Conservation

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.

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

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

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

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.

Case studies

Read some of our case studies in conservation.