Conservation is an important part of the message for the Minnesota Zoo’s award-winning Russia’s Grizzly Coast exhibit.  If you’ve been to the Conservation Cabin, you’ve probably seen the donation station, and maybe even supported a bear, sea otter, or leopard/tiger conservation effort.  We appreciate your support, and we’ve been putting those funds to good use.

Big cats: Amur leopards and tigers
Fewer than 35 Amur leopards and 500 Amur tigers are thought to remain in the wild.  Habitat loss and poaching are the main threats to their survival.  Funds raised at the Zoo have been sent to the Amur Leopard and Tiger Alliance to support habitat protection, anti-poaching efforts, and leopard/tiger-themed educational programs for local communities.
Learn more about the Minnesota Zoo’s efforts to help Amur leopards and tigers.

Sea otters
Sea otter populations are thought to have declined over 50% in the past 30 years. Funds raised at the Zoo have supported the Alaska SeaLife Center’s efforts to rescue and release injured and sick sea otters, and conduct research on their populations. Recently, funds have also supported the work of Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Verena Gill to understand disease threats to wild sea otters.

Brown bears
Brown bears in the Russian Far East are threatened by poaching, overharvesting, and habitat loss. Funds raised at the Zoo have been used to support the Wildlife Conservation Society’s efforts to track bears and monitor their populations in eastern Russia, train Russian scientists to help with brown bear conservation, and provide brown bear education programs for local communities.