Omaha Zoo Conservation Programs

 

Bree Taylor

    The Omaha Zoo is one of the zoo’s that has a genetic and reproductive conservation program. Sometime in 2012, the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium Madagascar Biodiversity partnership created a program that rewards families or individual people for planting trees. These rewards included fuel-efficient rocket stoves, biofuel briquettes, and commercially valuable trees. Giving out these rewards helped strengthen community ties to the forest and habitat preservation. 

    The Reintroduction and Translocation Program helps save lemurs and translocate them to hopefully reintroduce them back into the rainforest. In 2006, this program was introduced at the Omaha Zoo. They ended up re-establishing black and white ruffed lemur back into their habitat. They continue to evaluate their status in the wild through a radio collar. The program is doing so well that that the visitors at the zoo have been able to see three generations of babies born at the zoo.                                                                                                                                          

The Aye-Aye Research Program researches the aye-aye lemur because the forest they inhabit they are extremely vulnerable to extinction due to deforestation. Guides are hired and trained by the Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership to follow this type of lemur and study them. They are studying and collecting data about their demography, habitat use and food resources. They have been monitoring these lemurs since 2010.

                                https://www.omahazoo.com/conservation-genetics