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Josh Le

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Minnesota Zoo Wins Major Award for International Conservation

Apple Valley, MINN - September 13, 2013: The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) has announced that the Minnesota Zoo has received an AZA award for Significant Achievement in International Conservation for the Science-based Management of Rhino Conservation and Tourism on Namibias Communal Lands program. The award was announced this week at the national zoo and aquarium conference in Kansas City.

The Minnesota Zoo is a proven leader in international wildlife conservation, said AZA President and CEO Jim Maddy. While all AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums make conservation a top priority, this award brings well-deserved recognition to the Minnesota Zoo for making a positive impact on the future of this species.

The Minnesota Zoo is pleased to be recognized for our contribution to the conservation of black rhinos in Namibia, said Minnesota Zoo Director/CEO Lee Ehmke. This project exemplifies the importance of partnerships, good science and community involvement that are critical components of the most successful conservation initiatives. We are proud that the Minnesota Zoo is playing a key role in conserving one of the planet's most endangered species and the spectacular landscape that supports the desert rhino.

Collaborative partners on this project include Save the Rhino Trust, Ministry of Environment and Tourism, The Nature Conservancy-Africa Programs, Namibian Association of Community-based Natural Resource Management Support Organizations, Wilderness Safaris, Kunene Conservancy Safaris, and Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation.

The plight of Africas black rhino remains one of the most catastrophic species declines ever documented. Between 1970 and 1990, over 95% of the worlds black rhino were exterminated to supply an illegal global trade in rhino horn. Listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), some populations began to recover in the late 1990s but have recently fallen victim to a resurgence of poaching, which, if left unabated, is estimated to result in a continent-wide extinction within the next 20 years.

Over the past five years in Namibias remote northwest Kunene region, where the worlds largest free-ranging black rhino population persists mainly on formally unprotected lands, the Minnesota Zoo and Namibian partners Save the Rhino Trust and the Ministry of Environment and Tourism have been addressing these challenges by adopting a more science- based, community-centered approach to rhino management. The collective effort combines science with innovative local engagement strategies that have maintained population growth and range expansion while also keeping poachers at bay.

The Minnesota Zoo is located in Apple Valley, just minutes south of Mall of America. The Minnesota Zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and an institutional member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA). For more information, call 962.431.9500 or visit mnzoo.org.

Founded in 1924, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation. Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things. The AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation, and your link to helping animals in their native habitats. To learn more visit www.aza.org.

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