Association of Zoos and Aquariums

AZA Announces Conservation Endowment Fund Grants $310,000 To Fund 19 Wildlife Conservation Projects

CONTACT: Steve Feldman, AZA, (301)562-0777, x 252

SILVER SPRING, MD, November 5, 2007 – The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) today announced that the AZA Conservation Endowment Fund (CEF) has awarded $310,000 to wildlife conservation initiatives.

"From amphibians to dolphins to gorillas, AZA-accredited institutions and their partners are at the forefront of wildlife conservation here in North America and around the world," said AZA President and CEO Jim Maddy. "The scientific contribution of those receiving Conservation Endowment Fund awards is vital to the wildlife conservation movement."

The AZA Conservation Endowment Fund (CEF) supports the cooperative, conservation-related scientific and educational initiatives of AZA and its partners. Every major type of conservation and animal care initiative is represented - research, field conservation, education and outreach, animal welfare, animal health and animal management. Many CEF projects are collaborations among AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums and state, federal and international wildlife agencies, academia and major conservation organizations.

Since 1991, AZA's CEF has supported more than 250 projects worldwide with millions of dollars in funding. The Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund and the Walt Disney Corporation have provided supporting funds to the CEF for over a decade that significantly increase the number of projects funded by the CEF each year.

"We are grateful to the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund and the Walt Disney Corporation for its leadership and tremendous support for zoo and aquarium conservation work," Maddy added.

After a competitive review of 72 applications, 19 projects were funded for 2007. These include:

Conservation of the Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) in North Carolina: Population Surveys and Captive Management (CEF)*
John D. Groves, North Carolina Zoological Park
Richard A. Bergl, North Carolina Zoological Park

Correlations between Genetic Diversity and Species Diversity in the Ichthyofauna of the Tennessee River (CEF)
Anna L. George, Tennessee Aquarium Research Institute

Establishing Genome Resource Banks and Artificial Insemination Techniques to Augment Management of Okapi Metapopulations (DWCF)**
Linda Penfold, White Oak Conservation Center
Steve Shurter, White Oak Conservation Center

Average Daily Walking Distance of Captive African Elephants (Loxodonta africana) (CEF/DWCF)***
Fred B. Bercovitch, Zoological Society of San Diego
Jeff Andrews, Zoological Society of San Diego

Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin Education Progams: Benefits for Conservation Education and Animal Welfare (CEF)
Lance Miller, The University of Southern Mississippi

Addressing Aggression in Asian Small-Clawed Otters, Amblonyx cinereus, through the Use of GnRH Agonist (CEF)
Katharine M. Pelican, Smithsonian's National Zoological Park
Heather DeCaluwe, Smithsonian's National Zoological Park

Creating Youth-Intern Teams to Increase the Effective Delivery of Action-Oriented Conservation Messages (CEF)
Elizabeth Palfini, San Antonio Zoo

Non-Invasive Genetic Estimation of Population Size of Critically Endangered Gyps Vultures in Asia (DWCF)
Todd Katzner, National Aviary
Yula Kapetanakos, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Nancy Clum, Wildlife Conservation Society

Gorilla Health Project -- A Template for Captive Animal Health Management (CEF)
Pam Dennis, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and The Ohio State University
Thomas P. Meehan, Chicago Zoological Society/Brookfield Zoo
Hayley Weston Murphy, Zoo New England
Natalie Mylniczenko, Chicago Zoological Society/Brookfield Zoo

Communicating Solutions: Evaluating Human-Dolphin Interactions in High Traffic Areas of Sarasota Bay with High School Student Volunteers (DWCF)
David Niebuhr, Mote Marine Laboratory
Kim Bassos-Hull, Mote Marine Laboratory
Jim Wharton, Mote Marine Laboratory
Randall Wells, Mote Marine Laboratory

Effective Online Education and Risk Assessment for All AZA Hoofstock Collections: Johne's Disease (CEF)
Pam Dennis, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and The Ohio State University

Captive-Breeding & Reintroduction of Ostrich (Struthio camelus camelus) in Niger (CEF)
Sara Hallager, Smithsonian's National Zoological Park
Bill Houston, Saint Louis Zoo
Steve Monfort, Smithsonian's National Zoological Park
Scott Tidmus, Disney's Animal Kingdom

Understanding Ecology of Dholes in Thailand (CEF)
Nucharin Songsasen, Smithsonian's National Zoological Park
Peter Leimgruber, Smithsonian's National Zoological Park

Mongolia Traveling Conservation Trunk Project (DWCF)
Meghan Rubinstein, Denver Zoo

Movement Patterns, Habitat Preferences and Phylogeography of the Armenian Viper (Montivipera raddei) in Armenia (CEF)
Jeff Ettling, Saint Louis Zoo

The Use of Autonomous Recording Units (ARUs) to Detect Rare Hawaiian Birds - A Pilot Study (DWCF)
George E. Wallace, American Bird Conservancy
David Leonard, Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources

Genetic Variation and the Reintroduction of African Wild Dogs in South Africa (DWCF)
Micaela Szykman Gunther, Humboldt State University and Smithsonian's National Zoological Park
David Wildt, Smithsonian's National Zoological Park

Identification of Serum and Tissue Biomarkers for Cardiomyopathy in the Vancouver Island Marmot (Marmota vancouverensis) (CEF)
Douglas Whiteside, Calgary Zoo
Sandie Black, Calgary Zoo

El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center (DWCF)
William Konstant, Houston Zoo, Inc.

*"CEF" indicates projects funded in full by the AZA Conservation Endowment Fund.
** "DWCF" indicates projects funded in full by the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund.
***"CEF/DWCF" indicates projects financed with support from both the Conservation Endowment Fund and the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund.

Founded in 1924, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation. Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things. With its more than 200 accredited members, the AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation, and your link to helping animals in their native habitats.