Zoos step in to help save wild animalsaround the world

Zebras stand in their enclosure at Zoo Wuppertal in Germany, July 12, 2012. Photo: AP Photo/Frank Augstein

GORONGOSA NATIONAL PARK, Mozambique — Every year, more than 180 million peoplevisit zoos and aquariums in the United States. That’s more people than go to major leaguebaseball, football, hockey and basketball combined.

Those 180 million people are not just seeing animals at the zoo. They are also helping tosave wild animals around the world — from zebras in Mozambique to condors inCalifornia.

Zoo Boise, in Idaho’s capital city, led the way. It started a program in 2007 to raise moneyto help protect wild animals. Each visitor to the zoo now pays a small fee — 50 cents. Themoney adds up, and some of it is helping to protect zebras in Mozambique, insoutheastern Africa.

Where Have All The Zebras Gone?

A 15-year civil war in Mozambique caused a lot of damage in Gorongosa National Park. Atone time, there were thousands of zebras in the park. In 2012, only 10 were left.

By McClatchy Foreign Staff, adapted by Newsela staff on 10.19.14 Word Count 695

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The money from Zoo Boise helped to buy 15 more zebras. They now live in a protectedarea of the park.

The zebras in Mozambique, supported by zoo visitors 10,000 miles away, are an exampleof a new idea: zoos helping to protect animals in the wild.

“I’ve been working at the zoo for a long time, so I see zebras every day,” said Steve Burns,who runs Zoo Boise. “But those zebras were special.”

Visitors to Zoo Boise raised $1.2 million from 2007 to 2013. The money has been used tohelp wild animals far and wide: from squirrels in Idaho to zebras and lions in Mozambique.

Come Back And Help Some More

Other zoos have begun similar programs. Altogether, zoos and aquariums in the UnitedStates raise $160 million a year to help protect wild animals around the world.

“Most people have busy lives and they don’t know how to help. We’ve made it easy forthem,” Burns says. “All they have to do is come to the zoo and do things they would wantto do anyway, and when they walk out the door, they’re conservationists. They helped. Andif you want to do more, come back again.”

The connection between Idaho and Mozambique began with David Carr, a rich man who isusing his money to help people — he is a philanthropist.

Carr is originally from Idaho. He made a lot of money in the tech industry, running Internetand phone companies. Then he started using his money to help people in Idaho. Hesupported a human rights education center and helped start the Museum of Idaho.

Then Carr started looking for another project. He decided to help protect wild animals andwild places. He became a conservationist.

Rebuilding After War

Carr visited Mozambique in 2004. He went to Gorongosa National Park and saw thedamage from the war. Many animals had been killed for food. Others were killed by peoplewho needed money.

Still, the land was beautiful.

“I thought, ‘Wow, if we restore the park, we restore nature,’” Carr said. “We’re saving thetreasure — the national symbol of this country.”

Carr supports the Gorongosa Restoration Project — a plan to fix the damage that warcaused in the national park. He has promised to spend $40 million over 20 years tosupport the project.

He also helped connect zoo visitors in Idaho with the zebras in Mozambique.

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Burns, of Zoo Boise, said zoos and aquariums in the United States could become thebiggest source of money for wildlife conservation in the world.

Bison Travel To New York

He mentioned one famous case of a zoo helping to save wild animals. The Bronx Zoo inNew York City helped to save the American bison, or buffalo, in the early 1900s.

At that time, there were very few bison left in the United States. The director of the BronxZoo traveled to the West, and brought some bison back to New York.

At the zoo, the bison had a safe place to live and breed. Eventually, the zoo released somebison back into the wild. Now there are many in the American West.

“There wouldn’t be bison in this country if that had not happened,” Burns said.

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Quiz

1 Which of the following is the MOST likely reason why other zoos started raising money to helpwild animals?

(A) Visitors began donating money to their zoos to protect wildlife.

(B) The zoos were inspired by the success of Zoo Boise's program.

(C) The zoos had extra money because so many people began visiting.

(D) More zoos realized that there are many zebras that need help inMozambique.

2 Based on the section "Bison Travel To New York," why are there now many bison in the WesternUnited States?

(A) because the Bronx Zoo donated a large amount of money to save the bison

(B) because the Bronx Zoo was inspired to help the bison by Zoo Boise

(C) because some bison were taken to the Bronx Zoo to live and breed safely

(D) because people in New York went to the West to help feed and care for thebison

3 Read the sentence from the article.

The connection between Idaho and Mozambique began with DavidCarr, a rich man who is using his money to help people — he is aphilanthropist.

Based on the sentence, which is the BEST definition of "philanthropist"?

(A) someone who likes to protect wild animals

(B) someone who gives money to help zebras

(C) someone who uses their wealth to do good things

(D) someone who wants to offer help to people who need it

4 Read the third paragraph in the section "Rebuilding After War." Based on the section, which isthe BEST definition for the word "restore"?

(A) frequently visit

(B) secure funding for

(C) return to its original condition

(D) model after something inspiring

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 4

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 5

Answer Key

1 Which of the following is the MOST likely reason why other zoos started raising money to helpwild animals?

(A) Visitors began donating money to their zoos to protect wildlife.

(B) The zoos were inspired by the success of Zoo Boise's program.

(C) The zoos had extra money because so many people began visiting.

(D) More zoos realized that there are many zebras that need help inMozambique.

2 Based on the section "Bison Travel To New York," why are there now many bison in the WesternUnited States?

(A) because the Bronx Zoo donated a large amount of money to save the bison

(B) because the Bronx Zoo was inspired to help the bison by Zoo Boise

(C) because some bison were taken to the Bronx Zoo to live and breedsafely

(D) because people in New York went to the West to help feed and care for thebison

3 Read the sentence from the article.

The connection between Idaho and Mozambique began with DavidCarr, a rich man who is using his money to help people — he is aphilanthropist.

Based on the sentence, which is the BEST definition of "philanthropist"?

(A) someone who likes to protect wild animals

(B) someone who gives money to help zebras

(C) someone who uses their wealth to do good things

(D) someone who wants to offer help to people who need it

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 6

4 Read the third paragraph in the section "Rebuilding After War." Based on the section, which isthe BEST definition for the word "restore"?

(A) frequently visit

(B) secure funding for

(C) return to its original condition

(D) model after something inspiring

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 7