From the President’s Desk

The excitement is rapidly building at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens as construction quickly progresses on the new Rhino Savanna habitat. Every day a new part of the plan takes shape. Over the last year, the vision, represented by hundreds of pages of blueprints, has taken shape as a new venue to tell the conservation story of the endangered black rhino and other savanna inhabitants.

The adolescent black rhinos, Jaali and Nia, will have 4-6 more years of growing to do until they are mature enough for us to start wishing for a baby black rhino, but they give us hope that their species can be saved from extinction. By working collaboratively with other conservation organizations in the U.S. and abroad, we can make a difference in the future for these distinctive and unique animals.

The public opening of the Rhino Savanna, set for November 12, 2021, also signals the start of the next 50 years of growth and development for The Living Desert as we work to build the zoo of the future. (We are going to ignore the last year and have a do over.) Between habitat loss, climate change and the growing human population, it is more important than ever that conservation organizations like The Living Desert are leading the way to provide educational experiences so we can all make better decisions to protect our natural resources.

Although there are challenges ahead, I remain optimistic that with the support of our community, The Living Desert can prosper for another 50 years. Thank you for your commitment to our mission of desert conservation through preservation, education and appreciation. Every time you visit The Living Desert you help support these efforts. Together we can succeed in our conservation mission.

Allen Monroe, President/CEO, with Jaali on the Rhino Roadtrip