Zoo leads in conservation endeavors
by Paul D. Matson, sports editor

    (Part 3 in a series on the Fort Worth Zoo)

    With cities encroaching on wild habitats, animals are losing their ecosystems, not just in Texas and the United States, but around the world.
    Cooperating with or in partnership with zoos from every part of the world, the Fort Worth Zoo is a front-runner in zoology conservation.
In August, the zoo announced the establishment of the Arthur A. Seeligson Jr. Texas Wild! Conservation Fund.
    The zoo raised $200,000 to promote the concept of thinking globally, but acting locally.
    It took nearly eight years, from planning to completion, for this concept to be realized.
    These funds help the zoo and, along with the assistance of world-class institutions, help to advance the cause of native Texas species.
“Any organization or individual whose work benefits native Texas species can apply for support through the program,” the mission states.
    Over the last 28 years, only 13 animals have been de-listed from the Endangered Species List, mostly due to programs similar to this.
    One of the best examples of species recovery, in Texas, is the Peregrine falcon.
    “Now, there is a pair of (Peregrine) falcons nesting in downtown Dallas,” Richard Dunn, educational specialist for the zoo, said.
    The federal government and the state of Texas have two categories each for animals and plants: threatened and endangered.
    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determines which species will be listed for the nation, and the executive director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department decides which species and plants should be listed for the state.
    Species or plants listed as “endangered” are facing extinction in the state or across the country.
    Species or plants listed as “threatened” are likely to face extinction within the foreseeable future.
    The Fort Worth Zoo, in conjunction with the American Zoo and Aquarium Association’s Species Survival Plan, is involved with several projects around the world and has recently won the International Conservation Award for helping to reintroduce the Jamaican iguana to the wild.
    “We do conservation work on sight as well as in situ (in the wild),” Minda Whittier, communications manager for the zoo, said.
    Tarren Wagener, director of conservation and science, said the foundations are beneficial.
    “Joining a foundation gives the biggest bang for the smallest buck and gives a collective energy,”, said.
    Thought to be extinct for over 20 years, a nest of iguana eggs was discovered in Jamaica in the early 1990s by Edwin Duffes, pig hunter.
    The eggs were removed from the nest and incubated. After hatching, the young were returned to the wild.
    The reinstated iguanas seem to be doing fine and are breeding.
    In December 1998, another important step in the zoo’s survival plan, conservation efforts, came to fruition.
    Bluebonnet (Bonnie), the first elephant born in the zoo’s 93-year history, arrived to mother Rasha.
    The United States has only 436 captive Asian elephants, and Bonnie was only one of five successful births (only an estimated 40,000 elephants live in the wild).
    Rasha is nationally recognized for her “colorful abstract paintings,” using a paintbrush, held in her trunk.
    Rasha’s original painting is available in the zoo’s gift shop.
    Other international examples of the species survival is a stud-book.
    Along with the list of animals, the book includes lineages, tracking ancestry back to the wild or in captivity.
    In addition, the stud-book provides information on which animal might be the best for breeding.
    Animal and plant conservation is an on-going process.
    With the continued help of various sources, the Fort Worth Zoo will continue its efforts to preserve wildlife.