The Denver Zoological Foundation is involved in conservation and research projects around the world, including zoo (ex situ) projects, field (in situ) projects, and projects that focus on creating and managing protected areas. Since the Department of Conservation Biology was founded in 1996, we have completed hundreds of projects on 6 continents (all but Antarctica). New projects are selected every year, although some projects may be ongoing from year to year. This year, our projects include:

Field Projects

North America


1. The function of allogrooming in black-tailed prairie dogs by David Eads (Indiana University), Samantha Hunter (Purdue University), and Dr. Dean Biggins (USGS)
2. Vertebrates and Prairie Dogs in Denver by Kristin Salamack (University of Denver) and Dr. Richard Reading (Denver Zoo)
   
3. The persistence of wildlife communities within urban habitat islands in the Colorado Front Range by Seth Magle (Colorado State University), Dr. Kevin Crooks (CSU),  and Dr. Richard Reading (Denver Zoo)
4. Toads at the edge: tracking a disappearing species in rapidly changing landscapes of southeast Alaska by Dr. Sanjay Pyare (University of Alaska)
5. Colorado carnivore complex baseline study by Dr. David Augeri (Denver Zoo)
6. Citizen science wildlife monitoring program in Colorado by Julia Kintsch (Southern Rockies Ecosystem Project), Paige Bonaker (University of Montana), Amy Masching (Denver Zoo), and Carol Busch (Gore Range Natural Science School)
7. Effects of habitat degradation and climate change in the long-term survival of the Volcano Rabbit by Enrique Martinez Meyer (Instituto de Biologia), Veronica Farias (Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana), Ella Vazquez (Instituto de Ecologia), and Fernando Cervantes (Instituto de Biologia)
8. Exploring challenges and opportunities in carnivore conservation in the northern Rockies by Tim Clark (Yale University) and Jason Wilmot (Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative)
9. Conservation of big game migration corridors in greater Yellowstone by David Cherney (Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative), Susan Clark (Yale University), and Jason Wilmot (Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative)
10. Endangered black bear ecology, conservation, and management in the state of Sonora, Mexico by Dr. Carlos Lopez Gonzalez (Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative)
11. Population size, genetics, and spatial distribution of the Janos Bison by Rurik List (Instituto de Ecologia)
12. Southern Prairie Conservation Initiative by Dr. Lauren McCain (Forest Guardians)
13. Great Lakes Piping Plover Project in northern Michigan by Jennifer Nixon (Denver Zoo) and Jessica Meehan (Denver Zoo)
14. Landscape use and movements of frugivorous and insectivorous birds in tropical dry forest of western Mexico: by Drs. Jorge Vega Rivera and Katherine Renton (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) and John Azua (Denver Zoo)
15. Ecology and Social Behavior of White-Tailed Prairie Dogs by Dr. John Hoogland (University of Maryland)
16. Rorqual whale conservation in the Gulf of St Lawrence, Canada by Brian Warren Kot, supported through IdeaWild
17. Rocky Mountain AAZK support of the Northern Jaguar Project to purchase jaguar habitat in northern Mexico


Latin and South America


18. Distribution and landscape use of the Andean bear by Shaenandhoa Garcia-Rangel (University of Cambridge) and Dr. David Augeri (Denver Zoo)
19. Research and conservation of the Huemul Deer in Chilean Patagonia by Paolo Corti (University of Sherbrooke), Cristian Saucedo (Corporacion Nacional Forestal, Center for Andean Wildlife Research), Marco Festa-Bianchet (University of Sherbrooke), and Dennis Aldridge (Corporacion Nacional Forestal)
20. Biodiversity conservation in northwest Ecuador through the creation of community forest reserves by Carlos Zorrilla (DECOIN)
21. Project Golden Frog (PGF), a comprehensive, multi-institutional conservation, research, and education to conserve golden frogs in Costa Rica and Panama: by Tom Weaver (Denver Zoo) and Rick Haeffner (Denver Zoo)
22. Frog conservation in Uruguay by Cecilia Ines Bardier Suarez, supported through IdeaWild
23. Faunistic Survey of the Jardim Zoobotanico de Franca in Brazil by Celio Bertelli, supported through IdeaWild
24. Conservation of Endangered Amphibians in Colombia by Giovanni Alberto Chaves Portilla, supported through IdeaWild
25. Royal Terns and Cayenne Terns Nesting Study in Uruguay by Cesar Javier Lenzi Gomez, supported through IdeaWild
26. Conservation of Andean cats in Argentina by Rocio Palacios, supported through IdeaWild
27. Study of Supata's Golden Poison Frog in Colombia by Erika Nathlalia Salazar Gomez, supported through IdeaWild
28. Environmental education program in Tarapoto, Peru by Ruben Paitan Santillan, supported through IdeaWild
29. Study of hard corals at Archipielago Los Roques National Park, Venezuela by Adriana Humanes Schumann, supported through IdeaWild
30. Biodiversity and conservation of Peruvian spiders by Williams Paredes Williams, supported through IdeaWild
31. Conservation of amphibians in Litoral Fluvial Areas in Argentina by Paola Peltzer, supported through IdeaWild
32. Amphibian genetic variation study in Colombia by Juan Carlos Garcia Ramirez, supported through IdeaWild
33. Conservation of Andean bears in Colombia by Robert Marquez Conteras, supported through IdeaWild


Eur-Asia


34. Behavioral ecology and conservation of the grey-shanked douc monkey in the central highlands of Vietnam by Thang Long Ha (University of Cambridge) and Dr. David Augeri (Denver Zoo)
35. Elephant surveys and training in Taman Negara National Park, Malaysia by Dr. Melvin Gumal (Wildlife Conservation Society)
36. Southeast Asian tropical wildlife and forest conservation by Dr. David Augeri (Denver Zoo)
37. Long-term study of blue sheep biology and Tibetan fox, as part of a long-term alpine grassland ecosystem study by Dr. Rich B. Harris (University of Montana)
38. Range and movement of translocated Asian elephants in Peninsular Malaysia by Regen Jamieson (University of Rhode Island), Dr. Thomas Husband (University of Rhode Island), Dr. Keith Leggett (Northwestern Namibia Desert-dwelling Elephant and Giraffe Project), and Dr. David Augeri (Denver Zoo)
39. Tracking Asian elephant movements in trans-boundary Thailand and Myanmar by Dr. Chris Wemmer (California Academy of Sciences, National Zoological Park)
40. Ecology and conservation of argali sheep (Ovis ammon): by Drs. Rich Reading and David Kenny (Denver Zoo), and Research Associates Sukhiin Amgalanbaatar (Mongolian Academy of Sciences), and Dr. Tony DeNicola (White Buffalo, Inc.)
41. Resource partitioning among argali sheep and Siberian ibex in Dornogobi Aimag, Mongolia: by Rich Reading (Denver Zoo), Research Associates Sukhiin Amgalanbaatar (Mongolian Academy of Sciences), and Dr. David Kenny (Denver Zoo)
    
42. Breeding success of cinereous vultures in Ikh Nart, Mongolia: by Sukhiin Amgalanbaatar (Mongolian Academy of Sciences), Dr. Rich Reading (Denver Zoo), Dr. Dave Kenny (Denver Zoo), and Mary Jo Willis (Denver Zoo)
    
    
43. The ecology and conservation of small carnivores in the semi-desert steppes of Mongolia: by Jed Murdoch (Oxford University), Tserendorj Munkhzul (Mongolian Academy of Sciences), Dr. Richard Reading (Denver Zoo), and Dr. Claudio Sillero-Zubiri (Oxford University)
44. Developing a model for local management of protected areas in Mongolia: Ikh Nart Nature Reserve as a case study by Dr. Rich Reading, (Denver Zoo), Meghan Rubinstein (Denver Zoo), Orgiltuya (University of Colorado-Denver), and Amgalanbaatar (Mongolian Academy of Sciences)
45. Saiga population dynamics and conservation in Kalmykia, Russia: by Dr. Anna Lushchekina (Russian Academy of Sciences) and Anton Struchkov (Russian Academy of Sciences)
46. Wildlife and forest conservation in Bhutan by Dr. David Augeri (Denver Zoo)
47. Effects of habitat disturbance and fragmentation on Asian elephants in northern Sumatra by Dr. David Augeri (Denver Zoo)
48. Sumatran tiger habitat and landscape use by Dr. David Augeri (Denver Zoo)
49. Reducing Elephant Conflicts in Sri Lanka by Dale Leeds (Denver Zoo) and Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society
50. Saving Sumatra’s forests: funding enforcement activities within the Leuser Ecosystem by Dave Augeri (Denver Zoo) and Mike Griffiths
51. Resource Partitioning by Mongolian Hedgehogs by Dr. Richard Reading (Denver Zoo) and Dr. Dave Kenny (Denver Zoo)
52. Ibex Ecology and Conservation by Dr. Richard Reading (Denver Zoo) and Dr. Dave Kenny (Denver Zoo)
53. Conservation of snow leopards and blue sheep in Nepal by Janak Raj Khatiwada, supported through IdeaWild
54. Biodiversity Assessment of Negros-Panay Faunal Region in Philippines by Marisol Pedregosa-Hospodarsky, supported through IdeaWild
55. Ecology and conservation of wild Bactrian camels in Mongolia by J. Adiya (Mongolian Academy of Sciences), Dr. Evan Blumer (the Wilds), B. Mijiddorj (Mongolian Protected Areas Bureau), and Dr. Richard Reading (Denver Zoo)
56. Mongolian Nomadic Conservation Trunk Program by Meghan Rubinstein (Denver Zoo), Tungalagtuya Khuukenduu (People Centered Conservation in Mongolia), and Ted Wood (Conservation Ink)
    
57. Leuser Ecosystem and Sumatran Wildlife Conservation Education by Meghan Rubinstein (Denver Zoo) and Cut Dian (Leuser International Foundation)


Africa


58. Chemical communication and behavioral ecology of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) in northern Botswana: by Megan Parker (University of Montana)
59. Disease threats to endangered African wild dogs in Kenya: Information for conservation by Dr. Rosie Woodroffe (University of California) and Symon ole Ranah (Mpala Research Centre)
60. Makgadikgadi brown hyena project by Glyn Maude (University of Bristol) and Dr. Richard Reading (Denver Zoo)
61. Conflicts between Grevy’s zebras and lions in Kenya by Dr. Dan Rubenstein (Princeton University), Siva Sundaresan (Princeton University), and Dr. Richard Reading (Denver Zoo)
62. Medical evaluation of free-ranging primates in Madagascar by Dr. Felicia Knightly (Denver Zoo) and Dr. Randall Junge (St. Louis Zoo)
63. Conservation of Coquerl's Sifaka in Madagascar by Gilbert Rakotoarisoa, supported through IdeaWild
64. Malagasy fish conservation by Alex Saunders (Denver Zoo) and Rick Haeffner (Denver Zoo)
65. Undergraduate conservation scholarship—Recipient: Masiaine “Symon” Oleranah, Moi University, Kenya; Sponsor: Dr. Rosie Woodroffe (University of California-Davis)
66. Lions and Warriors: Conservation Among Traditional Masai Pastoralists by Dr. Laurence Frank (Wildlife Conservation Society and University of California-Berkeley) and Stephanie Dolrenry (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
    
    Zoo Projects
    
    
67. Developing assisted reproductive technologies for cinereous vultures by Mary Jo Willis (Denver Zoo), Dr. Julie Long (USDA), Dr. Jesus Pelaez (USDA), and Dawn Cummings (Denver Zoo)
68. Determining urban bird numbers through the Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count by Brad Parks (Denver Zoo)
69. Influence of age on Female Cheetah Fertility and Reproductive Success by Dr. Adrienne Crosier (National Zoo), Dr. David E. Wildt (National Zoo), Dr. JoGayle Howard (Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park) with assistance from Denver Zoo staff


General Conservation Projects


70. Support for the IUCN Re-introduction Specialist Group
71. Support for the Great Bear Foundation, Missoula, MT
72. Support for the International Wildlife Media Center & Film Festival, Missoula, MT
73. Rocky Mountain AAZK support for the Orangutan Conservancy
74. Rocky Mountain AAZK support for the Sahara Conservancy Fund

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