Conservation Fund
Round Up
Conservation Ambassadors
Climate Crisis
Download our most current annual conservation report here.

The El Paso Zoo is working to increase its conservation impact in support of field conservation projects.  Funds raised by the Service Systems and Associates Round Up program, the sale of penguin plush and online donations are helping us to support projects to save endangered species around the world. 

Our Conservation Committee focuses on supporting projects that involve both staff and conservation partners. Over the years we have sent zookeepers to Madagascar to help rescue over 10,000 critically endangered radiated tortoises and to Big Bend National Park to help with Mexican black bear habitat restoration in Boquillas Canyon.

When we want to have an impact and sending staff to help a project is not feasible, we support others working on the ground with funding to help save critically endangered orangutans in Asia, cottontop tamarins in South America and painted dogs in Africa. Conservation organizations we have supported and partnered with include the Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition, Sierra Club, Frontera Land Alliance, International Rhino Foundation, the Tiger Species Survival Plan and the Texas Lobo Coalition.

One of the most important keys to the success of our conservation efforts is maintaining and developing relationships with conservation partners including people working on the front lines around the world. For example a staff member is actively involved with the Mexican Wolf Species Survival Plan and attends meetings in both the US and Mexico. Another staff member works closely with the Turner Endangered Species Fund helping with a bolson tortoise reintroduction project in New Mexico. Another member of the team networks with people in Africa and has been involved in conservation efforts to save mountain gorillas in the Virunga Volcanoes region.

Maintaining relationships with people working in National Parks helped the Zoo have a voice at an International Workshop on Transboundary Conservation at Glacier National Park. Networking at that meeting later resulted in the El Paso Zoo piloting an America’s Keystone Wildlife Grant partnership with Big Bend National Park. To further maintain working relationships with the conservation community the Zoo hosted Chihuahuan Desert Conferences in 2019 and 2023 with a third conference planned for November 4-6 of 2026. The conference brings together park managers and researchers from across the Southwest and Mexico.

To learn more about the El Paso Zoo and our field conservation efforts check out the stories we have posted on this blog below.

Past and Current Conservation Projects

African Lions
Amur Leopard
Asian Elephant
Bali Mynah
Black-footed Ferret
Bolson Tortoise
Burrowing Owl
Chihuahuan Desert Conference
Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta
Coahuilan Box Turtle
Cotton-top Tamarin
Galapagos Tortoise
Giraffe
Greater One-Horned Rhino
Hornbill Nest Conservation
Indonesian Species Conservation Fund
Jaguar
Malayan Tapir
Malayan Tiger
Mexican Black Bear
Mexican Wolf
North American Songbird SAFE program
Peninsular Pronghorn
Przewalski’s Wild Horse
Radiated Tortoise
Sumatran Orangutan
Sun Bear
Transboundary Conservation at Big Bend National Park
Vaquita