Conservation in Asia

In Southeast Asia, people and wildlife frequently share landscapes due to high human population density and a loss of natural habitats resulting from large-scale agricultural operations. Human-wildlife conflict is often the consequence. This is a central theme of the Toyota Elephant Passage, and the idea of saving wildlife by helping people is a central theme in Denver Zoo's conservation efforts in Central and Southeast Asia. The Toyota Elephant Passage exhibit storyline is designed to increase awareness of animal conservation in these regions and encourage visitors to take action by joining Denver Zoo's efforts to save wildlife by helping people.

Asian Elephants

In countries such as Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Vietnam, the loss of wildlife habitat has led to increased human-elephant conflict, including frequent raiding of agricultural crops by elephants. Denver Zoo believes this is a critical issue for elephants in the region and therefore has provided support for mitigation work in these countries. Denver Zoo is proud to currently help with human-elephant conflict-mitigation programs in Vietnam, Malaysia and India.

Clouded Leopards

Denver Zoo provides support for the ecological understanding and conservation of clouded leopards in Borneo. The primary goal of this project is to establish protected forest corridors to link seven existing national parks into a network of sanctuaries that will sustain clouded leopards and biodiversity generally. Denver Zoo also is directly involved in a collaborative project based in Thailand that aims to improve captive management of clouded leopards and increase the success of captive breeding programs worldwide.

Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros

In 2011, Denver Zoo began providing financial support for a greater one-horned (GOH) rhinoceros conservation program led by the International Rhino Foundation. GOH rhino populations, which were as low as 200 individuals in the 1990s, have been on the increase and are now estimated to be more than 2,500. Support also is given to the World Wildlife Fund and the American Association of Zoo Keepers for GOH rhino conservation in Nepal, which supports anti-poaching ranger patrols at Chitwan National Park, and the construction of fences in areas where human-wildlife conflict is high.

Zoo Protects Monkeys in Wild

A critically endangered species called the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey will benefit from Denver Zoo's conservation programming in Vietnam, but will not be seen in Toyota Elephant Passage. "We have been working for more than two years to help these monkeys. However, their critical state makes them so rare that they aren't part of our new exhibit," says Conservation Biology Manager Amy Levine. Endemic to northeastern Vietnam, the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey is a charismatic and bizarre-looking mammal which, until rediscovery in 1989, was presumed extinct. As few as 150 individuals remain in the world today. The species' current distribution is fragmented due to deforestation and intensive hunting. In 2009, Denver Zoo was invited to work with local and international partners to help protect a group of more than 90 Tonkins living in Khau Ca forest, part of the northernmost province of Ha Giang. The zoo is studying how both the people and animals share forest resources and is providing educational outreach programs designed to develop ecological understanding and instill pride in the monkeys and their forest home. Ultimately, the project aims to address the needs of both the local people and these critically endangered primates.