Razan for AZA Connect: a COVID-19 recovery strategy for the world's zoos and aquariums

Dr. Trevor Coote releases the Critically Endangered Polynesian tree snail, or Partula, on the island of Moorea. The snail's populations have been rebuilt at managed breeding programs in zoos around the world, many of which have faced an unprecedented loss in revenue during the pandemic. (Credit: Trevor Coote)

English Español Français العربية

In 2019, facilities accredited by Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) donated more than $231.5 million to conservation programs globally. But in the United States alone, its zoos, aquariums, and museums are losing $33 million daily due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

In an op-ed written for Connect, the publication of the AZA, Razan Al Mubarak highlights that “zoos and aquariums are in especially challenging financial straits, as they continue to take on all the costs of supporting the animals in their care — from the largest elephant to the tiny Polynesian tree snail — without any of the income from visitors.”

Razan Al Mubarak lays out her goals for a “nature recovery plan” that will provide the conservation sector, including zoos and aquariums, with the support and funding needed to ensure the care, conservation and study of endangered and threatened species.

Read Razan's op-ed “Conservation in the Age of COVID-19” on AZA's Connect