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What's the purpose of a zoo? | Why should we care? | What can we do about it?

What's the purpose of a zoo? Many visitors come to the Oregon Zoo to get a close-up look at animals they'll never see in the wild.

They come to enjoy the wondrous variety of nature and pass that wonder on to their children. We also hope they'll better understand why many animals are endangered and do something to help out.

Zoos have a special responsibility to help conserve the wild relatives of species they exhibit. The decline of many species can ultimately be traced back to one cause: too many people. The human population is growing rapidly, doubling from 3 billion in 1920 to 6 billion in 1999.

All these people need food, water, shelter and space. This means less room for the rest of Earth's species. We are facing an extinction crisis that could result in the disappearance of half of all living species by the end of the 21st Century.

Why should we care? Partly because of our moral responsibility as Earth's dominant species, but also because we are part of the global ecosystem and we depend on healthy environments for many essential services like clean air and water. There's a good chance the quality of our lives will decline in unpleasant ways following the loss of so much planetary biodiversity.

What can we do about it? There are many actions we can take individually to live in better balance with nature. Collectively, we can do even more! Following are the three components of our Future for Wildlife program:

• Oregon Zoo's Field Conservation Partnerships Rearing Pacific Northwest Species
  A major component of Oregon Zoo's field conservation program involves projects to enhance the survival of wildlife species in our own backyard. These projects directly involve Oregon Zoo staff, students, interns and volunteers and make use of Zoo facilities. We continue to expand the number and location of our field conservation projects as new opportunities are identified.
  
  
• Future For Wildlife Conservation Fund
  As the second component of this program, The Oregon Zoo Foundation annually offers grants to support projects that directly contribute to the survival of populations of free-living animal species and the ecosystems in which they are found.
  
  
• Staff and Volunteer Conservation Activities in the Pacific Northwest
  

  The third component is comprised of Oregon Zoo staff and volunteer field conservation activities in the Pacific Northwest:

  Smith & Bybee Lake Painted Turtle Monitoring: In 2000, a five-year research study of the painted turtle population in Metro-owned and managed Smith & Bybee Lakes. The study, which involves large numbers of volunteers, is being coordinated by the Northwest Ecological Research Institute. Fifteen zoo staff and volunteers made regular visits to the lakes last summer to trap and monitor turtles in this large urban wetland area.

  Heron Nesting Surveys: Twice in April of 2000, zoo staff and volunteers participated in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service surveys of heron nests along the Columbia River.

"Inspiring Our Community to Create a Better Future for Wildlife"

Oregon Zoo's mission statement emphasizes our role in the conservation of wildlife beyond our boundaries. We work toward this goal through cooperation with other zoos and organizations in planning for the future of animals in the wild and by taking a leadership role in conservation projects in the Pacific Northwest and abroad. Oregon Zoo's field conservation activities are carried out through our Future for Wildlife program.

Click here to make an online tax-deductible donation to Future for Wildlife

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