Bolson tortoise at the El Paso Zoo

On November 16 the Zoo’s Conservation Committee approved new projects to be funded in the coming days from the Round Up Conservation Fund. This fund is supported by Zoo guests who round up their purchases at the Zoo to help fund conservation efforts locally, regionally and around the world. Many of the projects that have been funded in the past and once again for 2022 include support for Lion Guardians in East Africa and the Flying Squad Sumatra Elephant Conservation Program at Tesso Nilo National Park in Riau Province, Sumatra, Indonesia.

In support of efforts to be a leader in El Paso in helping people understand and take action in combatting climate change, the committee approved purchasing tree seedlings to distribute next year at Party for the Planet in late April. Earlier this year nearly 200 Zoo visitors adopted small desert willow trees. These adoptions were reported to Eco El Paso in support of their Million Trees El Paso campaign.

Other projects approved for 2022 include:

Asian Hornbill AZA Saving Animals from Extinction (SAFE) program

Turner Endangered Species Fund Bolson Tortoise reintroduction program (see top of blog photo)

Proyecto Tití Cotton-top Tamarin conservation efforts in Columbia, South America

The cotton-top tamarin is critically endangered

Wildlife rescue efforts sponsored by the Indonesia Species Conservation Program

Local support for Second Chance Wildlife Rescue and the Chihuahuan Desert Conference planned for November 15-17, 2023

Golden Eagle rescued by the El Paso Zoo. Additional El Paso wildlife rescue efforts are currently underway at Second Chance Wildlife Rescue.

The Zoo hosted the Chihuahuan Desert Conference in 2019.

Cover – Pygmy loris born at the El Paso Zoo in 2013.