Partners for Borderland Conservation

My first real trip into the wilderness - before Africa, before South America - was the Big Bend.  For those not familiar with the region, Big Bend National Park is a wild expanse of west Texas, hugging the Rio Grande as it drifts through the Chihuahua Desert.  Hiking in its canyons and hills, I encountered peccaries and coyotes, roadrunners and rattlesnakes in what was an eye-opening experience for my teenaged self.  Historically, these lands also sheltered Mexican wolves, grizzlies, and jaguars; black bears, bighorn sheep, and ocelots still make appearances.

Even at the time, I remember thinking, "Man... this would be awesome to share as a zoo exhibit."

As one of the zoos that shares the region with Big Bend, El Paso Zoo is committed to displaying and interpreting the wildlife of west Texas.  Even more importantly, however, the zoo is committed to preserving that wild heritage.  I was excited to read about the new partnership between El Paso Zoo and Big Bend National Park, one in which the two organizations will collaborate on habitat restoration, invasive species removal, and conservation of a flagship species, the black bear.  This is all made possible through a grant provided by the AZA.

Not all zoos and aquariums can boast of such magnificent, wild backyards, nor do all possess such charismatic megafauna in their surrounding counties.  Still, each and every one should try to find some way to emulate this partnership with some local conservation organization.  AZA, in turn, should find ways to expand this grant program, or perhaps even make support of a local conservation project a requirement for future accreditation.  

After all, building a better future for wildlife starts at home.

El Paso Zoo, Big Bend National Park partner for wildlife conservation