Zoo Conservation Outreach Group

Conservation is the goal of all reputable zoos and aquariums.  While captive breeding and public education and inspiration play a role in this, most conservation always goes back to the field.  Few zoos, however, are capable of fielding their own expeditions to the wildernesses of Africa and Asia to study and protect endangered species; those that can are inevitably the larger, wealthier institutions, such as WCS and the Smithsonian. 

One of the easiest and most exciting ways for North American and European institutions to contribute to conservation is to support the Zoo Conservation Outreach Group.  ZCOG is one of the leading forces in the conservation of Latin American wildlife, working to save a number of iconic species.  Some, such as the Andean bear, Andean condor, and Chilean flamingo, are found in many zoo collections.  Others, such as the giant armadillo and the mountain tapir, are not.  Contributors to ZCOG can earmark their donations to go towards various programs with diverse goals.  One of the major goals of the Andean Bear Program, for instance, is to rehabilitate and release confiscated or injured bears, putting them back into the wild.  Other projects are focused on species so little known and poorly studied that the priority is obtaining even the most basic information about them.

The Zoo Conservation Outreach Group is also committed to building the leadership capacity of Latin American zoos and aquariums and in creating a collaborative conservation network throughout the Americas.  One of the ways that it accomplishes this is by helping to arrange for Latin American zoo professionals to receive training in the United States, giving keepers and curators the resources needed to build up their own institutions back home.   Scholarships are provided by AZA members, giving participants the chance to learn record-keeping skills in Wheeling, study crocodilian husbandry in St. Augustine, or attend several other professional development opportunities.

Contributing to conservation in the field is important, as many people would doubtlessly agree.  But why is it important to build zoo leadership in Latin America?  The first and most obvious answer is that it will improve the quality of life for animals held in Latin American zoos.  But why have zoos in South America anyway?  Or Africa?  Wouldn’t it be easier just to contribute directly to field conservation all of the time?  I’m sure that would be the easy short-term answer, but the ZCOG approach is thinking long term.

In the end, the decision to conserve the Andean bear, the solitary crowned eagle, or the giant anteater can’t be made in New York or London – it must come from the people who share their countries with these animals.  The trend of urbanization and loss of contact with nature isn’t unique to Europe and North America, but is occurring in Latin America as well.  For many Brazilians or Ecuadoreans, their only contact with many kinds of native animals may very well be in a zoo.   Zoos provide an opportunity for visitors – including the decision makers of the future – to have the chance to understand and encounter their natural heritage.  It should be in part the responsibility of American and European zoos - especially those housing Central and South American species - to help make these encounters possible.

Zoo Conservation Outreach Group