With a sharp focus on win-win-win strategies that preserve healthy ecosystems, protect vulnerable wildlife, and support the human communities living alongside them, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has been a leader in global conservation efforts for over 30 years.
$570,000
Annual Zoo Society support for conservation programs
20+
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo partners with 20+ conservation organizations
25+
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s support impacts conservation work in 25+ countries
The Zoo’s approach to conservation lives at the intersection between animals, environment, and people, where the health of each supports the others. Addressing key threats to the long-term survival of wildlife and habitats, the Zoo supports, develops and implements unique and collaborative conservation projects that promote wildlife survival and benefit human communities by:
Protecting wildlife from immediate threats resulting from unsustainable human activity including human-wildlife conflict, illegal wildlife trade, and habitat loss. Strategic and collaborative efforts are needed at every level to protect wildlife and habitats from exploitation and illegal activity.
Building conservation capacity locally and regionally to strengthen the knowledge, skills, tools, competencies and abilities of individuals and communities (through training, education, awareness-building, and empowerment) - improving their ability to effectively carry out conservation activities.
Promoting conservation science through the study of biodiversity, conservation, wildlife and human ecology, and examining the relationships between them. Investigations embrace the natural, physical, social, economic and political sciences and generate information needed for effective and measurable conservation impacts.
Read some of our case studies in conservation.
A future for trumpeter swans
In just 25 years the trumpeter swan population has gone from zero to over 800 and is steadily increasing.
How many muscles are in an elephant trunk?
Elephant trunks are amazing body parts, but how complicated are they really?