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Our Conservation Partners
The Fort Wayne Children's Zoo is proud to support the following conservation organizations.
When you "round up" your total at the Wild Things Gift Shop, those funds and other zoo monies directly support the important work of these like-minded organizations. Thank you for helping us make a difference!
ACRES Land Trust
The zoo financially supports ACRES and its effort to restore the Marsh Wren Nature Preserve in northeast Indiana.
Association of Zoos & Aquariums
As a member of the AZA, the zoo partners with zoos across the country to save animals from extinction. The Fort Wayne Children's Zoo provides financial support to the AZA's Conservation Endowment Fund as well as funding for projects of the Tiger Species Survival Plan.
Conservation Breeding Specialists Group
The zoo offers financial support to the CBSG for effective conservation through research and international collaboration.
Gibbon Conservation Center
The zoo provides financial support for the Gibbon Conservation Center and its work to study, protect, and propagate endangered gibbon species.
Giraffe Conservation Foundation
Through financial support, the zoo helps to fund habitat protection, research, and ongoing studies to better understand all nine subspecies of giraffes found throughout Africa.
Help the Hellbender
In 2015, the zoo began a partnership with Purdue University to raise hellbender salamanders, which will eventually be released into their southern Indiana habitat. The hellbenders will be tracked as part of a statewide conservation effort.
Hornbill Research Foundation
The zoo provides financial support to the Hornbill Research Foundation, which is used to train locals to collect data on hornbills, in order to secure their populations for the future.
Lion Guardians
The zoo supports Lion Guardians, an organization that trains and supports a team of people dedicated to lion conservation. Lion Guardians seeks to achieve the long-term coexistence of humans and lions through scientifically-driven practices.
Little River Wetlands Project
The zoo financially supports LRWP's goal of restoring and preserving wetlands in the watershed of the Little River, a headwater tributary of the Wabash River, in Allen County, Indiana.
Little Turtle Chapter – American Association of Zoo Keepers
The zoo supports the efforts of Little Turtle AAZK in the areas of cell phone recycling, river cleanup, and Bowling for Rhinos.
Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership
With a focus on community-based conservation, this partnership seeks to gather research on Madagascar's natural environment in order to manage and protect the island's ecosystem.
Mitchell's Satyr Butterfly Introduction
The zoo financially supports efforts to conserve and protect this endangered insect. Known threats to the Mitchell's satyr are destruction and pesticide contamination of their wetland habitat.
OCEARCH
The zoo supports the efforts of OCEARCH, a globally recognized leader in marine research and education. Through their expeditions, OCEARCH is able to generate critical scientific data related to tracking (telemetry) and biological studies of keystone marine species such as great white and tiger sharks, in conjunction with conservation outreach and education at a measurable global scale.
Orangutan Conservancy
The zoo sends contributions from the donation box at Orangutan Valley to the Orangutan Conservancy to support the preservation of wild orangutans. In addition, you can help save orangutans by making sustainable choices! Download the Sustainable Palm Oil Shopping App from the iTunes Store or Google Play, or click here for a printable version.
Pacific Marine Mammal Center
The zoo financially supports the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in their work to rescue and rehabilitate stranded California sea lions.
Pan African Sanctuary Alliance
The zoo supports this coalition of sanctuaries across Africa which work together to rescue and rehabilitate monkeys and apes that are victims of illegal hunting or the illicit pet trade, as well as conduct research and provide programs to educate locals on the importance of saving African primates.
African Penguin SAFE
The Fort Wayne Children's Zoo has joined other AZA-accredited institutions to gather research and prioritize conservation actions for protecting the South African black-footed penguin.
Primate Conservation in Central Java
The effect of coffee plantations on endangered primate species on the heavily populated Indonesian island of Java is the focus of an intensive study, of which the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo is the primary sponsor. You can read the researcher's blog here. Click here for a report from the field and the latest photos of the zoo-sponsored research project and efforts to encourage production of shade-grown coffee. Note: An online translation site may be needed to convert Bahasa (Indonesian) to English for some materials.
Red Panda Network
The zoo supports the Red Panda Network in its efforts to empower local communities with community-based research, education, and carbon mitigation.
Sahara Conservation Fund – Ostrich Project
With a focus on saving the critically endangered north African ostrich, this project seeks to preserve fragile desert habitats in the Sahel and Sahara regions of Africa.
The Fort Wayne Children's Zoo was one of only a few zoos selected by the Australian government to exhibit Tasmanian devils in North America. Tasmanian devils are endangered and the zoo is working to educate the public on the conservation of the Tasmanian devil population.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch® program empowers consumers and businesses to make choices for healthy oceans, helping support diverse marine ecosystems for the future.
Sharks and Rays Conservation
The zoo provides financial support to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) for shark and stingray conservation programs. The goal of WCS is to prevent extinction and halt decline of these important groups of species.
Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds
The zoo provides financial support for SANCCOB (The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds) to assist with the rehabilitation of seabirds exposed to pollution and natural disasters. Based in Cape Town, South Africa, SANCCOB's works to rescue black-footed penguins.
Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Program (SOCP)
Through its financial support of this organization, the zoo supports the integration of research, environmental education, reintroduction, and habitat protection within endangered orangutan habitats.
Tiger SSP
The zoo supports the Tiger Species Survival Plan® (SSP), which is a collaborative management program of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The goals of the Tiger SSP are to maintain sustainable, genetically diverse tiger populations as a "genetic insurance policy" for their wild counterparts, to raise awareness about the plight of tigers and funding for their conservation, and to support research on tiger biology and care.
Turtle Survival Alliance
The Fort Wayne Children's Zoo supports the Turtle Survival Alliance, which has become a global force for turtle conservation since its formation in 2001. The TSA is an action-oriented global partnership, focusing on species that are at high risk of extinction, and working in turtle diversity hotspots around the world.
Wildcats Conservation Alliance
WildCats Conservation Alliance funds wild Amur leopard and tiger conservation projects. It is an initiative of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and Dreamworld Wildlife Foundation (DWF). The culmination of merging two well-respected wildlife funding programs; 21st Century Tiger and the Amur Leopard and Tiger Alliance (ALTA) in 2018.
World Parrot Trust
The zoo supports the World Parrot Trust, whose efforts include groundbreaking field research, hands-on conservation programs, habitat protection, education and awareness programs, encouragement of better protections for parrots, and supporting the rescue, rehabilitation and release of parrots caught in illegal trade.