Sarah Hamilton
June 7, 2023

What happens when you go to the zoo? You may even come across a kind of animal that you have never met before. Or you might learn something new about an animal you’ve seen many times. But did you know that we are making positive changes for wildlife too? That’s right! With every visit to the Atlanta Zoo, a portion of your ticket is donated to the Conservation Fund, which is used to support outdoor conservation projects around the world.

One of the many initiatives supporting the fund is conservation area (QFC) program. Invite zoo team members to champion conservation projects. Since its establishment in 2016, QFC has 18 programs Species range from tiny pollinators to the largest land mammals on Earth. We recently kicked off the 2023-2024 program year with three of his projects supporting wildlife around us. This year’s projects happen to be all based in the Americas. See below for details on each project. Don’t forget to take a look. vote Join your favorite projects and earn extra funding!

If you spend a lot of time outdoors, especially in the spring and summer, you may see many native birds, but you may not realize that this group of animals faces serious challenges. .a Recent research North American bird populations were found to have suffered a net loss of nearly 30% compared to 1970 population levels. This is a concern in itself, but especially when you consider: essential ecological services provided by the birds.that’s why North American songbird safety (Save Animals from Extinction) partners with zoos and aquariums to reduce threats to songbirds in North America.

If you want to help North American songbirds, you have many options. Buildings of all shapes and sizes, including our home, can be dangerous to birds at any time of the day or night. Luckily, you can make simple changes to make your bird safer, like putting anti-collision stickers on your windows or turning off your lights when it’s dark outside. Another thing you can do is grow native plants in your outdoor space. This provides native birds with resources for food, shelter and nesting. Also, keeping family felines indoors helps with all kinds of small animals that can fall victim to their hunting abilities.

To learn about other projects for this program year, you will need to move south for the winter. Both of these projects are based in South America and focus on mammals. Chinchillas, sloths and many other species are losing their habitat due to development, mining, illegal logging, climate change and many other causes. They face similar threats, but successful conservation requires a unique approach based on the species’ behavioral biology, natural history, and the unique ways threats affect the species.

Imagine you are a sloth. You spend most of your life hanging from tree branches. One day, a large crack appears in the familiar canopy you rely on to find food and shelter. Arboreal (arboreal) species will find it dangerous to traverse the ground, but many species will probably be able to quickly traverse clearings to reach safety on the other side. . But sloths cannot do this. Did you think they were moving slowly on the trees? Yes, they move more slowly on the ground, but doing so occupies one of their few defense mechanisms: their claws. So it’s no wonder they want to use something like electric wires to travel between woodland areas. Unfortunately, these power lines are not always well insulated and can cause electrocution and other injuries.

of sloth conservation project is a branch of the Jaguar Rescue Center focused on rescuing, rehabilitating and returning injured, sick or orphaned sloths to protected habitats. We are also working with the Costa Rica Power Association to insulate power lines to create a safer environment for sloths. You can also help protect sloth habitat by looking for the Forest Stewardship (FSC) logo when shopping. This logo indicates that the wood and paper were produced in a way that reduces their impact on wildlife.

Were you surprised when I told you that chinchillas face habitat loss? You may be surprised to hear that Hunting for their soft fur has decimated their populations in the past, but mining in the Chilean highlands poses the greatest threat to their population today.of chinchilla conservation project is a research initiative aimed at documenting and monitoring existing wild chinchilla colonies and using this information to expand and connect protected habitats. If you want to help out, you can recycle your electronics and reuse the minerals in them. This reduces the need to mine new minerals in wildlife habitats.

These are just a few of the zoo’s current conservation partners, much more We are making positive changes to wildlife. Follow us on social media to stay up to date on these projects throughout the year and to learn about the Atlanta Zoo’s other conservation partnerships. Whether you purchase a day pass or visit the zoo year-round as a member, your visit will enhance the capacity of these conservation projects. On behalf of wildlife near and far, thank you!

Sarah Hamilton
interpreter expert