Quarters for Conservation Year Two

Now in its second program year, our Quarters for Conservation campaign allows us to donate a portion of every Zoo ticket to conservation programs for species in the wild. Zoo Atlanta is excited to debut our three new conservation organizations we will be supporting for the 2017-2018 program year: the Tiger Conservation Campaign, the East Africa Vulture Project and Project Bush Dog.

Learn about these amazing projects below and be sure to vote at the Quarters for Conservation kiosk just inside the Zoo.

Welcome the Tiger Conservation Campaign

With fewer than 400 Sumatran tigers left in the wild, protecting them as well as their habitat is necessary for their survival. Tigers are suffering from threats like habitat loss from human encroachment and unsustainable palm oil plantations, poaching for their fur and bones, and killing by humans when tigers enter villages and prey on livestock.

When you vote for tigers, your vote will help the Tiger Conservation Campaign work to combat these threats. The project works to prevent human/tiger conflict by constructing tiger-proof livestock pens in villages, increasing outreach and awareness, and helping veterinarians respond with assistance to wild tigers caught in snares.

Inspired to help save tigers in more ways? Be a conscientious consumer and download the Sustainable Palm Oil Shopping app. Use it while grocery shopping to buy products that help protect animals and their homes! Learn more here. You can also learn more about tigers here, and spread the word to family and friends about the app and how easy it is to help save tigers and their homes.

Welcome the East Africa Vulture Project

Did you know that the populations of seven African vulture species have declined by over 80 percent in just the last few decades, having a dramatic effect on their ecosystem? Vultures are Africa’s unsung heroes. As scavengers, they are a vital part of all healthy ecosystems. They are nature’s hazmat team, eating animal carcasses that, when left untouched, become breeding grounds for disease. One of the biggest threats to vultures is poisoning, both accidental and intentional. Vultures may be accidentally poisoned by eating the carcass of a poisoned animal, a common method of poachers. They may also be intentionally poisoned by poachers, who target them because their presence can alert authorities to poachers’ locations.

When you vote for vultures, your vote will help provide the necessary resources and training to The Peregrine Fund’s Poison Rapid Response Team. This team is the ‘911’ for vultures in east Africa. The Poison Rapid Response teams quickly locates, saves, rehabs, and then releases these amazing birds!

Inspired to help save vultures in more ways? Discourage poaching by not buying elephant ivory or rhino horn and by encouraging your local politicians to pass laws in your state banning the importation of elephant ivory and rhino horn. Learn more and spread the word about vultures and how important they are to our ecosystem.

Welcome Project Bush Dog

Bush dog populations are dramatically declining as a result of human-driven factors, with habitat loss being the greatest threat. The cutting of the native forest for plantations and agriculture has led to an increase in non-native plants, and bush dogs and other endangered species from the region face a decline in available food and serious habitat fragmentation as a result.

When you vote for bush dogs, your vote will help Project Bush Dog to establish protected areas of continuous habitat, called biological corridors, to connect fragmented habitats and minimize human-wildlife conflict. Specifically, Project Bush Dog will use trained detection dogs to sniff out and locate bush dogs feces, which tell us more about bush dogs’ home territories. With this field research, the project will be able to form this biological corridor that has the potential to save bush dogs as well as other endangered species in the region.

Inspired to help save bush dogs in more ways? Create your own backyard wildlife corridor for local species by planting native plants. Learn more about bush dogs and their unique environment and spread the word.
Carissa Bishop
Conservation Education Initiatives Supervisor