ZAA Conservation
ZAA offers two distinct grant opportunities to support conservation efforts:
ZAA Conservation Initiatives Grants
ZAA Global Conservation Fund
ZAA Conservation Initiative Grants are awarded to exceptional proposals focusing on conservation research, education, and community engagement. Each year, ZAA awards up to US $5,000 to projects that emphasize field programs, scientific studies, and multidisciplinary approaches aimed at species conservation, habitat preservation, and biodiversity enhancement. Applications will be accepted from January 1st, 2025, through April 15th, 2025.
Awards from the ZAA Global Conservation Fund are provided to Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) whose missions align with ZAA’s conservation goals. Formerly known as the Lynn Hall Conservation Grants, these awards support NGOs dedicated to the conservation of species represented in ZAA animal collections. They support NGOs that prioritize species sustainability/reintroduction and focus on education, the promotion of conservation ecology, human/wildlife conflict resolutions, population reinforcement, habitat and landscape restoration, anti-poaching and the bushmeat crisis, and even economy-related engagement by local communities and local governments.
To learn more about these grants, including the selection process and past recipients, please watch our informative webinar: https://youtu.be/4MKpM1DxGlk
Beyond NGO support, ZAA members are also heavily involved in reintroduction programs and rescue and rehabilitation work. Some of the species our members work with include mountain bongo, Attwater’s prairie chicken, Texas horned lizard, Anegada ground iguana, Kemps Ridley sea turtle, and San Joaquin kit fox.
Sadly, modern-day conservation of threatened or endangered species cannot simply be limited to protecting or reintroducing animals in their native ranges. For many, the “wild” is disappearing as humans encroach on their natural habitats. To ensure a species’ long-term survival, managed propagation of wildlife has become an essential part of the conversation and the only insulation against a potential collapse of wild populations.
ZAA's species management program (Animal Management Program, AMP) is coordinated across the family of ZAA accredited members to ensure the greatest genetic variability.
2024 ZAA Conservation Initiatives Grant Recipients
1. Butterfly Project-Housing Replacement for Captive Stock
Organization: The Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College
Principal Investigator: Dr. Jana Johnson
The Butterfly Project is carried out at The Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College, a ZAA Accredited Facility, and has been developed and operated by Dr. Janna Johnson, who is a tenured faculty member at Moorpark College. The Butterfly Project has worked on three endangered species and is currently working on the endangered Palos Verdes blue butterfly, Glaucopsyche lygdamus palosverdesensis. The mission is captive rearing to serve as a refugium, a source for supplementing the wild population, a source to establish new populations within historic range, and research to help the recovery effort.
Primary Objectives:
To replace and update the captive rearing structures and establish a permanent, sustainable food plant cleaning station.
Improved ability to care for the captive butterfly population allowing for sustained releases to the wild.
2. Investigating human behavior based on their perceptions and attitudes towards rhino conservation in north-central Namibia.
Organization: Namibia University of Science and Technology and Namibia Development Trust
Principal Investigator: Halleluya Natanael Shaanika
Etosha National Park has the largest single population of black rhinos in Namibia. Rhino poaching over the last 7 years has been linked to local people. The purpose of this study is to identify drivers and barriers to reporting rhino poaching around Etosha National Park. The findings will be used as the baseline to develop an innovative and holistic long-term monitoring framework that will be used to measure whether there is a positive or negative change in local beliefs, perceptions, attitudes and intentional behavior changes towards rhino conservation in Etosha National Park.
Primary Objectives:
Determine the social context of rhino conservation in and around Etosha National Park.
Assess beliefs, attitudes and perceptions of local communities towards rhino conservation in and around Etosha National Park.
Outline the intentional behavioral change of the local communities towards rhino conservation efforts in Etosha National Park.
3. Turtle Survival Alliance - Reintroducing radiated tortoises to community protected forests in Southern Madagascar
Organization: Turtle Survival Alliance
Principal Investigator: Mrs. Makayla Peppin-Sherwood
TSA is currently responsible for caring for over 23,000 tortoises in two primary centers in Madagascar. The costs of staff, security, and operations for managing this number of tortoises are unsustainable; hence, there is a critical need to continue getting tortoises back into their native habitats. The goal over the next five years is to return 20,000 tortoises to protected areas.
Following the success of the monitoring strategy and methods from the first 3,000 reintroduced tortoises, in 2024, TSA will closely monitor a subset of tortoises from each pen after their release. The selected individuals will be equipped with VHF radio transmitters, GPS loggers, and iButton temperature loggers. Local staff from the Lavalolo Tortoise Center and the Tortoise Conservation Center will travel to each site and radio-track these tortoises every 2 weeks for at least one year following their release. GPS data will be downloaded twice yearly. In this proposal, funds will be used for reintroduction activities at Malaintsatroke, Ambatosarotse, and a recently identified site in the Atsimo-Andrefana (AA) region known as Mahazoarivo. The reintroduction in the AA region will be the first large-scale reintroduction for this region.
Primary Objectives:
Develop the best methods for reintroducing tortoises into suitable areas.
The success of these reintroductions will be measured in terms of tortoise survivorship and population sustainability over time.
The continuation of thorough post-reintroduction monitoring, especially for these first reintroductions, is critical to the responsible reintroduction of ~23,000 tortoises currently in the care of various Alliance facilities in Madagascar.
Build capacity through technology transfer and training the Malagasy staff, students, and community guardians to continue monitoring of reintroduced tortoises in the absence of ex-pat biologists
4. Breeding Biology and Post-fledging Behavior of the Critically Endangered White-bellied Heron Ardea insignis .
Organization: Royal Society for Protection of Nature
Principal Investigator: Mr. Indra Acharja
This research aims to study the breeding biology and behavior of the critically endangered White-bellied Heron in Bhutan, focusing on pair bonding, courtship, nesting, egg laying, incubation, and parental care through to fledging and post-fledging survival. Despite ongoing conservation efforts, the species' population continues to decline, highlighting the need for more detailed knowledge to inform effective conservation actions. Utilizing field observation, remote camera surveillance, and historical data review, the study seeks to enhance understanding and improve captive breeding and conservation strategies.
Primary Objectives:
Document the pair-bonding, courtship displays, nest-building, and mating behavior
Document egg laying, incubation, brooding, and fledgling processes, and timeframe
Understand parental time investment in the breeding process – from nest building to until chicks fledging
Document developmental behavior and key observable growth milestones in chicks
Describe and document the fledging process and post-fledging behavior, including chicks’ dependency on parents after fledging
5. Mandrill Conservation and Research in Lope National Park, Gabon
Organization: Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux, Gabon
Principal Investigator: Dr. David Lehmann
The Mandrill Conservation and Research Project in Lopé National Park aims to address critical conservation concerns regarding the vulnerable mandrill species in its natural habitat. Our project investigates the impact of climate change, habitat degradation, and declining fruit production on mandrill populations. Through comprehensive field research and genetic studies, we contribute to the understanding and preservation of these charismatic primates.
Climate change has led to significant shifts in wildlife behavior, prompting adaptive responses such as migration and dietary adjustments. These changes are vital for species survival amidst habitat degradation and food source depletion. Understanding how animals adapt within their habitats is crucial, especially for species with distinct male and female lifestyles, as their resilience to environmental changes depends on navigating these fluctuations while remaining in the same habitat for breeding. The mandrill, known for its sexual dimorphism, provides insight into how such differences influence species’ resilience. By studying mandrills in the Lopé National Park, a horde of more than 800 individuals, this study aims to understand how males and females adapt to environmental variability through their diet and spatial behavior.
Primary Objectives:
Assess the impact of ecological dynamics, sexual dimorphism, and genetic diversity on mandrill resilience.
Investigate the influence of climate change and habitat impoverishment on mandrill behavior and population dynamics.
Enhance conservation strategies through the identification of key habitat resources and park limits management strategies.
Investigate social organization and the evolution of matriarchal society.
Collaborate with local stakeholders to promote sustainable conservation practices and community engagement.
Become a sustainable development research and conservation project, securing employment, training, and academic pathways of Gabonese nationals and long-term data collection.
2023 ZAA Conservation Initiatives Grants Recipients
Jemma University, Ethiopia
Spatial Ecology of the Endangered Beisa Oryx in Omo National Park, Ethiopia
Mbeya University of Science & Technology (MUST)
SARKERT- Saving Highland Mangabey from Extinction Risk in Tanzania
BirdLife Zimbabwe
Secretary Bird Research and Survey
Biodiversity Conservancy Nepal
Integrating camera traps for critically endangered Chinese pangolin
Mt Suswa Conservancy, Kenya
The Protection and Conservation of Threatened Harrison’s Giant Mastiff Bat
The Niabi Zoo in partnership with the University of Dubuque
Invertebrate and ichthyofaunal diversity across protected and altered riparian habitats in Paraguay
2022 ZAA Conservation Initiatives Grants Recipients
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center
US - Texas Horned Lizard Project
Seaside Seabird Sanctuary
US - Understanding the Effects of Red Tide, Karenia brevis, on the Health of Vulnerable Gulf Coast Seabirds
National Eagle Center
US - Geographic Expansion of Well-Established Wintering Golden Eagle Survey
Partnership between Wildlife Medicine Research Center (CEMPAS) from Sao Paulo State University, Botucatu, SP; Baruru Zoo, Bauru, SP; and Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG
Brazil - Dietary Nutritional Composition, Health Status and Cortisol of Free-ranging and Captive Collared Anteaters,
Tamandua tetradactyla.
Photo: Jolene Westerling
2022 -2023 ZAA Global Conservation Fund Recipients
The Sahara Conservation Fund
The Sahara Conservation Fund focuses on reserve management, humanitarian assistance, and providing regional expertise. The SCF is a leading source of technical expertise in the conservation and restoration of highly threatened species in the Sahelo-Saharan ecosystem.
Some program highlights include:.
Protecting the biodiversity of the Ouadi Rime-Ouadi Achim Wildlife Reserve
In 2015, began the reintroduction of the scimitar-horned oryx. Long-term goals are to rebuild a free-living population of healthy numbers throughout their historical range
Assists with providing healthcare, health education, and dental services to locals.
Peninsular Pronghorn Recovery Project
The Peninsular Pronghorn Recovery Project’s (PPRP) primary objective is the conservation and restoration of the peninsular pronghorn (Antilocapra americana peninsularis) to the desert regions of the Baja California Peninsula and southern California. Currently all PPRP activities take place within El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve and the Valle de los Cirios Flora and Fauna Protection Area, in the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. Due to expansion of agriculture and extensive ranching along with unrestricted hunting, the peninsular pronghorn population had decreased to fewer than 160 individuals by 1993 and was restricted to the Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve (SEMARNAT 2009).
Giraffe Conservation Foundation
The Giraffe Conservation Foundation's objective is to raise awareness and support towards securing a future for giraffe and the conservation of their habitat in 15 African countries across 45,000,000 acres. GCF identifies and evaluates threats to giraffe survival and develops ways to mitigate risks. They conduct research through collaring and tagging giraffes to learn more about their movement and habitat uses or needs. GCF is also involved in giraffe translocations taking giraffes to places where populations are too small or have gone extinct. GCF recognizes that giraffes will only be saved in Africa, by African people, so they are working to make communities proud of their giraffe.
BirdLife International, Vulture Crisis
Old World Vultures have suffered some of the fastest bird declines ever recorded, some populations have decreased by 98%. Vultures have one of the most important roles in the ecosystem, keeping it clean. Vultures minimize the spread of diseases such as anthrax, rabies, and tuberculosis. The greatest threat has been poisoning, which has severely impacted all scavenger and predator populations alike throughout Africa. In 2017, the first ever Multi-species Action Plan for African-Eurasian Vultures was completed. This ambitious plan outlines steps to conserve all threatened vulture species over 128 countries.
BirdLife International's projects include:
Identifying poisoning – both intentional and unintentional – as the main
threat.
In the field, the first African Vulture Safe Zones – areas free of poisoning and persecution – was supported or implemented in six African
countries.
In Europe, a new phase of the ‘Ban vet diclofenac’ campaign was launched with the aim of banning the drug or preventing the renewal of its license in Spain in
2018.
In Asia, BirdLife ensured the MsAP was fully compatible with SAVE, the existing initiative to conserve Asia’s vultures.
To read BirdLife's most recent report and financial overview, click here.
International Rhino Foundation
The International Rhino Foundation operates on-the-ground programs in Africa and Asia range countries, supporting viable populations of the five remaining rhino species and the communities that coexist with them. Through grants and field programs, IRF has funded rhino conservation efforts in 10 countries, focusing on scientific research, anti-poaching, habitat conservation, captive breeding, environmental education, and demand reduction. Over the last decade more than $20 million has been invested in rhino conservation. It conserves rhinos through a network of hundreds of conservation organizations, private foundations, corporations, government agencies, and individuals.
To view their most recent annual report, click here.
Chacoan Peccary - Chaco Center for Conservation and Research
Chaco Center for Conservation and Research is the only facility within the natural range of the tagua that has an active breeding program for this endangered species. The goal is to use CCCI as the source population for the reintroduction of the tagua to former areas where it is now extinct. This would include both Argentina and Bolivia. In addition to the breeding program and on going research on the tagua and other two peccary species CCCI is a natural laboratory with a huge biodiversity that very little is known or has been studied. Starting in 2019 CCCI began a multi-year project looking at the habitat use and abundance of the lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris) in the Dry Chaco of Paraguay.
Wildlife Alliance
The Wildlife Alliance is an organization that works to protect one of the last unfragmented rainforests in Southeast Asia. Some of the most successful programs have achieved zero elephant poaching since 2006 and provided 24/7 ranger patrols across nearly 1.5 million acres, resulting in the arrest of 3,100 wildlife traffickers and seizing over 71,000 live animals and 36 tons of bushmeat.
Some program highlights include:
Rainforest Protection
- Reforestation
- Cardamom Rainforest Protection, currently at risk of being cleared for agriculture
- Southern Cardamom REDD+ (focuses on off-setting carbon admissions through forest protection and community development)
- Tropical tree species protectionWildlife Rescue and Care
- Tiger reintroduction
- Combat wildlife trafficking
- Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue CenterEducation and Communities
- Environmental education
- Livelihood and community
- Community rangers
To read the Wildlife Alliance's most recent report and financial overview, click here.
Turtle Survival Alliance
The Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) is a global force for reptile conservation that takes action on behalf of critically endangered turtles and tortoises. TSA studies turtle and tortoise populations worldwide. TSA is involved in the recovery efforts where a managed breeding component is part of an overall species survival strategy. TSA uses a comprehensive strategy for evaluating the most critically endangered species, which helps determine how they will address the problem – whether through a captive breeding program or through range country efforts, or a combination of both.
Ewaso Lion
Ewaso Lions is dedicated to conserving lions and other large carnivores by promoting coexistence between people and wildlife in Kenya. Through the creation of projects like Warrior Watch, Ewaso Lions transforms relationship that people have with the wildlife. Young Samburu warriors collect data on wildlife sightings and respond to community issues like livestock depredation. They warn farmers about where predators are to decrease the likelihood of human-wildlife conflict by simply avoiding areas with their livestock where a predator is known to be. Ewaso Lions also works with Kenyan women and children. Through Lion Kids Camp, Ewaso Lions educates and inspires young wildlife conservationists through a combination of wildlife education, safaris and conservation themed games and activities. Mama Simba is a program that empowers women to participate in lion conservation through providing them with the knowledge and skills to reduce their environmental impact while improving their livelihood and ability to coexist with wildlife.
To read their most annual report, click here.
Mabula Ground-Hornbill Project
The Mabula Ground-Hornbill Project's mission is to "To slow, then reverse the decline of the Southern Ground-Hornbill in South Africa."
The primary aim of the Southern Ground Hornbill Recovery Programme release was to establish a “Bush School” which would house young ground hornbills, so that they could acquire the necessary skills to survive free flying in Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency's Loskop Dam Nature Reserve. Two monitors, employed from the local community,
care for the birds during their time of adaptation, including feeding and daily recording of behaviour which alerts to nesting, egg laying, the fledging of chicks into the group and the dispersal of young birds from the group.
Per their website: Southern Ground-hornbills are considered internationally as "Vulnerable" throughout their sub-equatorial range in Africa by the IUCN, but within South Africa and Namibia they have already been classified as "Endangered", with their numbers outside of formally protected areas still declining. Their populations continue to decline towards being "Critically Endangered" in South Africa.
Honorable Mention: The ZAA Global Conservation Fund
Formerly known as the Hall Family ZAA Wildlife Conservation Fund, this fund was established in memory of Lynn Hall's wife and two sons, and they honor the enduring legacy of the Hall family. For many years, the Hall family has made significant contributions to the art of captive animal management and propagation. This fund has supported vital wildlife projects, including conservation efforts, species propagation, and habitat restoration. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Hall family for their dedication to the survival of keystone species and numerous other threatened or endangered species across all seven continents.
