Wild Nature Institute at the ZACC Conference in Denver

This week, Dr. Derek Lee and Monica Bond of the Wild Nature Institute attended the ZACC: Zoos and Aquariums Committing to Conservation conference in Denver, Colorado. ZACC is a biennial conference that brings together zoo personnel and field researchers to increase the role of zoos in supporting conservation efforts throughout the globe. The conference was amazing, with passionate and dedicated people from around the world highlighting their projects to save species and habitats from Borneo to Mongolia to Guatemala. We made many connections and have some new and exciting ideas for our projects in Tanzania.

Dr. Derek Lee and Monica Bond of the Wild Nature Institute present the Masai Giraffe Conservation Demography Project at ZACC

We shared our research, education, and advocacy work to protect Masai giraffe and conserve a critically threatened wildebeest migration route. We are immensely grateful to our zoo supporters, including the Sacramento Zoo, Columbus Zoo, Cincinnati Zoo, and Cleveland MetroParks Zoo: our conservation work would not be possible without them.

Wild Nature Institute's Monica Bond with members of the ZACC Steering Committee.

We were thrilled and honored to be awarded a ZACC Conservation Grant at the conference! We will put the grant to good use studying and protecting hoofed mammals to preserve the ecology, economy, and culture of the Tarangire Ecosystem of Tanzania. Thank you so much to the ZACC steering committee!