Indianapolis Zoo offers m grant for plan to save a threatened species

Indianapolis Zoo offers $1m grant for plan to save a threatened species



The Indianapolis Zoological Society has announced it will award a $1 million grant to an organization that can “develop and execute a plan that will have a measurable and sustainable impact on the survival of an animal species.”

The species must be currently designated under one of the threatened categories — vulnerable, endangered, critically endangered, or extinct in the wild — on the IUCN Red List.

“The Indianapolis Zoo searched for a big idea to make a real difference and support field conservationists to make a measurable change in the future of a species,” Michael W. Wells, trustee and chair of Indianapolis Zoo’s conservation committee, said in a statement. “Our ability to measure the outcome by using the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List will allow us to objectively assess the results of our investment.”

A jury of animal conservation experts from around the world will decide on the winner, which will then have five years to get the program rolling and demonstrate some progress. A winner will be announced in February 2024.

The first stage of the application is due June 4, 2023. Complete information can be found at IndianapolisZoo.com under the Conservation tab.

“I am excited to see the Indianapolis Zoo continue to set the bar high on how Zoos, Aquariums and Botanical Gardens can advance conservation action and catalyze real and positive change for species,” Jon Paul Rodriguez, chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, said in a statement.

Two baby radiated tortoises (Astrochelys radiata) in captivity. This critically endangered species from Madagascar is popular in the illegal pet trade. Photo by Carla Knapp.
Two baby radiated tortoises (Astrochelys radiata) in captivity. This critically endangered species from Madagascar is popular in the illegal pet trade. Photo by Carla Knapp.
An Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) cub in the wild. Less than 100 individuals remained in 2002. Now there are around 400. Image by Ex-Situ Conservation Program of the Iberian Lynx via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0 ES).
An Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) cub in the wild. Less than 100 individuals remained in 2002. Now there are around 400. Image by Ex-Situ Conservation Program of the Iberian Lynx via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0 ES).

Scientists agree that we’re experiencing a mass extinction event. Previous major extinctions, like the one that wiped out the dinosaurs, were caused by catastrophes such as asteroid impact, volcanic eruptions, and depletion of oxygen.

The extinction crisis we face now is caused by humans, driven by habitat destruction, pollution, poaching, illegal trade, overharvesting, the introduction of non-native and domesticated species into the wild, pathogens, and climate disruption.

Since 1900, at least 543 species of vertebrates have gone extinct. And those are just the ones we know of.

“The idea that there’s a species that we can no longer see living and breathing and behaving … is heart-wrenching,” Brian Zimmerman, director of conservation and science for the Bristol Zoological Society, told Mongabay.

American bison (Bison bison) were hunted to the brink of extinction, but the establishment of protected areas and rewilding efforts over the past decades have brought their numbers back to the hundreds of thousands. Photo courtesy of WCS.
American bison (Bison bison) were hunted to the brink of extinction, but the establishment of protected areas and rewilding efforts over the past decades have brought their numbers back to the hundreds of thousands. Photo courtesy of WCS.

The loss of any species “can have a ripple effect on entire ecosystems,” Carolyn Hogg, senior research manager at the University of Sydney’s Australasian Wildlife Genomics Group, said in a statement, “and if we don’t take urgent action, the consequences could be catastrophic.”

Many have taken action. Conservation efforts have brought several species back from the brink of extinction, including the American bison (Bison bison), red wolf (Canis rufus), Española giant tortoise (Chelonoidis hoodensis), Przewalski’s horse (Equus ferus przewalskii), California condor (Gymnogyps californianus), the ko’ko’ bird (Hypotaenidia owstoni), black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes), tequila splitfin fish (Zoogoneticus tequila), and others.

“We know that reversing the decline of a species takes time,” said Rob Shumaker, president and CEO of Indianapolis Zoo. “If we trust the science and stay focused, we will save species.”

This article by Liz Kimbrough was first published by Mongabay.com on 27 April 2023. Lead Image: Grey crowned cranes (Balearica regulorum) by Frank Winkler via Wikimedia Commons (CC0).


What you can do

Support ‘Fighting for Wildlife’ by donating as little as $1 – It only takes a minute. Thank you.


payment

Fighting for Wildlife supports approved wildlife conservation organizations, which spend at least 80 percent of the money they raise on actual fieldwork, rather than administration and fundraising. When making a donation you can designate for which type of initiative it should be used – wildlife, oceans, forests or climate.

Dive in!

Discover hidden wildlife with our FREE newsletters

We promise we’ll never spam! Read our Privacy Policy for more info

Supertrooper

Founder and Executive Editor

Share this post with your friends




Leave a Reply

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

1 Comment