Our Approach to Conservation

The Calgary Zoo's Centre for Conservation Research uses science to protect species-at-risk.

The Centre for Conservation Research team uses science to sustain threatened wildlife in Canada and around the world. We work together with our partners to develop conservation strategies that will benefit species-at-risk. Our conservation work is focused in two areas – community conservation and reintroductions.

Community conservation empowers local communities to benefit from and protect wild species. These initiatives protect nature while improving the livelihoods of local people by building capacity, increasing ecological awareness and creating employment opportunities.

Reintroductions return endangered species to the wilderness to prevent their extinction. Individuals that will be released can be taken from either wild or conservation breeding populations. Reintroductions require sound science, long-term investment and continued monitoring to be successful. The Calgary Zoo’s Director of Conservation and Science Chairs the IUCN Reintroduction Specialist Group.

Find out more about our conservation programs.

Our Conservation Research team works collaboratively with many conservation partners around the world. We advance conservation science by sharing our research and tools we have developed with other practitioners. We recently developed an app to assess the success of community conservation programs. Check out SPECCS.

Read our recent publications.