Conservation

Rockhampton Zoo donates 15% of all visitor donations and income from animal encounters to wildlife conservation programs.

Each year, different conservation programs are chosen to ensure a wide and varied distribution of support.

If you would like to donate directly to Rockhampton Zoo and wildlife conservation programs, please visit our Donate page.

2023-2024

Bird Life Capricornia

Capricorn Birdlife focuses on local bird-related activities, such as field trips throughout the area, conservation actions to protect birds, education activities to inform local communities and joint projects with local conservation groups to reach a wider audience. 
Two areas of their work are monitoring the Yellow Chat and Shorebird Migration. 
Monitoring the population of the Capricorn Yellow Chat which is a Critically Endangered species (EPBC).  The Capricorn Yellow Chat is endemic to the local region and has a population of only 250 in three small sub-populations. 
As the population fluctuates between the wet and dry periods monitoring is essential to detect threats to their survival. 

Shorebirds migrate to Australia from Siberia and Alaska every year to spend the summer here when their northern breeding areas are frozen over.  Most of them feed on coastal mudflats at low tide and roost on beaches at high tide.  They are very susceptible to human and animal disturbance from such activities as 4WDriving & dogs off leash on beaches, fishing, jet skis and so on, foxes, wild dogs and feral cats.  By monitoring their habitat areas Capricornia Birdlife are able to identify the most important roost sites which enables targeted conservation efforts. 

To find out more about the important works done by Birdlife Capricornia, follow this link: 

Fauna & Flora

Fauna & Flora works in nearly 50 countries around the world, on more than 120 projects that aim to save nature, together with their conservation partners. From saving saiga and gorillas, to restoring nature-depleted islands and protecting seagrass meadows, they have a track record of conservation success. 

One such location is Pu Mat National where Park Fauna & Flora works with community-based conservation teams to strengthen law enforcement, remove illegal snares and monitor gibbon and elephant populations. Pu Mat National Park is one of Vietnam’s largest national parks and home to several hundred gibbon groups, making it a global stronghold for the northern white-cheeked gibbon. 

With limited capacity to manage the park effectively, this beautiful area, home to endangered gibbons has been left in a wildlife peril. Covering 911 km² the team tackles issues such as Illegal wildlife trade and habitat destruction. Threats come in the form of hunting and unsustainable livelihood practices along with roads being built for national security and border patrols, exacerbating this situation. The many roads fragmenting the habitat also make it easier for people to carry out illegal poaching activities. 

The aim of the forest protection in Pu Mat National Park is to strengthen the parks effectiveness and sustainability, providing more vigorous monitoring and focusing the international and domestic attention on gibbon conservation.  

To find out more about the Fauna & Flora projects, please follow this link: Fauna & Flora - Saving Nature Together

2022-2023

International Otter Survival Fund (IOSF)

Inspired by observing otters in the wild, the International Otter Survival Fund (IOSF) was set up to protect all 13 species of the world’s otters; and celebrates its 30^th Anniversary in 2023.

IOSF holds otter conservation and training workshops which have taken place in Asia, Africa and South America.  The aim of the workshops is to create the next generation of researchers by bringing together scientists, university lecturers, students, rangers, and other similar stakeholders.  A network has been developed in each area to take the work forward, and raise awareness in local communities through education.

The illegal trade in otters for fur and as pets is something IOSF is passionately against and they also support centres that take in the otters rescued from being smuggled across borders.  Here in Scotland, IOSF has its own rescue and rehabilitation centre which has cared for over 240 injured and orphaned otters.

Education is an important means of raising awareness about our work and the fact that otters do need our (human) help.  It is never too early for children to learn about this too, and consequently Team Otter was set up to involve youngsters and motivate them to become the otter conservationists of the future.  So far, nine Team Otter clubs are in Europe, Africa, North America and South America.

You can find out much more on our web site www.otter.org

2021-2022

Koala Research CQ

In 2022, Rockhampton Zoo donated $8,819 to CQUniversity’s local koala research project.

This donation helped support a PhD project analysing local koala scat to determine how healthy populations are and where they are distributed.

To view the media release, click here.

Fauna & Flora International - Wild chimpanzees in Liberia

In 2022, Rockhampton Zoo also donated $8,819 to support Fauna & Flora International's wild chimpanzee program in Liberia. This program aims to strengthen Liberia’s law enforcement capacity by finalising and launching the collaborative Wildlife Crime Strategy in Liberia, which will directly support the regional and national action plans for the conservation of chimpanzees.

The strategy will also help combat the illegal trade of other animals that share the chimpanzee’s habitat, such as pangolins, parrots, elephants and pygmy hippos.

To view the media release, click here.

October 2022 Update:

FFI's team in Liberia is currently in the process of hiring a consultant to support the processes of developing the National Strategy to combat wildlife crime. They will then finalise the strategy and validation meetings with stakeholders over the following months.

2020-2021

ZAA Bushfire Relief Fund

In 2021, Rockhampton Zoo donated $30,756 to the Zoos and Aquariums Association’s Wildlife Conservation Fund (WCF) Australian Drought and Bushfire Crisis.

During this year, 100% of all zoo donations were given to the ZAA bushfire recovery projects. 

Donations made previously would go directly to the operation of Rockhampton Zoo, so this was Rockhampton Regional Council’s and the staff’s way of supporting our native wildlife following the bushfire crisis.

Ongoing

Rainforest Rescue's Save the Cassowary campaign

Rainforest Rescue has initiated the Save the Cassowary campaign in collaboration with Australian partner zoos, government departments, local councils, Aboriginal Corporations and business partners to highlight the future of the endangered ‘Rainforest Gardener’, the Southern Cassowary.

Rapid development has eliminated 85% of its habitat and current estimates fear fewer than 1,000 birds are left in the wild.

Rockhampton Zoo is proud to support with educational signage at our cassowary enclosure and our daily Keeper Talk about the Southern Cassowary.