Zoo to Celebrate Endangered Species Day

Endangered Species Day is an opportunity for people of all ages to learn about the importance of protecting endangered species – rare, threatened, and endangered animal and plant species – and the everyday actions they can take to help protect them.  Rolling Hills Zoo is joining this effort by celebrating Endangered Species Day on May 21 & 22nd at the Zoo.

Many animals are at risk of extinction due to habitat loss, disease, climate change, invasive species and human impact.  Animals at risk of disappearing (endangered species) cannot reproduce fast enough to maintain a stable population.  Scientists believe that a third of the world’s amphibians, a quarter of the mammals and one in eight birds are endangered today.  Many animals, such as the polar bears, tigers and rhinos are vanishing from our world.  Soon the only place you will be able to see these majestic animals will be in zoos or museums.

Rolling Hills Zoo is shedding light on the plight of endangered species is by draping a few of the endangered species in the Wildlife Museum with a vanishing cloth the weekend of May 21 & 22nd.  By doing so, we are reminded that if we do not take action these draped species will vanish from our earth entirely.

The Endangered Species Act, passed 42 years ago, has successfully prevented the extinction of hundreds of species, including the humpback whale, Kirtland’s warbler, and bull trout. Many of our nation’s signature species, such as the Florida panther, Hawaiian monk seal, and Alabama red-bellied turtle, owe their continued existence to the protections of the Act.

With more than 1,800 species worldwide now listed as threatened and endangered, and thousands more threatened with extinction unless they are protected, our commitment to protecting wildlife is more important than ever.  The resounding success of the Act shows in the fact that just nine animals out of the more than 1,800 species listed as endangered under the Act have been declared extinct. Protecting America’s wildlife today is a legacy we leave to our children and grandchildren, so that all Americans can experience the rich variety of native species that helps to define our nation.

By visiting AZA Zoos and Aquariums, like Rolling Hills Zoo, you are helping conservation projects all around the world.  You can also support this effort by donating to Rolling Hills Zoo’s Add A Dollar Program or by making a donation at one of the many Donation Funnels throughout the Zoo to help RHZ in their conservation efforts of animals such as the Addax, African Wild Dogs and more!