We’re proud to announce we’ve financially committed over $800,000 to conservation and wildlife organizations in 2023 via our Wild Works conservation program. All the selected organizations help further our mission and emphasize the importance of conserving species and their habitats both locally and around the globe. Below is a brief description and link to some of the organizations.
Rainforest Awareness Rescue Education Center (RAREC) - located outside the small town of Iquitos, Peru; working to rescue, rehabilitate and release animals back into the wild that have been saved from the illegal pet trade and local markets.
Asa Wright Nature Centre - a non-profit land trust in Trinidad and Tobago working to preserve part of the Arima Valley in its natural state by creating conservation and study areas and protecting native wildlife.
International Rhino Foundation - working to save all five rhino species in the wild through intensive population monitoring, bolstering anti-poaching activities and partnering with local communities.
Komodo Survival Program - dedicated to saving Komodo dragons in their native range through educational initiatives, hands-on conservation work, population monitoring and more.
Wildlife Animal Conservation Institute (ICAS) - based out of Brazil; working to decrease the impact of roadkill on giant anteaters through GPS collars and genetic analysis methods.
Save Giraffes Now - committed to saving giraffes through hands-on conservation projects throughout the African savanna including rescue and rewilding, anti-poaching, and coexistence with communities. A Nashville Zoo staff member will be traveling to Kenya this year to help with these projects. This trip was made possible in part by the generous donation of Nashville Zoo board members.
Andean Bear: Chaparri Ecological Reserve - the first community-managed protected area for the regeneration of the dry forest ecosystem in Northern Peru; works to protect the rich biodiversity of the region including Andean bear populations.
Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center (GRACE) - based out of the Democratic Republic of Congo; providing excellent care for rescued Grauer’s gorillas and working alongside Congolese communities to promote the conservation of wild gorillas and their habitat.
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy - based out of Kenya; working to bolster the wild populations of the critically endangered eastern black rhinoceros and mountain bongo antelope through rehabilitation and reintroduction of these species into the wild.
Institute for Ecological Research - based out of Brazil; working to save and protect tapirs in their native range through long-term population-monitoring, researching genetics and radio tracking.
Saola Foundation - working to save the Saola, one of the most endangered terrestrial mammals in the world, through population monitoring and tracking.
Tiger Conservation Campaign - working to restore native habitats, curb poaching, eliminate the trade of tiger parts and reduce human/tiger conflicts.
Zoo Miami's Harpy Eagle Project - based out of Panama; working to protect the harpy eagle in its native range by educating communities, running a conservation center and even successfully lobbying the Panamanian Congress to pass a law that federally protects this species.
Eastern Hellbender* - the Zoo’s herpetology team is involved in eastern hellbender breeding programs, hands-on research methods, and spearheading the eastern hellbender headstart program which has resulted in the release of over 60 animals back into the wild.
Proyecto Tití - based out of Colombia this program is combining field research, education initiatives and community programs to protect the rainforest and preserve critically endangered cotton-top tamarins.
Alliance for Tompotika Conservation - based out of Sulawesi, Indonesia; working to protect the critically endangered maleo through community engagement, habitat conservation and nest monitoring.
Red Panda Network - based out of Nepal and committed to the conservation of wild red pandas through the education and empowerment of local communities.
Save Vietnam's Wildlife Center - established in Vietnam, working towards wildlife and ecosystem restoration through research, breeding programs, educational outreach and advocacy.
Antongil Conservation - working to protect the rainforests of Madagascar by raising awareness about the importance of nature and setting up development actions to improve living conditions of local communities.
Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) - dedicated to saving cheetahs in the wild by confiscating them from the illegal pet trade and nursing them back to health in rehabilitation centers.
Chipangali - based out of Zimbabwe; helping to rehabilitate injured wildlife and engage local communities to educate children through EPIC (environmental programs involving children) initiatives that focus on teaching about the positive impact animals have on the ecosystem.
Vulpro - based out of South Africa and working to restore African vulture populations through rehabilitation, captive breeding and release.
Galliwasp* - the Zoo has been working to save the Hispaniolan giant galliwasp for more than 20 years and is currently collaborating with a geneticist to collect DNA samples to better understand this species and its native range.
Turtle Survival Alliance - working to save the critically endangered Asian giant tortoise in its native range through captive breeding programs and the reintroduction of this species into a community managed forest.
Wild Animal Health Fund - dedicated to stopping the extinction of animals through funding health studies for zoo animals and wildlife.
Andean Bear SAFE (Saving Animals from Extinction) - supporting the conservation of Andean bears across their native range by executing projects that target key threats to wild populations.
Duke Lemur Center - SAVA - based of out Madagascar; helping to preserve and protect all lemur species in their native range by working to spread awareness and appreciation of the ecosystem in remote communities through educational teachings.
International Crane Foundation - working to protect the vulnerable blue crane species through workshops that address and discuss action plans to tackle threats like powerline collisions, agricultural intensifications, poisoning and climate change.
Wildlife Preservation Canada - working to support endangered loggerhead shrike populations in Canada and the Eastern United States through monitoring juvenile birds and migration patterns.
Puerto Rican Crested Toad* - the Zoo has been successfully breeding the critically endangered Puerto Rican crested toad since 2012 and has shipped more than 25,000 tadpoles to Puerto Rico to be released back into the wild.
Nashville Zoo Pollinator Program* - aims to highlight the importance of both native pollinator species and their habitats through guest engagement and curation of pollinator habitats on Zoo grounds.
Action Indonesia - a Global Species Management Plan working to protect species native to Indonesia through education, training, population monitoring and collective breeding.
Friends of Warner Park - working to understand the declining purple martin population through research, public education and engagement by documenting birds that travel and nest throughout Middle Tennessee.
Vietnam Hornbill - working to rescue and rehabilitate hornbills confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade to be released back into the wild.
*Internal conservation project