Learn More About Endangered Species
Worldwide, nearly 1,600 plant and animal species are designated as endangered and face extinction.* A conservative estimate is that one in five species existing today will disappear in 30 years (World Wildlife Fund). However, all is not lost! Increased understanding of this problem has produced innovative conservation programs that protect habitat and species.
Woodland Park Zoo helps preserve species and habitat through its field conservation grant programs. The largest grant program, Partners for Wildlife, supports projects that address four key criteria: species preservation, habitat protection, capacity building and promoting community livelihood (through health, education and sustainable development projects). By partnering with people and communities in areas most affected, we help create solutions specific to regional and community needs.
For more information about endangered species, visit the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List website.
Zoo projects help build capacity in local communities by providing jobs and educational opportunities for local people, such as these native Papua New Guinean researchers with the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Project.
Conservation is also about people. By teaching the upcoming generations to learn about and appreciate nature, we create aware and conscientious citizens of the future. Here, a group of students is treated to a field trip in Thailand to learn about hornbills by the Hornbill Research Foundation, one of the more than 38 projects supported by the zoo.