Photo by Sydney Cromwell.
The Birmingham Zoo has designated $10,000 to help save populations of wildlife impacted by the devastating Australian bushfires.
The Birmingham Zoo has designated $10,000 to help save populations of wildlife impacted by the devastating Australian bushfires. Conservation and environmental organizations fear that a billion animals of varying species have perished in the fires along with over 1.5 million acres of ecosystems.
In an urgent response to the current disaster in New South Wales, the Birmingham Zoo is taking immediate action to support the needs of affected wildlife and for habitat rehabilitation.
Birmingham Zoo President and CEO Chris Pfefferkorn stated the $10,000 donation will come from the Zoo’s Conservation Fund and will be donated to the Zoo and Aquarium Association, Australasia (ZAA), a sister organization to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) here in the United States.
The Birmingham Zoo knows firsthand about conservation efforts in Australia through our lasting partnerships with several Australian conservation organizations that are working to save the wildlife and wild places that are so unique to the country/continent. Several Zoo staff have worked with such organizations over the years and have conducted boots-on-the-ground research in an effort to conserve many keystone species that hold entire ecosystems together.
“Birmingham Zoo has deep compassion for the tremendous loss of Australian wildlife, ecosystems and for the people affected by the ongoing bushfire devastation,” Pfefferkorn said. “We are concerned for the animals and our Australian colleagues—this hits home for us, it’s personal to us— we are going to do all we can to help our Australian wildlife conservation partners have the tools they need to recover.”
The community can help with the current Australian bushfire crisis by visiting the Birmingham Zoo. Paying guests to the Zoo on Valentine’s weekend, Feb. 14-16, will have funds from their paid admission ticket donated to ZAA for increased aid to wildlife affected by wildfires.
Birmingham Zoo will be matching up to $5,000 from paid admissions on that weekend, with the goal of donating a total gift of $20,000 to support the wildlife of Australia.
Birmingham Zoo is encouraging anyone wanting to contribute and help in the relief efforts to donate to the Zoo and Aquarium Association, Australasia Wildlife Conservation Fund. All funds raised will be used for critical care and long-term recovery,restoration and rehabilitation of Australian wildlife.
Submitted by Samil Baker, Birmingham Zoo
