Sip, Snack, Save Species

Stay fueled up by enjoying a delicious treat at one of our specialty snack stands on your next visit. The San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park thank our partners for their continued support!

QWhat is the coolest thing about your job?

I’m extremely fortunate to work with so many people who are dedicated to saving species. From our team here in Hawai‘i who prepare endangered birds for reintroduction; to our partners who restore the forest habitat and reduce threats to wildlife; to our neighbors, friends, and families who support wildlife in innumerable ways—there are so many people who make a difference. When I spend time building relationships with our community, I feel a profound sense of hope that we’ll achieve our conservation goals.

QWhat has surprised you about working with SDZWA?

During my time working with San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, I’ve been continually impressed by the amazing conservation work we do around the world and in our organization's Southern California backyard. Although I live and work in Hawai‘i, I can relate to the challenges facing wildlife in the region: the area is a biodiversity hotspot, which means it is a biogeographic region with a significant variety of life that is increasingly threatened by human population growth and development—just like here in Hawai‘i. I'm inspired by the crucial, innovative, and effective work our conservation scientists are doing to save wildlife endemic to the Southwest hub, such as the Quino checkerspot butterfly Euphydryas editha quino, and the desert tortoise Gopherus agassizii. Successes in Southern California also benefit our efforts here in Hawai‘i, as our teams share what we learn to develop best practices for conservation.

Bryce Masuda

As a conservation program manager for SDZWA's Hawai‘i Endangered Bird Conservation Program, Bryce Masuda is working on strategies to save the ‘alalā, ‘akikiki, palila, and other endemic Hawaiian forest birds. He supports our Keauhou and Maui Bird Conservation Centers, collaborating with our team and partners to recover and protect the biodiversity of these fragile ecosystems.

QWhat was a turning point or defining moment in a project or program you’ve worked on?

Together with our partners, we conducted an urgent rescue mission from 2015 to 2018 to save a critically endangered Hawaiian bird, the ‘akikiki Oreomystis bairdi. With the native population rapidly heading toward extinction, we successfully collected a total of 63 ‘akikiki eggs from the rainforest on the island of Kaua‘i. Thanks to our hard-working, passionate, and innovative team and partners, this mission allowed us to successfully begin to establish an assurance population, which, in short, is a group of critically endangered wildlife (or even wildlife extinct in the wild) that is kept under human care until the species can safely be reintroduced to its native habitat. Taking this drastic action was a sobering experience. It was during this effort that I realized the urgency and responsibility we have to return these native birds to their forest home on Kaua‘i.

QWhat is your favorite animal? Why?

I've always had a kinship with pinao—also known as Hawaiian dragonflies—often found in higher elevations on the Hawaiian Islands. We both enjoy spending time in water and hanging out along clean streams, pools, and wetlands. I also admire pinao for eating mosquitoes, which are the primary vector of avian malaria, an introduced disease that poses the main threat to many endemic Hawaiian forest birds. I’m most impressed that the ancestors of pinao lived long before dinosaurs!

MAY 26–SEPTEMBER 4

When the sun sets, your wild adventure is only just beginning during Nighttime Zoo. Visit this summer, and you’ll “rock and roar” until 9 p.m. with live music and other amazing specialty entertainment experiences. Stay with us for all the family fun and excitement of Nighttime Zoo!

Member Preview May 26!