NOTES FROM THE FIELD | 2025 | No. 5

A splash into a babbling stream, a call echoing from high above, and a rustle through grassy brush—these sights and sounds ground us in our surrounding world. When we immerse ourselves in nature, we’re reminded of an undeniable truth: people, wildlife, and the ecosystems we all share are inextricably connected. Yet many species face growing challenges that inch them closer to disappearing altogether, disrupting the balance of our planet.

With your support, conservation scientists are making remarkable strides in reversing these trends. Together with our partners, we reintroduce wildlife into their native habitats while equipping them with the skills they need to thrive. In the Southwest, we’re giving Mojave desert tortoises a head start by caring for them until they’re big enough to survive on their own. Thousands of miles away across the Pacific Ocean, the same innovative method is helping critically endangered aga (Mariana crows) on the island of Rota.

Through our expertise in wildlife care and conservation, we’ve introduced over 44 species back into their native landscapes across the globe. These efforts help restore necessary and delicate balance while securing the future for vulnerable and endangered wildlife through our eight Conservation Hubs. Each reintroduction milestone is a step toward a brighter and more sustainable future—and you make it all possible. We are forever grateful for you.

HOPE TAKES FLIGHT

Black, beaked figures swoop through Maui’s dense, lush tropical forest—a moment that seems ordinary at first glance. But these are ʻalalā, and they’ve been extinct in the wild for over 20 years. Today, through a groundbreaking reintroduction program in collaboration with our conservation partners in Hawaiʻi, five ʻalalā soar once again, reclaiming their place in the islands’ ecosystems.

COASTAL COMEBACK

For years, conservationists believed Pacific pocket mice were extinct. That changed in 1993, when a small population was rediscovered. Since 2012, we’ve been reintroducing them to the sandy coastal scrublands of Southern California through a conservation breeding program headquartered at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Last year, we established a new population in a new area—a crucial step in reconnecting this species with the landscapes where they once flourished.

SHARING EXPERTISE

The Amazon is the world’s largest tropical forest and is crucial to the health of ecosystems everywhere. Discover more about the biodiversity hotspot referred to as the “lungs of the planet” when you join us to celebrate Wild Weekend: Amazonia at the San Diego Zoo. On April 19 and 20, swing in to explore how we’re saving and protecting unique wildlife across the Amazon, and how you’re making it all possible through our Amazonia Conservation Hub.

LOST AND FOUND

Plant species need reintroduction efforts, too. For many plants, this process starts with preserving seeds and other materials that can later be revived and grown. That’s exactly what scientists are doing in our Native Plant Gene Bank—one of the six subcollections within our Wildlife Biodiversity Bank. Because of wildlife allies like you, we’re safeguarding vital botanical variety and restoring hope for the future.

Your support saves wildlife.

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is an international conservation nonprofit and a registered
501(c)(3) organization. Tax ID# 95-1648219.

With more than 100 years of wildlife care expertise and partnerships around the globe, we are saving, protecting, and caring for species worldwide.

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