General Field Research Program

The Zoo’s animal, conservation, research, and veterinary staffs participate in conservation programs in North Carolina and around the world. In addition to collecting valuable research data, Zoo professionals collaborate with local community leaders and biologists to establish viable, sustainable conservation programs. Wildlife already served by these programs includes vultures, lions, gorillas, elephants, Hellbenders, turtles, and more. Please click on the icon below to make a donation in support of all the Zoo’s field research programs…

Conservation Medicine

Donations to the Zoo Society fully fund the Veterinary Staff’s Conservation Medicine Program, which carries out research, provides training and purchases equipment related to the medical needs of rare and endangered species. For example, this program monitors the health of wild snakes found on the Zoo’s grounds, surveys amphibian populations for disease, and studies the pharmacokinetics of white rhinos. Please click on the icon below to make a donation in support of the Zoo’s conservation medicine program…

African Elephants

Staff from the North Carolina Zoo entered Africa more than two decades ago to provide veterinary assistance to existing conservation teams and to supply local rangers and biologists with technologies that can track elephant herds moving across long distances. This improved surveillance helps rangers interfere with poaching operations and protect elephants from coming into conflict with local people. Please click on the icon below to make a donation in support of the Zoo’s African elephant conservation program…

Box Turtles

The Zoo Society cooperates with the Box Turtle Conservation Workshop Committee to support the Lucille R. Stickel Box Turtle Research Award. Donated funds support research that contributes to the survival of wild box turtles, and in doing so continues the life’s work of Lucille Stickel, a biologist who died in 2007. Please click on the icon below to make a donation in support of the Zoo’s box turtle conservation program…

Hellbenders

Hellbenders (a.k.a. “Snot Otters”) are North America’s largest salamanders. Like many other amphibians, Hellbender populations are declining throughout much of their range. The North Carolina Zoo contributes to Hellbender conservation by sending researchers to the Smokey Mountains several times a year both to monitor their populations and to test ways to boost this fully aquatic salamander’s reproductive success. Currently, the team is adding artificial nest boxes to known Hellbender streams to determine if increasing the availability of nesting and sheltering sites can boost reproduction. Please click on the icon below to make a donation in support of the Zoo’s Hellbender conservation program…

Cross River Gorillas

For more than a decade, North Carolina Zoo staff has led international efforts to protect this highly endangered Great Ape. This work puts staff on the ground in Africa to monitor Cross River Gorilla populations and to equip, train and support rangers protecting these gorillas and their habitat. The Zoo’s involvement makes smart-technology available to rangers and biologists who track Cross River Gorilla troops and provides these professionals with data they can use to locate and disrupt potential poaching sites. Please click on the icon below to make a donation in support of the Zoo’s Cross River Gorilla conservation program…

Vultures

The North Carolina Zoo protects wild African vultures by tracking their movements, monitoring their populations, and working to mitigate threats to their survival—especially deaths that result from poisonings. Poisonings occur when people lace carcasses with pesticides to kill predators (e.g., lions, hyenas, leopards) that scavenge on the remains. The Zoo’s vulture protection programs train people to identify and arrest people responsible for these poisonings and to reduce the harm to wildlife by rehabilitating sick animals. Please click on the icon below to make a donation in support of the Zoo’s vulture conservation program…

Polar Bears

The North Carolina Zoo partners with Polar Bears International to protect wild Polar Bears and to mitigate sea ice losses resulting from global climate change. In addition to supporting Polar Bear International’s fieldwork in the service of Polar Bears, the Zoo continues to search for ways to reduce its carbon footprint and to influence other groups and individuals to do the same. Please click on the icon below to make a donation to Zoo-supported Polar Bear conservation programs…