Taking Action for Species and Habitat Protection

Thousands of species worldwide are declining, and many are being pushed to the brink of extinction as their habitats are changed, degraded and destroyed. Threats to wildlife and wild places often result from direct actions, including the encroachment of cities and infrastructure, the choices we make about land use, deforestation and other changes to the landscape, and the spread of plastics, trash and pollution from human activities. Indirect actions can also impact wildlife and habitats. Climate change, the introduction of invasive species of plants and animals, and the spread of disease can threaten entire ecosystems and the diversity of life within them.

Taking Action for Our Neighbors

Protecting species and habitats protects us all.

Oakland Zoo works to protect, maintain and restore natural ecosystems, to enhance biodiversity and prevent the loss of species. On Zoo grounds and alongside our conservation partners working both locally and globally, we support habitat restoration, sustainable land use, and the creation of greenbelts and wildlife corridors that help humans and our wild neighbors share space and thrive. These efforts benefit our communities, our planet, and the countless species that depend on complex ecosystems.

Oakland Zoo also supports conservation programs that protect and restore vulnerable species and ensure sustainable wild populations, by building alliances, deploying staff expertise, and providing funding. The Zoo actively participates in legislative efforts to protect wildlife and wild places, and to create long-term safeguards for them.

Oakland Zoo is Taking Action to protect species and habitats.

a mountain lion overlooking the cliffside.

Mountain Lions

In 2013, we launched the Bay Area Cougar Action Team (BACAT), our local mountain lion alliance, which has helped treat over 30 mountain lions for illness and injury.

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a frog in the grass.

Native Yellow-Legged Frogs

For the past decade, Oakland Zoo has raised, treated, and released over 1,000 yellow-legged frogs to combat the deadly chytridiomycosis disease.

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a Riparian Brush Rabbit in the wild.

Riparian Brush Rabbits

Oakland Zoo has vaccinated hundreds of Riparian Brush rabbits in Modesto's San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge since the program launch in 2020.

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a herd of bison grazing.

American Bison

We have raised more than 40 heritage buffalo, and actively release them to the care of the people of the Blackfeet Nation in Montana.

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Get to know your local watershed and help it thrive.

Did you know that the City of Oakland has 15 creeks that flow directly to the San Francisco Bay? Learn how to protect watersheds and the wildlife that depend on them.

Watersheds

From trash removal and creek cleanups to saving endangered species, Oakland Zoo is taking action with our local and global community, to build a better world for all.

Species facing extinction need our help—and humans benefit from healthy ecosystems, too. There are ways to repair the harm and make room for all of us!