Zoo Atlanta announces a commitment to seven international conservation programs in 2025

Field projects on three continents will be funded by The Mabel Dorn Reeder Conservation Endowment Fund 

ATLANTA – December 19, 2024 – Zoo Atlanta announces a commitment of support for seven conservation programs protecting wildlife in Nepal, Borneo, Panama, Cambodia, Cameroon, Republic of Congo, and Madagascar in the new year. Projects for red pandas, orangutans, Panamanian golden frogs, drill monkeys, clouded leopards, gorillas, chimpanzees, and radiated tortoises are the 2025 beneficiaries of the Zoo’s Mabel Dorn Reeder Conservation Endowment Fund.  

The Mabel Dorn Reeder Conservation Endowment Fund annually awards grants to projects that enable Zoo Atlanta to amplify its global conservation impact. Projects are proposed by Zoo team members and are selected by a review committee based on relevance to the Zoo’s mission; conservation status and needs of the species in question; conservation significance; and inclusion of education and community outreach.    

“Partnerships are a key aspect of the big-picture strategy that is essential to the long-term success and viability of any conservation effort,” said Raymond B. King, President and CEO. “We are excited that in the year to come, our Mabel Dorn Reeder Conservation Endowment Fund will support seven projects, each championed by Zoo Atlanta team members with a passion for making a difference for wildlife.”  

Programs slated for 2025 support from the Mabel Dorn Reeder Conservation Endowment Fund are as follows:  

Red Panda Network – Nepal  
Funding from Zoo Atlanta will support construction of a greenhouse and shade house, each with the capacity to produce and nurture more than 22,000 native seedlings. The trees will contribute to reforestation of wild red panda habitat and sustainable incomes for local communities. The project was championed by Kenn Harwood, Curator of Mammals.  

Borneo Orangutan Survival USA – Borneo  
For more than 30 years, Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) has been a leader in rehabilitating orphaned orangutans through its Forest School, with more than 520 individuals successfully returned to the wild and monitored in protected rainforest habitats. The project was championed by Lynn Yakubinis, Lead Keeper of Primates. 

El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center (EVACC) Foundation – Panama 
Based in El Valle de Antón, Panama, the EVAAC Foundation focuses on the conservation of the Panamanian golden frog – a species which is extinct in the wild and currently housed only in assurance populations within human care, including Zoo Atlanta – and other Panamanian amphibians through research, breeding, protection, reintroduction, and local education. The project was championed by Evan Hoiland, Herpetology Keeper.  

Pan African Sanctuary Alliance – Cameroon 
The Pan African Sanctuary Alliance’s Green Project is a collaborative effort that incentivizes long-term, sustainable community engagement in conservation to protect the biodiverse habitat of Mt. Cameroon National Park, home to a fragile population of endangered drill monkeys. The project was championed by Pam Miller, Primate Keeper.  

Wildlife Alliance Veal Pi Ranger Station – Cambodia 
Wildlife Alliance aims to implement an anti-poaching program to address clouded leopard mortality due to poachers’ snares in the Cardamom Rainforest, an area crucial for the survival of this and other species. The program assists in law enforcement patrolling and snare removal. The project was championed by Michelle Elliott, Mammal Keeper.  

Goualougo Triangle Ape Project – Republic of Congo  
The Goualougo Triangle Ape Project works to mitigate threats to gorillas, chimpanzees, and their habitats. Through research, training, and local partnerships, the effort seeks to facilitate sustainable coexistence and to enhance and strengthen conservation policies across the Congo Basin. The project was championed by Jodi Carrigan, Curator of Primates. 

Turtle Survival Alliance – Madagascar   
Funding from Zoo Atlanta will support health diagnostics, supplies, and veterinary students for health screening of radiated tortoises confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade prior to rewilding the animals. The project was championed by Kate Leach, DVM, Senior Veterinarian.  

Beyond those projects supported by the Mabel Dorn Reeder Conservation Endowment Fund, Zoo Atlanta has a long history of conservation program support and scientific research focused on enhancing the global body of knowledge on animal behavior and biology. Signature partners include Conservation South Luangwa, a Zambia-based organization working to protect African elephants and other species impacted by illegal wildlife trafficking and human-wildlife conflict, and the Golden Lion Tamarin Association, a Brazil-based organization protecting the endangered icons of Brazil’s Atlantic Coastal Forest from habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, and disease.  

While all experiences at Zoo Atlanta enable and help to expand the organization’s conservation work, visitation also has a direct impact, with 25 cents of every general admission ticket going directly to the Zoo’s Conservation Fund.   

Learn more about conservation programs and partnerships at Zoo Atlanta at zooatlanta.org/conservation.  

MEDIA CONTACT:  
Rachel Davis 
Director of Communications  
rdavis@zooatlanta.org  
404.624.2812 

Gavin Johnson  
Public Relations and Communications Specialist  
404.624.5980  
gjohnson@zooatlanta.org  

About Zoo Atlanta
A proud accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the gold standard for animal care and welfare, Zoo Atlanta has a mission to save wildlife and their habitats through conservation, research, education, and engaging experiences. The Zoo is home to more than 1,000 animals representing more than 200 species from around the world, many of them endangered or critically endangered. Highlights include giant pandas.; one of North America’s largest zoological populations of great apes; and a global center of excellence for the care and study of reptiles and amphibians. Recent transformations include the African Savanna, featuring new and expanded habitats for African elephants, giraffes, zebras, ostriches, warthogs, meerkats, and rhinos; Savanna Hall, a state-of-the-art special event destination in the restored historic former home of the Atlanta Cyclorama; and the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Plaza. For more information, visit zooatlanta.org.