Audubon Nature Institute and San Diego Zoo Global Announce New Conservation Alliance to Enhance the Sustainability of Rare and Endangered Animal Populations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Audubon Nature Institute
Frank Donze
504-212-5335
cell- 504-232-7461
fdonze@auduboninstitute.org
Katie Smith
504-378-2693
cell: 504-278-0542
ksmith@auduboninstitute.org

San Diego Zoo Global
Christina Simmons
619-685-3291
cell: 619-318-3348
csimmons@sandiegozoo.org

Audubon Nature Institute and San Diego Zoo Global Announce New Conservation Alliance to Enhance the Sustainability of Rare and Endangered
Animal Populations

(New Orleans, La.) - Audubon Nature Institute and San Diego Zoo Global announce a partnership to replenish animal populations that face possible extinction.  The Alliance for Sustainable Wildlife will devise strategies to ensure sustainable populations of unique and endangered zoo animals. Located in New Orleans, the Alliance will be a haven for more than two dozen endangered and threatened mammal and bird species. 
 
 "San Diego Zoo Global is delighted to partner with the Audubon Nature Institute to set up a breeding center for unique and endangered species that we hope will be a model for collaborative efforts in the future," said Douglas G. Myers, president of San Diego Zoo Global.  "This collaboration unites organizations located at opposite ends of the United States in a joint effort of preservation."

The Alliance will be housed on a 1,000-acre property equipped with enclosures for species that have declining populations including whooping cranes, okapis, bongos and Masai giraffes. In the future, Alliance partners envision the facility will become an international center for creating populations of animals that will be self-sustaining.

 "This groundbreaking partnership between the San Diego Zoo and Audubon Nature Institute will allow us to establish a one-of-a-kind resource for zoos and aquariums to rebuild animal collections that are in danger of disappearing,'' said Audubon Nature Institute president and CEO Ron Forman.  "By joining forces on this project, we will put to work our shared expertise in assisted reproduction techniques and behavioral sciences to develop breeding and husbandry protocols that ensure long-term success.''
 
Working together to maintain an ark of endangered species is a key component of the mission of accredited zoos in the United States.  These zoos work together through the auspices of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
 
"Audubon Nature Institute and San Diego Zoo Global are leaders in conservation," said AZA president and CEO Jim Maddy. "Their partnership in forming the Alliance for Sustainable Wildlife demonstrates the creativity and resourcefulness of these two great organizations."
 
The Alliance's creation is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform the zoo and aquarium industry by ensuring that the animals that instill a lifelong appreciation for wildlife and conservation today will engage and inspire future generations of visitors. Construction is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2013 and the breeding program is anticipated to begin the following year. 
 
Audubon Nature Institute
Audubon Nature Institute is a 501(c)3 not for profit that operates a family of museums and parks dedicated to nature. These New Orleans facilities include: Audubon Park, Audubon Zoo, Woldenberg Riverfront Park, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center, Entergy IMAX® Theatre, Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species, Audubon Wilderness Park, Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium and Audubon Nature Institute Foundation.  Visit AudubonInstitute.org for more information.

San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy
The San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy is dedicated to bringing endangered species back from the brink of extinction. The work of the Conservancy includes onsite wildlife conservation efforts (representing both plants and animals) at the San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, and international field programs in more than 35 countries. In addition, San Diego Zoo Global manages the Anne and Kenneth Griffin Reptile Conservation Center, the Frozen ZooTM, Native Seed Gene Bank, the Keauhou and Maui Hawaii Endangered Bird Conservation Centers, the San Clemente Loggerhead Shrike Breeding Facility, the Cocha Cashu Biological Research Station, the Desert Tortoise Conservation Center, and a 800-acre biodiversity reserve adjacent to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. The important conservation and science work of these entities is supported in part by The Foundation of the Zoological Society of San Diego.
 
Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Founded in 1924, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation. Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things. The AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation, and your link to helping animals in their native habitats. To learn more visit http://www.aza.org/.

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