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Who says 50 cents isn’t much? Not the Oakland Zoo, where its Quarters for Conservation has collected $332,000 since January, almost triple what it raised last year.
The program collects 50 cents of every admission ticket and $2 from each zoo membership sold, and earmarks it for the zoo’s 25 wildlife conservation partners. This year, half that money will go to three out-in-the-field conservation programs that focus on species the zoo finds particularly important — gray wolves (California Wolf Center), mountain lions (Mountain Lion Foundation) and bears (The Bear League).
These three species are part of the zoo’s recently opened California Trail, which features native California animals. The zoo puts special emphasis on conserving these animals in the wild. Several of the rescued animals that are part of the Trail were injured or orphaned and are now unable to live in their native habitat.
In 2017, the zoo, which is governed by the Conservation Society of California, raised $126,000 through Quarters for Conservation; the year before, it collected $104,000.
Doubling the donation from a quarter to 50 cents is partly why this year’s figures are so high, zoo officials said, but the popularity of the California Trail and other added features have also greatly boosted zoo attendance.
“It is a thrill to be able to contribute more than ever in supporting these local organizations this year and for years to come,” zoo conservation director Amy Gotliffe said. “Their partnership in working to create a California that can coexist with wildlife is vital. We are so proud to support their work, and thank our visitors who took action to be part of the solution just by buying a ticket to visit Oakland Zoo.”
The other half of the money will be divided in two. Funds will go to the zoo’s onsite conservation programs, which include veterinary care for California condors, the Wester pond turtle head start program and the recovery of the Puerto Rican toad, a species once believed extinct.
The other half will help support several conservation efforts, including ARCAS wildlife rescue in Guatemala, the Bay Area Puma Project, Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, the Kibale Fuel Wood Project, the Reticulated Giraffe Project, the Marine Mammal Center, the Budongo Snare Removal Project, Ewaso Lions and the Ventana Wildlife Society.
The Oakland Zoo’s featured partners for 2019 are focused on the conservation of jaguars, California condors and African lions.
