Uniting to Save Animals From Extinction (SAFE)

Three days, six endangered species stations, 30 volunteers and 4,074 people who pledged to help save endangered animals — it was an extraordinary weekend for wildlife.

On the 10^th anniversary of Endangered Species Day, we joined the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) for the launch of SAFE: Saving Animals From Extinction. SAFE is an incredible nationwide effort uniting 228 AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums to raise awareness for species that desperately need our help.

We invited guests to discover how they could help save elephants, cheetahs, penguins, and gorillas in Africa, as well as the monarch butterfly here in Texas. And their response blew us away.

“We saw that people wanted to be more personally involved,” said Ben Jones, dean of Dallas Zoo’s Wild Earth Academy. “They were inspired by our animals, and they wanted to be invited to help. They just needed a little guidance.”

But we also learned that while many people know in a general sense that wildlife’s in trouble, they don’t know how severe the threat of extinction is that these animals face. So we’d like to share these green actions that start right at home. We hope to inspire more conversations, ignite a light to investigate, and become conservationists to help protect what we have now before it’s too late.

My Pledge to Protect Penguins:

• I’ll buy sustainable seafood.
• I’ll save energy. When not in use, I’ll turn off the juice.

My Pledge to Protect Elephants:

• I’ll spread the word about ivory & never buy it.
• I’ll respect & protect native wildlife.

My Pledge to Protect Gorillas:

• I’ll extend the life of my mobile phone & recycle it.
• I’ll buy sustainable forest products.

My Pledge to Protect Cheetahs:

• I’ll respect & protect native wildlife.
• I’ll restore wildlife habitat.

My Pledge to Protect Monarch Butterflys:

• I’ll plant milkweed.
• I’ll reduce or eliminate yard pesticides.

My Pledge to Protect Wildlife:

• I’ll use reusable grocery bags.
• I’ll pick up 10 pieces of litter pollution every week.

To view all of the photos from our Endangered Species Weekend, click HERE. And to see photos of how other AZA-accredited zoos/aquariums participated to inspire change, click HERE.