Meet Our Team

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA) protects and restores nature in eight conservation hubs on six continents. Below are recent discoveries and progress from around the world.

CULTIVATING A NATIVE SCRUB OAK PROTOCOL Nuttall’s scrub oak Quercus dumosa, a native California tree that plays important ecological roles, is endangered and increasingly threatened by urban expansion, climate change, and wildfires. To establish assurance populations of these trees, SDZWA scientist Joseph Ree, Ph.D., and our Plant Conservation team have developed a protocol for cultivating oak tissue in the laboratory. The protocol involves taking a small amount of stem tissue from a wild tree and placing it on a sterile mix of nutrients that the tree requires for growth. Growing oak tissue in these conditions removes the need for an intermediate greenhouse step, saving considerable time, effort, and resources. In a promising development, the protocol has so far proven suitable for cultivation of Nuttall’s scrub oak and two other local oak species.

PHOTO BY: JOSEPH REE, PH.D.

BEAR BILE STUDY ENCOURAGING; STRATEGY STILL NEEDED

SDZWA scientist Elizabeth Davis, Ph.D., recently led the first ever country-wide study of bear bile use in Vietnam. Bear bile was once the most widely consumed wildlife product in Vietnam, but encouragingly, this study shows that a natural decline in bear bile use is occurring in most of the country. However, many bear farms are located in central Vietnam, and demand for bile remains high and unsustainable in this region—this indicates a need to develop strategies for targeted demand reduction, in order to continue our work to eliminate unsustainable wildlife consumption and combat wildlife trafficking in Vietnam.

MUSEOMICS PROJECT COLLABORATION SDZWA is collaborating with SDZG–Peru and the Natural History Museum of the National University of San Marcos in Lima, Peru, on a project titled “Museomics: Building a Molecular Reference Library for the Peruvian Biological Megadiversity.” The project will create a DNA barcode library—a genetic reference used for species identification—for all Peruvian mammals and birds. The library will incorporate state-of-theart genetics tools and will be invaluable for future studies of biodiversity, systematics, and ecology.

VITAL WILDLIFE VACCINATIONS COMPLETED Our Wildlife Health teams successfully administered vaccines for protection against SARS-CoV-2 to animals at the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park. Produced by veterinary pharmaceutical company Zoetis, the vaccine was formulated specifically for animals, and requires two doses for maximal efficacy. The teams vaccinated 237 animals: 127 primates, 83 felids, and 27 canids and other carnivores—these species were considered most susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. Our vaccination efforts are at the forefront of wildlife care and are a critical step in learning how to protect wildlife—both in our own community, and worldwide— from infection. Vaccinations are part of our multi-modal approach to protection, which also includes physical distancing, wearing PPE, and routine cleaning and disinfection.

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DECEMBER 10–23 AND 25–31, 2021; AND JANUARY 1–2, 2022

During this year’s Jungle Bells presented by California Coast Credit Union, Aurora returns, bringing with it a magical and spectacular experience with lights, projections, and music. Aurora takes place each evening during Jungle Bells (except December 24). Also enjoy traditonal lighting displays, musical performances and entertainment, visits with Santa (through December 25), tasty holiday treats, gift shopping, dining at Albert’s Restaurant until 8:30 p.m. (except December 24), and holiday photos. ‘Tis the season to celebrate—join us for holiday cheer!