In the 1980s, the Micronesian kingfi sher was on The Villain the brink of extinction on the Pacifi c island of Brown tree snakes, not native . The Philadelphia was a leader in a to Guam, were accidentally introduced on the island around dramatic rescue of the last individuals. Since then, World War II. Within a few the Zoo’s Beth Bahner has decades, the population had exploded. Most native Rescuing a from Extinction led a program to breed these became extinct, but arrived birds here and at other UU.S..S. in time to rescue the kingfi sher and the Guam . zoos. In 2003, she made a trip to return severall kingfi shers to Guam. For now, they live (safely!)) in aviaries on the island, with the goal of full reintroduction into the wild.

Beth Bahner is the Zoo’s expert on the Micronesian kingfi sher. A 27-year Zoo veteran, she coordinates the national zoo breeding program. Starting with just 29 rescued individuals, the number of kingfi shers has grown to over 100.

Saving Endangered Species Here and Around the World

GREENLAND Pére David’s deer

California condor Right now, amphibians, and especially frogs, are the most Now Frogs ASIA endangered group in the world. Many species EUROPE Need Saving

photo by Jesse Varner Jesse photo by have already disappeared. The Zoo’s Amphibian Conservation Biologist Dr. Carlos Martínez-Rivera is NORTH AMERICA studying critically endangered Why Do Frogs Mongolian wild horse frogs in Peru and Ecuador, and collaborating with local Need Help? scientists there to rescue Factors contributing to the Mhorr gazelle them. Carlos is also leading world’s current “frog crisis” Zoo staff in plans for an include an amphibian disease caused by a kind of fungus called AFRICA “Amphibian Ark,” to set up Jessie Cohen Jessie breeding programs here at chytrid, which has spread around the Zoo for endangered frog the world in recent decades. Panamanian golden frog species, as safeguards against extinction in the wild. SOUTH AMERICA AUSTRALIA Guam rail photo by Valerie Abbott Valerie photo by Arabian oryx

When Zoos Become Arks Lia Brand/Flickr

The amazing pictured here all came close to the brink of extinction — Bali mynah they each survive today only because of rescue and breeding programs carried out by the world’s zoos and other conservation organizations. Some of them have already been successfully reintroduced to the wild. You can see several of these rescued species here at the .

Animals on exhibit in the Zoo. See these at the McNeil Avian Center ANTARTICA starting May 30. Not currently at the Zoo.