CONSERVATION Celebrating Audubon Nature Institute Each day, our partners here at the Wonders home and around the globe of Nature work with us on fulfilling our 2016 shared goals. All eight objectives of the Audubon Nature Institute mission have conservation at their core, particularly our pledges to preserve native Louisiana habitats and to enhance the care and survival of wildlife through research and conservation. That’s why we wanted to show you the scope of Audubon’s conservation commitment through this report. These projects are top of mind for us every day, and we work on them together—donors, members, guests, employees, and peer organizations around the world. From the smallest act of recycling a piece of paper to multi-national coalitions saving species oceans away, we know we must keep pushing forward. The stakes are high, and together, we are making progress. Sincerely, Ron Forman President and CEO Audubon Nature Institute FOUNDING SUPPORTER 2016 NEWS of AZA’s SAFE Program Audubon is New Elephant Environment As the world’s largest land mammals, elephants have an active a profound effect on our ecosystem, so Audubon is $919,908 participant in the Wildlife part of a nationwide initiative of zoos banding together Dedicated to conservation initiatives Conservation to fund elephant conservation. At Audubon Zoo our Society’s elephants settled in recently to a spacious new habitat monumental that raises awareness to our 850,000 annual visitors 96 Elephants and shows people how they can help keep these initiative. animals from disappearing forever. 19,710 Hours Dedicated to conservation initiatives Participated 20 in more than YEARS Mississippi 100 37 Field Species Sandhill Crane Programs program has Survival supported worked to Plans and help these Studbooks endangered birds 240 Cubic Yards Mulch created from tree clippings for garden 1 beds across Audubon Nature Institute Since 2000, Whooping Crane Recovery Ongoing work in rescuing North America’s 500+ Hours a record- most endangered bird earned Audubon Dedicated to this program breaking Nature Institute and three other organizations a 85 whooping prestigious award in 2016—the North American crane eggs Conservation Award from the Association of have been Zoos and Aquariums. The Whooping Crane laid at the Recovery Program sparked Saving Animals from Extinction (SAFE) Species encouraging progress for this Survival species through collaboration Audubon Nature Institute has been a supporter of AZA’s Center. in innovative conservation science and breeding. SAFE program since its inception. Audubon’s involvement in the creation of the program helped get the program operational. As such, Audubon is a Founding Supporter of the SAFE program and one of the top zoos that showed the commitment. Audubon has continued its support through a substantial, multi-year pledge to help ensure that the program continues to mature. Connections to Our Wetlands Petit Pierre and the Floating Marsh hit the shelves in time for the holidays in 2016, connecting children with the beauty and importance of Louisiana Wetlands through a partnership with Audubon Nature Institute and the New Orleans Pelicans. Proceeds supported wetlands education initiatives. 2 In a first- of-its-kind Creative Collaboration partnership, Conservation On 475 acres of land on the outskirts of New San Diego Near and Far Orleans, Audubon Nature Institute and San Diego Zoo Global Zoo Global are building an unprecedented teams with From far-flung locales such as Audubon to facility to maintain numbers of species Tinian and Saipan to familiar breed some dangerously in decline—a modern-day ark areas close to home, Audubon of the world’s safeguarding animals for generations to come, Nature Institute participates endangered focusing on science, sustainability and survival. in field projects having a real- animals. world impact on wildlife. Our work with Jamaican iguanas and Louisiana pines snakes found our animal experts in sometimes less-than- ideal conditions, bolstering populations of species like these to give them a shot at survival in the wild. Partnering for Outreach The Zoo Conservation Outreach Group (ZCOG) promotes capacity building and collaborative zoo and aquarium-based wildlife conservation efforts throughout the Americas. Audubon is especially proud to be a member of the ZCOG Leadership Circle, which provides critical operations and programming support allowing ZCOG to pursue its core mission. Audubon also sponsors a Species Conservation and Management scholarship to help improve records-keeping standards in developing country zoos and aquariums. $35,400 Dedicated to this program 3 Endangered BIG BIRTHS animal baby highlights In 2016, Audubon Zoo witnessed the birth of two The black- critically endangered black-and-white ruffed and-white lemurs, the first born at the Zoo since the lemur Penguin chicks hatched at the ruffed lemur parent pair arrived in 2013. Audubon, Aquarium since 1990. is critically like other zoos that are part of the 54 endangered Species Survival Plan (SSP), follows strict and breeding recommendations for breeding. this species This ensures that genetic diversity in zoos is within the breeding population African painted dog puppies essential to remains at a high level to help born at the Zoo. their survival. sustain a healthy population. 10 Mississippi sandhill crane chicks raised at Audubon moved to 4 the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge. Endangered black-and-white 2 ruffed lemurs born at the Zoo. Endangered babirusa piglets 2 born at the Zoo. 4 196 Hours To raise one baby penguin at the Aquarium African Puppies Star at the Zoo Penguin Preservation Ten African painted dog pups mesmerized Audubon Audubon Aquarium of Zoo guests in the fall of the Americas celebrated 2016. The highly-celebrated Penguin Awareness Day pups were the first ever in 2016 noting the 54 born at Audubon Zoo. An penguin chicks hatched endangered species, these at the Aquarium since playful pups represent 1990. Diminishing food some of the most effective sources in the wild reduce predators in Africa. African penguin populations so painted dogs keep prey breeding in human care is species in check and important for the survival of protect local African this endangered species. habitat. Audubon is one Audubon’s aviculturists of only a handful of zoos have dedicated more breeding the distinctively- than 10,000 hours of raising marked canines native to chicks and helping bolster sub-Saharan Africa. the population. Babirusa Babies A Rare Find Quirky and unique, Audubon Butterfly babirusa are extremely Garden and Insectarium important to maintaining introduced visitors to the biodiversity of their something they’d likely native Sulawesi forest never seen before: man- home. With threats to faced bugs. Although the species from hunting common in their native and habitat loss, babirusa Malaysia, this unusual babies are always cause species of stink bug is a for celebration. Audubon rare find in New Orleans is one of only a few zoos and made an impression breeding and caring for on guests. Curators these animals. Two new began efforts to breed babirusa piglets named the distinctive bugs as Ginger and Ivy pranced 2016 drew to a close. into the hearts of guests at Audubon Zoo in October. 5 PROGRAMS 2016 Program Highlights Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival The Audubon Center is a research center on the west Coastal Wildlife Network Aquatic bank of New Orleans dedicated to science, Center at sustainability and the survival of disappearing $162,508 | 3,600 hours the Survival animal species. The Survival Center sits on 1,200 Center serves acres of land licensed from the U.S. Coast Guard as an animal and houses several innovative and successful rehab facility. conservation programs. Gulf United for Lasting Fisheries $550,000 | 9,400 hours Whooping Crane and Mississippi Sandhill Crane Recovery Projects $175,000 | 10,700+ hours International Iguana Foundation Jamaican Iguana $10,300 | 300 hours 6 Coastal Gulf United Wildlife for Lasting Network Fisheries Dolphins Blue Crab A juvenile dolphin rescued Louisiana’s blue crab in late 2015 became the fishery became the first first ever to be rescued, to receive G.U.L.F.’s rehabilitated and released Responsible Fisheries in Louisiana. He was Management Certification released into the Gulf of in 2016, ensuring Mexico after more than responsible practices six months of rehabilitation for harvesting crabs at Freeport-McMoRan and enhancing the Audubon Species Survival marketability of these Center. When last spotted delicious delicacies. in summer, 2016, the dolphin was thriving back in his natural habitat. Sea Turtles Sustainable Young green sea turtles nicknamed “Bubba” Seafood and “Peanut” were Dinners released into Gulf of The Sustainable Seafood Mexico waters after Dinner series presented by intensive rehabilitation the Gulf United for Lasting at Freeport-McMoRan Fisheries (G.U.L.F.) Chef Audubon Species Survival Council continued to be Center. They are the a culinary highlight of latest of nearly 200 sea the year. 2016 took these turtles Audubon’s Coastal popular dinners to a new Wildlife Network has level in the second year, rescued since 2010. with a growing roster of high-profile chefs and an expanding awareness among diners about all the reasons we want to make sure our Gulf of Mexico has a healthy fish population. 7 Raising Mississippi Butterfly Effect Sandhill Cranes Audubon’s program with While it’s true that small the endangered sub- things can have large species Mississippi sandhill impact, at Audubon crane (MSC) goes back Butterfly Garden and more than 20 years and Insectarium the term has produced more than “butterfly effect” has 200 chicks, bolstering the broader meaning. The MSC population in the only museum imports these place these cranes still insects only from butterfly fly, the Mississippi Sandhill farms that do the important Crane National Wildlife work of keeping tropical Refuge. This enduring forests intact by slowing labor of love includes clear-cutting, and costume-raising chicks and providing livelihood for a host of other assisted locals.