What Chihuahuan Desert stories need to be told?

Here is a picture of El Paso Zoo keepers getting ready to head down Boquillas Canyon to help restore riparian habitat for rare Mexican black bears on a cold winter morning at Big Bend National Park.

Joining forces to conserve Chihuahuan Desert wildlife

The El Paso Zoo is growing into an epicenter for conservation in the Chihuahuan Desert. No institution, government or private, has a comprehensive exhibit dedicated to conservation and education of this conservation hotspot. With the support of a staff of dedicated professionals the Zoo is rescuing raptors like eagles and hawks and helping to save endangered species like bolson tortoises, Mexican wolves, Thick-billed Parrots and jaguars.

Over the past year we have been telling stories on this blog of our efforts and the efforts of others working to conserve habitat and some of the thousands of different parts of the web of life here in the Chihuahuan desert.

Dr. Misty Garcia helping to care for critically endangered peninsular pronghorn fawns.

All around the world dedicated people are collaborating with each other to save wildlife and their critical habitats. For example in Brazil, scientists, nut collectors, landowners and tourism hosts are joining forces to help conserve Harpy Eagles. Closer to home the Zoo is working with scientists in New Mexico on efforts to save bolson tortoises and wildlife rescue organizations to help save raptors injured by hunters and powerlines.

The Zoo is also joining forces with a growing number of people representing a wide variety of organizations and institutions. Our future looks bright. We know that many of our readers have stories about the natural history of this desert region yet to be told. If you want to connect with us to share and collaborate in big and small ways we would love to hear from you.

If you know a story that will help more people get connected to wildlife and plants in our desert we would love to hear more. Protecting our world, conserving habitats, saving endangered species and combatting forces that are impacting the health of our environment including habitat destruction and climate change, are all top priorities at the Zoo. Here in El Paso we are learning more and more each day about how our desert mountains are our greatest asset and how conservation will only work if people who live here are the driving force behind securing our environmental future.

Rick LoBello, Education Curator
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