Conservation GRANTS


ZAA 2024 Conservation Grant Application and Guidelines
(click here)
Proposals will be accepted from January 1, 2024 - April 15, 2024.

ZAA CONSERVATION

Beyond NGO support, ZAA members are also heavily involved in reintroduction programs and rescue and rehabilitation work. Some of the species our members work with include mountain bongo, Attwater’s prairie chicken, Texas horned lizard, Anegada ground iguana, Kemps Ridley sea turtle, and San Joaquin kit fox.

Sadly, modern-day conservation of threatened or endangered species cannot simply be limited to protecting or reintroducing animals in their native ranges. For many, the “wild” is disappearing as humans encroach on their natural habitats. To ensure a species’ long-term survival, managed propagation of wildlife has become an essential part of the conversation and the only insulation against a potential collapse of wild populations.

ZAA's species management program (Animal Management Program, AMP) is coordinated across the family of ZAA accredited members to ensure the greatest genetic variability.



See ZAA Conservation & Supporting Partners 
here.


2023 AMP Conservation Grant Recipients


  • Jemma University, Ethiopia:  Spatial Ecology of the Endangered Beisa Oryx in Omo National Park, Ethiopia
  • Mbeya University of Science & Technology (MUST): SARKERT- Saving Highland Mangabey from Extinction Risk in Tanzania
  • BirdLife Zimbabwe: Secretary Bird Research and Survey
  • Biodiversity Conservancy Nepal: Integrating camera traps for critically endangered Chinese pangolin 
  • Mt Suswa Conservancy, Kenya - The Protection and Conservation of Threatened Harrison’s Giant Mastiff Bat
  • The Niabi Zoo in partnership with the University of Dubuque: Invertebrate and ichthyofaunal diversity across protected and altered riparian habitats in Paraguay



2022 Conservation Grant Recipients
  • Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, US - Texas Horned Lizard Project
  • Seaside Seabird Sanctuary, US - Understanding the Effects of Red Tide, Karenia brevis, on the Health of Vulnerable Gulf Coast Seabirds
  • National Eagle Center, US - Geographic Expansion of Well-Established Wintering Golden Eagle Survey
  • Partnership between Wildlife Medicine Research Center (CEMPAS) from Sao Paulo State University, Botucatu, SP; Baruru Zoo, Bauru, SP; and Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil - Dietary Nutritional Composition, Health Status and Cortisol of Free-ranging and Captive Collared Anteaters, Tamandua tetradactyla




2022 -2023 ZAA Grant Recipients




The Sahara Conservation Fund focuses on reserve management, humanitarian assistance, and providing regional expertise. The SCF is a leading source of technical expertise in the conservation and restoration of highly threatened species in the Sahelo-Saharan ecosystem.

Some program highlights include:

  • Protecting the biodiversity of the Ouadi Rime-Ouadi Achim Wildlife Reserve
  • In 2015, began the reintroduction of the scimitar-horned oryx. Long-term goals are to rebuild a free-living population of healthy numbers throughout their historical range
  • Assists with providing healthcare, health education, and dental services to locals.

To read SCF's Annual Report, click here.

To read SCF's publication "Sandscript," click here.







The Peninsular Pronghorn Recovery Project’s (PPRP) primary objective is the conservation and restoration of the peninsular pronghorn (Antilocapra americana peninsularis) to the desert regions of the Baja California Peninsula and southern California. Currently all PPRP activities take place within El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve and the Valle de los Cirios Flora and Fauna Protection Area, in the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. Due to expansion of agriculture and extensive ranching along with unrestricted hunting, the peninsular pronghorn population had decreased to fewer than 160 individuals by 1993 and was restricted to the Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve (SEMARNAT 2009).

For more information about the program, click here.





The Giraffe Conservation Foundation's objective is to raise awareness and support towards securing a future for giraffe and the conservation of their habitat in 15 African countries across 45,000,000 acres. GCF identifies and evaluates threats to giraffe survival and develops ways to mitigate risks. They conduct research through collaring and tagging giraffes to learn more about their movement and habitat uses or needs. GCF is also involved in giraffe translocations taking giraffes to places where populations are too small or have gone extinct. GCF recognizes that giraffes will only be saved in Africa, by African people, so they are working to make communities proud of their giraffe.

For more information about the program, click here.





Old World Vultures have suffered some of the fastest bird declines ever recorded, some populations have decreased by 98%. Vultures have one of the most important roles in the ecosystem, keeping it clean. Vultures minimize the spread of diseases such as anthrax, rabies, and tuberculosis. The greatest threat has been poisoning, which has severely impacted all scavenger and predator populations alike throughout Africa. In 2017, the first ever Multi-species Action Plan for African-Eurasian Vultures was completed. This ambitious plan outlines steps to conserve all threatened vulture species over 128 countries.

BirdLife International's projects include:

  • Identifying poisoning – both intentional and unintentional – as the main threat.
  • In the field, the first African Vulture Safe Zones – areas free of poisoning and persecution – was supported or implemented in six African countries.
  • In Europe, a new phase of the ‘Ban vet diclofenac’ campaign was launched with the aim of banning the drug or preventing the renewal of its license in Spain in 2018.
  • In Asia, BirdLife ensured the MsAP was fully compatible with SAVE, the existing initiative to conserve Asia’s vultures.
To read BirdLife's most recent report and financial overview, click here.





The International Rhino Foundation operates on-the-ground programs in Africa and Asia range countries, supporting viable populations of the five remaining rhino species and the communities that coexist with them. Through grants and field programs, IRF has funded rhino conservation efforts in 10 countries, focusing on scientific research, anti-poaching, habitat conservation, captive breeding, environmental education, and demand reduction. Over the last decade more than $20 million has been invested in rhino conservation. It conserves rhinos through a network of hundreds of conservation organizations, private foundations, corporations, government agencies, and individuals.

To view their most recent annual report, click here.





Chaco Center for Conservation and Research is the only facility within the natural range of the tagua that has an active breeding program for this endangered species. The goal is to use CCCI as the source population for the reintroduction of the tagua to former areas where it is now extinct. This would include both Argentina and Bolivia. In addition to the breeding program and on going research on the tagua and other two peccary species CCCI is a natural laboratory with a huge biodiversity that very little is known or has been studied. Starting in 2019 CCCI began a multi-year project looking at the habitat use and abundance of the lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris) in the Dry Chaco of Paraguay.

For more information about the facility, click here.





The Wildlife Alliance is an organization that works to protect one of the last unfragmented rainforests in Southeast Asia. Some of the most successful programs have achieved zero elephant poaching since 2006 and provided 24/7 ranger patrols across nearly 1.5 million acres, resulting in the arrest of 3,100 wildlife traffickers and seizing over 71,000 live animals and 36 tons of bushmeat.

Some program highlights include:

  • Rainforest Protection
    - Reforestation
    - Cardamom Rainforest Protection, currently at risk of being cleared for agriculture
    - Southern Cardamom REDD+ (focuses on off-setting carbon admissions through forest protection and community development)
    - Tropical tree species protection
  • Wildlife Rescue and Care
    - Tiger reintroduction
    - Combat wildlife trafficking
    - Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center
  • Education and Communities
    - Environmental education
    - Livelihood and community
    - Community rangers

To read the Wildlife Alliance's most recent report and financial overview, click here.





The Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) is a global force for reptile conservation that takes action on behalf of critically endangered turtles and tortoises. TSA studies turtle and tortoise populations worldwide. TSA is involved in the recovery efforts where a managed breeding component is part of an overall species survival strategy. TSA uses a comprehensive strategy for evaluating the most critically endangered species, which helps determine how they will address the problem – whether through a captive breeding program or through range country efforts, or a combination of both.





Ewaso Lions is dedicated to conserving lions and other large carnivores by promoting coexistence between people and wildlife in Kenya. Through the creation of projects like Warrior Watch, Ewaso Lions transforms relationship that people have with the wildlife. Young Samburu warriors collect data on wildlife sightings and respond to community issues like livestock depredation. They warn farmers about where predators are to decrease the likelihood of human-wildlife conflict by simply avoiding areas with their livestock where a predator is known to be. Ewaso Lions also works with Kenyan women and children. Through Lion Kids Camp, Ewaso Lions educates and inspires young wildlife conservationists through a combination of wildlife education, safaris and conservation themed games and activities. Mama Simba is a program that empowers women to participate in lion conservation through providing them with the knowledge and skills to reduce their environmental impact while improving their livelihood and ability to coexist with wildlife.

To read their most annual report, click here.





The Mabula Ground-Hornbill Project's mission is to "To slow, then reverse the decline of the Southern Ground-Hornbill in South Africa."

The primary aim of the Southern Ground Hornbill Recovery Programme release was to establish a “Bush School” which would house young ground hornbills, so that they could acquire the necessary skills to survive free flying in Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency's Loskop Dam Nature Reserve. Two monitors, employed from the local community,  care for the birds during their time of adaptation, including feeding and daily recording of behaviour which alerts to nesting, egg laying, the fledging of chicks into the group and the dispersal of young birds from the group.

Per their website: Southern Ground-hornbills are considered internationally as "Vulnerable" throughout their sub-equatorial range in Africa by the IUCN, but within South Africa and Namibia they have already been classified as "Endangered", with their numbers outside of formally protected areas still declining. Their populations continue to decline towards being "Critically Endangered" in South Africa.

For more information about the project, click here.


Hall Family ZAA Wildlife Conservation Fund

Lynn Hall

Through the Hall Family ZAA Wildlife Conservation Fund together with direct support programs of our accredited members, ZAA directs vital conservation dollars to aid in the survival of many keystone species and a number of other threatened or endangered species on all seven continents. Our NGO partners in this important work are diverse and share our commitment to wildlife conservation, propagation of wildlife, and habitat conservation. On the ground in situ, we see this critical funding making a real difference and producing results that are measurable. For example, ZAA supports projects dealing with human/wildlife and predator/prey conflict avoidance, anti-poaching patrols and snare removal teams, the teaching of conservation agriculture practices, elephant beehive fencing and a number of progressive community outreach and education programs.

The Hall family ZAA Wildlife Conservation Fund was created in memory of ZAA member Lynn Hall's wife and two sons. Lynn and his family have contributed significantly for many years to the art of captive animal management and propagation. The Fund may be used for wildlife projects, including wildlife conservation, propagation of wildlife, and habitat improvement.

Donate to the Hall family ZAA Wildlife Conservation Fund here.


  N e w
 
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About Lynn Hall

Lynn Hall was a man with many interests and talents – he was a successful business owner, aviculturist, world traveler and more. His sense of adventure and desire to learn about the world around him led him to wonderful places and to the accomplishment of marvelous things in his life, things that many could only begin to dream about.

As far back as he could recall, he had harbored a fascination for the natural world around him - enjoying a love of birds, fishing and hunting. Though having kept birds since the age of five, Lynn’s first foray into breeding came with the acquisition of a pair of White King Pigeons when he was 12. The pigeon family would prove to stay with him as a special focus.

He always yearned for those wonderful pigeons and fruit doves he had only read about or seen in travels abroad with his wife Margie. Finally, in 1984 he realized a dream when he traveled to Jakarta, Indonesia, and made arrangements to bring home several species of fruit doves along with a personal favorite of his, the pheasant pigeon. Lynn fondly recalled this as one of the highlights of his life, as he found himself sitting on the floor at an importer’s station, surrounded by not just one, but nine pheasant pigeons! The joy and amazement at the opportunity to finally acquire one of the birds of his dreams had a prominent effect on him. It was then that he started importing birds, and he truly began his efforts to acquire and successfully breed many of the doves and pigeons of Southeast Asia that previously were just pictures in his mind or found only in a book. “You can do anything if you set your heart to it,” Lynn said, and he proved this over the years.

His philosophies and practices showed his commitment to breeding for the species themselves, not for any monetary gain. Working closely with both zoos and the private sector, Lynn was generous in sharing his experiences, successes and failures, all for the betterment of captive management.

Unfettered by the protocols found in a public setting, Lynn, as a private aviculturist, was able to work closely with the birds, making adjustments as logic and observation dictated. “Do your research, study the habitat of the species,” he advised.

He was as well known for his success with fennec foxes as he was with the fruit doves. In 1980 he acquired his first fennecs. At the time, fennecs were thought to be delicate and difficult to keep in captivity; they were short-lived, and little breeding success was achieved. Once again, Lynn’s observation skills and dedication to preserving a species led to great success in keeping them in captivity. Working with John Moore, then director of the Albuquerque Zoo, Lynn developed a diet for the fennecs that proved to be the turning point - not just to survive but to breed and thrive in captivity.

Well over 400 fennec fox kits were born and raised at his facility over the years. These animals have gone to zoos, education programs and other breeding facilities.

He actively participated in conservation efforts such as the Mariana Avifauna Conservation program on Saipan. He was awarded the Jean Delacour Avicultural Award at the International Symposium on Breeding Birds in Captivity (ISBBC) in Toronto, Canada, truly a special honor.

Lynn expressed hope that when his three great-grandchildren grow up, they may get to see some of the birds he worked with, and that many of the species will still be around due in some part to his own efforts in conservation.

Lynn and the stories of his many adventures will be greatly missed.

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