Conservation
Blank Park Zoo believes that conservation is about PEOPLE and our vision is to empower our community to be champions for the wild both locally and globally. Successful conservation takes into account local communities and supports sustainable livelihoods. The conservation projects supported by Blank Park Zoo consider the welfare of individual animals, the health of animal populations and habitats, and the views, culture, aspirations and needs of the local people.
A portion of every dollar spent at Blank Park Zoo goes directly to our conservation fund to support our SAVING the WILD conservation priorities. Every admission, membership, train ride, even plush from the Wild Things Gift Shop contributes to the conservation work of the Zoo.
Coral
Learn More
.webp)
African Lion
Learn More
Amur Tiger
Learn More
Snow Leopard
Learn More
Panamanian Golden Frog
Learn More
Blue Crane
Learn More
East African Gray Crowned Crane
Learn More
Sarus Crane
Learn More
Eastern Black Rhino
Learn More
Reticulated Giraffe
Learn More
Bald Eagle
Learn More
Black and White Ruffed Lemur
Learn More
.webp)
Red Panda
Learn More
Cinereous Vulture
Learn More
Cotton-Top Tamarin
Learn More
Blank Park Zoo’s conservation priorities are focused around programs and projects that directly support the animals above in our care and their wild counterparts. Animals in the wild face similar threats - habitat destruction and loss, poaching and predation by both humans and other animals. We believe that by identifying those threats, raising awareness about them and encouraging behavior change actions; we can help the wild both locally and globally.
Each month we focus on an animal in our care, the in situ or field conservation partner Blank Park Zoo is supporting and a "take-action" that people can take right here in Iowa. You can join us each month by attending our monthly Discover the WILD Days and visiting our conservation stations located around the Zoo.
Alongside Iowa DNR and Iowa State University, we have been working since 2022 to headstart Blanding’s turtle. This endangered, native Iowa turtle has seen a population decline due to habitat loss and low nest success. This program works to increase population numbers by giving hatchlings a better chance of survival. During the summer of 2025, alongside our partners we were able to release forty-three juvenile Blanding’s turtles back into the wild.
The Florida Reef Tract Rescue Project (FRTRP) is a member-driven coral rescue and conservation network focused on the rescue, housing and future propagation of Florida corals affected by stony coral tissue loss disease. FRTRP is a project within the AZA SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) Coral Program.
Blank Park Zoo has joined nineteen other AZA-accredited facilities and together we are committed to keeping nearly 2,000 rescued coral safe and propagating them in hopes that they can be returned to the wild. As research develops this project continues to grow. This network is working to turn the tide on an environmental crisis that is causing critical habitat loss along the Florida Reef Tract – North America’s largest bank reef. Our actions here in Iowa have a direct impact on oceans and its ecosystems. Everyone can make choices that ensure the health of coral reefs by working to improve and maintain the health of our waterways.
.png)
