Conservation
OUR DONATIONS IN CASH AND KIND OVER THE LAST few YEARS TOTAL OVER $1,000,000
Animal conservation and welfare donations
The money raised by National Zoo and Aquarium tours and encounters, from Jamala Wildlife Lodge and from The National Zoo and Aquarium Conservation Team (NZACT – see below) has allowed for hundreds of donations to be made. While numerous donations have been made for between $500 and $10,000+ to conservation funds supporting species such as lions, tigers, giraffes, penguins, snow leopards, sun bears, moon bears, lemurs, flood rescue for native animals etc, donations over the last few years to conservation funds and animal welfare groups include:
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RSPCA
Free the Bears
TRAFFIC (anti wildlife trade organisation)
Cheetah Conservation Fund
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ACT Pet Crisis Centre
Wombat Rescue
Pets in the Park
Rainbow Paw
The above 3 organisations assist people in need to look after their pets.
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Wild Cats Conservation Alliance (formerly 21stCentury Tiger)
Red Panda Network
Save the Devil (Tasmanian Devil)
African Painted Dog Conservation
Snow Leopard Trust
Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program
Australian Marine Conservation Society
Animals Asia
Feathered Friends
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Madagascar Fauna and Flora Group
Koala Conservation
Save the Rhino
Saving the Survivors (helping save rhinos and elephants injured by poachers)
Guide Dogs
Cheetah Outreach
Grassland Earless Dragons Alliance
Mulligans Flat (native animal sanctuary)
ACT Wildlife
International Rhino Foundation
Turtle Conservation
Animals Aid Abroad
Giraffe Conservation Foundation
International Rhino Foundation
AlphaDog
Wildlife Conservation Network
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Lion Recovery Fund
Woodland Park & Zoological Society
Australian Seabird & Turtle Rescue
Penguin Foundation
Grevy Zebra Trust
International Otter Survival Fund
And many, many more.
Who are we
NZACT (National Zoo & Aquarium Conservation Team) is the Zoo’s volunteer-led initiative that operates under the Zoo’s umbrella. NZACT works collaboratively with the Zoo & Jamala Wildlife Lodge towards shared wildlife conservation goals. While NZACT functions with some independence, it is run by the Zoo’s management and is supported by the Zoo and JWL.
NZACT is focused on fundraising and awareness activities. The Zoo & Jamala Wildlife Lodge donate funds through the zoo’s animal encounters, tours, general admission and lodge stays.
NZACT also works to actively fundraise and regularly donates to a number of local and overseas organisations, including, Free the Bears, Animals Asia, RSPCA, The Lion Recovery Fund, TRAFFIC, Australian Wildlife Conservancy, Cheetah Conservation Fund etc
Our purpose
NZACT was founded in 2002 with the desire from the staff & volunteers conserve animals in the wild through education and donating funds to in-situ conservation projects.
The purpose of NZACT is to function as a strategic & pivotal entity alongside the NZA focusing on community programs, public education, fundraising & conservational outcomes.
Our Mission
Commitment to Conservation: Commitment to the health, welfare and longevity of threatened species.
Change through Education: Inspiring people to act for conservation through awareness & fundraising campaigns
Preserving the Future: Protection of vulnerable species through recovery & release programs
If you’d like to keep up to date with NZACT’s activities follow us on Facebook & Instagram.
If you would like to hear more about NZACT or volunteer some of your time to assist us with our fundraising activities, we would love to hear from you. Please reach out to us [email protected]
100% of donations to NZACT are distributed to big and small conservation funds in Australia & around the world.
FAQ’s
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No. NZACT is not yet a registered DGR charity. However, we are a registered charity with the ACNC.
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Cash donations can be made physically at any reception point at the National Zoo & Aquarium.
We also have designated donation boxes around the National Zoo & Aquarium dedicated to specific organisations.
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Please reach out to us at [email protected] to change or update a regular monthly donation.
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No worries! Send an email to [email protected]
Charities We Support
The National Zoo & Aquarium Conservation Team supports a variety of Australian based and International charities with conservational aims. Read more about some of these charities and their goals below.
If you are a conservation based organisation seeking funding or partnership please fill out the form below and email it to [email protected]
WINNIE'S FOUNDATION
Winnie was our longest resident, arriving before the National Zoo & Aquarium was established over 27 years ago. She is believed to have been the oldest wombat in the world, at the grand age of 32.
In memory of Winnie, we have set up “Winnie’s Foundation” to assist in wombat conservation with a focus on sarcoptic mange in our regional wombat populations. If you wish to make a donation contribution, please visit our reception or click the donate button. 100% of donations will directly contribute to wombat conservation.
FREE THE BEARS
Imagine a beautiful, fluffy bear cub. Imagine she is stolen from her mother, imprisoned behind steel bars on a concrete floor, surrounded by many others of her kind. She is destined to a short and painful life in the bear trade. She is destined to a life where her paws will be cut off individually and served to people as an edible delicacy. Many countries believe a person who eats bear paws will acquire the strength and vigor of a bear. Now imagine this is not a story but the life of a Malayan Sunbear.
The barbaric activities of bear farming still take place in many Asian countries but only by the minority. The black market and trade in bears for their parts and bile still consumes thousands of bears a year. This particular story has a happy ending.
This story is about a Malayan Sunbear named Otay who was rescued from a life of pain by Free the Bears Fund Incorporated. Otay was one of the lucky ones. In January 2007, 3 year old Otay was rescued by Free the Bears Fund Inc. and taken to one of their sanctuaries before being brought to the National Zoo and Aquarium as part of a cooperative breeding program for the species.
Until the bear trade ends, release into the wild is not an option for these rescued animals, because there is still a high risk of poaching. A male Sunbear from the Wellington Zoo NZ, Arataki, was brought to the National Zoo to be a part of this exciting breeding program.
TRAFFIC
TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, is the leading non-governmental organisation working globally on trade in wild animals and plants in the context of both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.
Their current focus includes the illegal trade in Rhino horn, the poaching of Tigers for their parts and habitat loss, the decline in shark and ray numbers due to overfishing and the illegal use of endangered animals for medicine and “bush meat”.
TRAFFIC specialises in:
Investigating and analysing wildlife trade trends, patterns, impacts and drivers to provide the leading knowledge base on trade in wild animals and plants
Informing, supporting and encouraging action by governments, individually and through intergovernmental cooperation to adopt, implement and enforce effective policies and laws
Providing information, encouragement and advice to the private sector on effective approaches to ensure that sourcing of wildlife uses sustainability standards and best practice
Developing insight into consumer attitudes and purchasing motivation and guiding the design of effective communication interventions aimed to dissuade purchasing of illicit wildlife goods.
ANIMALS ASIA
Animals Asia is devoted to ending the barbaric practice of bear bile farming and improving the welfare of animals in China and Vietnam. We promote compassion and respect for all animals and work to bring about long-term change.
The Animals Asia team has been rescuing bears since 1994 and is the only organisation with a bear sanctuary in China. Our founder and CEO, Jill Robinson MBE, Dr.med.vet. h.c., is widely recognised as the world’s leading expert on the cruel bear bile industry, having campaigned against it since 1993.
Their work focuses on three major programmes:
End Bear Bile Farming – Animals Asia works to end the barbaric bear bile trade, which sees over 10,000 bears – mainly moon bears but also sun bears and brown bears – kept on bile farms in China, and around 1,200 in Vietnam.
Cat and Dog Welfare – Animals Asia works to end the trade in dogs and cats for food in China, and lobbies to improve the welfare of companion animals and promote humane population management.
Captive Animal Welfare – Animals Asia campaigns for an end to abusive animal practices in zoos and safari parks in China, and works closely with governing authorities to improve animal management and increase awareness of the welfare needs of captive animals.
AUSTRALIAN MARINE CONSERVATION SOCIETY
The Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) is the voice for Australia’s ocean wildlife. The organisation is an independent charity, staffed by a committed group of professional and passionate scientists, educators and advocates who have defended Australia’s oceans for 50 years.
AMCS works on the big issues concerning the sea. Their key focus is to create large marine national parks (marine sanctuaries), make Australia’s fisheries sustainable and protect and recover our threatened ocean wildlife, such as our sharks, seals and whales. They also work to protect our precious coasts from inappropriate development, such as is occurring right now along the Great Barrier Reef.
The National Zoo & Aquarium’s donations help support AMCS’s Sustainable Seafood campaign, and the development of Australia’s Sustainable Seafood Guide – the only independent guide to choosing sustainable seafood in Australia. Laid out as a simple traffic light system, it shows what seafood is good to eat, what to eat less of, and what is best to avoid for our oceans. The Guide provides green, amber and red ratings for over 90 species caught in Australia and imported from around the world. The ratings are based on an extensive analysis of a wide range of information including fisheries reports, actual catch results of endangered or protected animals, and feedback on how the fishery itself is managed. Download the Guide and find out more at sustainableseafood.org.au
If you’d like to help AMCS ensure Australia’s coasts and oceans remain healthy and free for tomorrow’s generations, visit marineconservation.org.au
Australian Wildlife Conservancy
Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) aims to effectively conserve all Australian animal species and their habitats. This organisation is works both independently and with partners to protect 77% of native mammal species, 89% of native bird species, 53% of native reptile species & 57% of native amphibian species. This is done on over 6.5 million hectares in sanctuaries across the country.
AWC is an industry leader in feral proof sanctuaries for under threat Australian wildlife, they fight an ongoing battle to fight the decline of native animals & plants. Since 1991 they have taken a scientific & peer reviewed approach to the management of native species.
The National Zoo & Aquarium’s donations help support AWC across wide ranging conservation efforts. From Wyolies in Western Australia to the Critically Endangered Nothern Hairy Nose Wombats. Most recently to their newest sanctuary within the ACT region Wandiyali~Environa to assist in reestablishing suitable ecosystems.
Find out more about the work they do https://www.australianwildlife.org/
RED PANDA NETWORK
Red Panda Network (RPN) protects wild red pandas and their habitat through the education and empowerment of local communities.
The Eastern Himalayan Broadleaf Forest Ecoregion is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. It is home to many unique and threatened species including snow leopards, clouded leopards, Asiatic black bears, Assam macaques, Asiatic wild dogs, and red pandas.
The red panda has been identified as an indicator and umbrella species of this ecoregion. We have identified one location in this area that is critical to the preservation of the endangered red panda: the Panchthar-Ilam-Taplejung (PIT) corridor.
The PIT corridor of eastern Nepal supports 25 percent of the red panda population of Nepal and plays a vital role linking protected areas of Nepal and India. Unsustainable livestock grazing, agriculture and resource harvesting practices are the major drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in the PIT corridor, which is threatening red pandas and their habitat. Illegal poaching is also on the rise in this area.
Since 2007, RPN has been working to protect red pandas and their habitat in the PIT corridor. They use an integrated, landscape level approach to red panda conservation which includes research and monitoring, education and outreach, habitat protection and restoration, and sustainable development initiatives. They have successfully expanded their programs to central and western Nepal and Bhutan, and will continue to duplicate their efforts in all red panda range countries, including India, China, and Myanmar.
The National Zoo & Aquarium is supporting the #GoWest campaign that expands the Forest Guardian program to key districts in Western Nepal and nearly doubling the national Forest Guardian team!