ZooNews

WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING IMPACTS ON THE LAND

The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens’s newest exhibit, “The Rise of Illegal Wildlife Trade,” aims to help bring awareness and educate visitors about this growing issue. The free, interactive exhibit is located in the foyer of the Tennity Wildlife Hospital and Conservation Center. Sponsored by the International Fund for Animal Welfare and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the exhibit displays more than 40 seized and forfeited illegal wildlife products including a rhino hoof ashtray, tortoise shell combs, furs, and ivory decorative items. The exhibit also aims to educate visitors about illegal trade and its huge impact on nature, address what is being done to combat it, and focus on how people can help. Wildlife trafficking is the illegal trade, smuggling, poaching, or capture of protected wildlife. According to the World Wildlife Report authored by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, this multi-billion dollar, global business impacts more than 7,000 species worldwide by abducting and killing tens of millions of animals annually to satisfy the illegal market demands for endangered wildlife and their by-products including leather, food, medicines, exotic pets, among others. “This illegal industry continues to grow, and it not only

Illegal Wildlife Products

kills millions of animals and plants in the wild, it does so brutally,” said Dr. James Danoff-Burg, Director of Conservation at The Living Desert. “We hope that by enlisting our visitors as change agents on this issue, they will be more aware of it and help reduce demand. This will help save wild animals, plants, and their habitats.”

Make your plans to visit this informative exhibit during your next visit to The Living Desert.

The Living Desert actively contributes to the reduction in illegal wildlife trade through a variety of activities including:

• Providing temporary homes for rescued animals from wildlife trafficking trade, in concert with several federal agencies; • Providing top-quality animal care if needed for these animals and plants that are often in poor health; • Releasing animals stolen from their habitats back home after court cases have been completed; • Caring for confiscated plants obtained during wildlife trafficking seizures; • Replanting stolen plants back into their native environment whenever possible; • Acting as leaders and active participants in the development of the Southern California Wildlife Confiscations Network; we are collaboratively creating a plan to best care for, return to nature, and advocate against the purchase of plants and animals that are the victims of wildlife trafficking; • Messaging at The Living Desert about wildlife trafficking and advocating against the purchase of trafficked plants and animals and for responsibly sourcing plants and animals that do not come from the wild; • Working with legislators on supporing bills that protect wildlife.

JJ LEISSING JOINS THE LIVING DESERT

JJ Leissing recently joined The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens as the Director of Education Engagement where she leads the volunteer and education programs which includes school field trips, ZooCamp, and interpretative stations. Previously, she was the Chief Programs Officer at Kidspace Children’s Museum in Pasadena where she oversaw educational programs and special events for children ages 0-10. JJ’s additional experience includes managing special exhibits, science programming, private and behind-thescenes tours, school field trips, camps, and other programming at the Orlando Science Center and SeaWorld. JJ holds a Bachelors in Biology and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Central Florida.

THE NEW EXPLORER GUIDE

On your next visit, don’t miss our new and free Explorer Guide! Fun for all ages with special features and audio stops to help guide your adventure at The Living Desert, the Explorer Guide can be accessed by your smartphone’s camera. Currently featuring animal keeper chats, the daily program schedule, and more, the Explorer Guide is a great addition to your next visit to the Zoo. Simply scan the purple signs around The Living Desert with your smartphone’s camera or QR code reader. Happy Exploring!

JJ Leissing, Director of Education Engagement

THE LIVING DESERT IS NOW SENSORY INCLUSIVETM

The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is now a certified Sensory Inclusive™ facility, through a partnership with the non-profit KultureCity. This initiative promotes an accommodating and positive experience for all guests with sensory needs who visit. The KultureCity certification process included training for The Living Desert’s team, along with tools like sensory bags, equipped with noise-cancelling headphones, fidget tools, verbal cue cards, and weighted lap pads. Special maps and signage will help guests identify areas of high volume “Headphone Zones” and areas to take a break “Quiet Areas."

Explorer Guide KultureCity