breeding of amphibians and our 2008 Leap Year activities. Local Projects  International Bird Rescue and Research Center
Since 1971, IBRRC has been one of the leading authorities in oil spill response. IBRRC provides training and consultation to the petroleum industry, local, state, and federal Fish and Wildlife agencies, wildlife rehabilitators and researchers. Federal and state permits grant IBRRC permission to work with wild birds in captivity. IBRRC is a non-profit 501-c-3 organization that relies on the petroleum industry, fees for services, state generated response contracts, research grants, foundation grants, and individual contributions for financial support. It couldn’t have been worse timing for the colony of White-faced Ibis who had chosen a rice field in Sacramento Valley to nest in. The three acre plot was harvested on Saturday, July 21, 2007 forcing hundreds of parents to abandon their babies and nests. 78 live baby ibis were rescued, along with almost 100 eggs, and taken to International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC) in Cordelia. The Sacramento Zoo supported IBRRC’s rescue of the ibis with staff donating time to care for the birds, the Conservation Fund helping to offset the expenses of the project and staff assisting with the release of 31 birds in the Vic Fazio Wildlife Area.
 Riparian Brush Rabbit Recovery Program
The riparian brush rabbit (Sylvilagus bachmani riparius) is a small cottontail, one of eight subspecies of brush rabbits native to California. The riparian subspecies of brush rabbit can be distinguished by its relatively pale color, gray sides and darker back. When viewed from above, its cheeks protrude outward rather than being straight or concave, as in the other subspecies. Brush rabbits can be distinguished from desert cottontails by their smaller, inconspicuous tail and uniformly colored ears (i.e., no black tips).
More than 90 percent of the Central Valley's riparian forests no longer exist, eliminating this special habitat for various species, including the riparian brush rabbit. A variety of human-caused actions eliminated and modified the rivers and riparian forests. Damming rivers, constructing levees, and urban, commercial and agricultural development all took their toll. Wildfire, disease, predation from native and nonnative species, flooding and rodenticides also continue to threaten this small California native.  For several years, the California State University, Stanislaus Endangered Species Recovery Program has been bringing wild riparian brush rabbits into a captive breeding setting to enhance the chances of the young rabbits surviving to adulthood. Once they are large enough to live without their mothers, young rabbits are released in an effort to restore populations in areas of protected habitat. The parents are typically kept in the captive breeding pens for about one year, and are then returned to the area in the wild where they were originally captured.
Dr. Scott Larsen, one of the Sacramento Zoo's veterinarians, is the project veterinarian for the Riparian Brush Rabbit Recovery Program. In addition to treating sick and injured rabbits, Dr. Larsen performs physical examinations and health evaluations for all rabbits before they are released back into the wild. All adult rabbits are given complete examinations before being placed into temporary captivity, to ensure that the breeding population is healthy. Giant Garter Snake Recovery Program
Found only in the Central Valley of California, giant garter snakes once inhabited the flood basins, freshwater marshes, and tributary streams from Butte County in the north to Buena Vista Lake in Kern County in the south. Now a threatened species, the snakes are extirpated south of Fresno. Land development and the reclaiming of wetlands for agriculture have eliminated much of the giant garter snake’s original habitat. Continued decline in populations has been attributed to changes in water management, continuing habitat destruction, selenium contamination, and predation of juvenile snakes by nonnative species such as bullfrogs and largemouth bass. The Sacramento Zoo is supporting USGS and CFG efforts to learn more about these unique snakes. The veterinary staff at the Sacramento Zoo provides health care for injured snakes and assists biologists by surgically implanting radio transmitters in giant garter snakes. This enables the researchers to tract the snake’s use of available habitat throughout the central valley of California. Ceftiofur Pharmacokinetics in hoofstock
The practice of Zoological Medicine is often limited by a lack of species specific knowledge. Frequently, treatments for diseases in non-domestic animals must be adapted from treatments developed for domestic animals. This is especially difficult in trying to determine appropriate antibiotic doses for hooved animals such as Nubian Ibex. The Sacramento Zoo Conservation Fund provided partial funding for the determination of Ceftiofur pharmacokinetics in Ibex. Information obtained from this project will enable veterinarians to better determine the most effective dose of ceftiofur antibiotic in hoofstock species. Duration of Rabies Vaccine in non-domestic felids
Like domestic animals, many of the mammals at the Zoo are vaccinated against rabies virus. Unlike the extensive testing that has been completed on the effects of rabies vaccination in cats and dogs, very little work has been completed on the effectiveness of the vaccine in wild cats. The Sacramento Zoo Conservation Fund provided funding for a collaborative project with the UC Davis Wildlife Health Center, Kansas State University, Discovery Kingdom, San Francisco Zoo, San Diego Zoo and Toledo Zoo which looks at the duration of two rabies virus vaccines in lions, tigers and snow leopards. We hope that this information will help us to provide the best possible care to these animals.
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