giraffes among acacia trees

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

See video credits below.

 

Who We Are

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is an international, nonprofit conservation organization with two front doors: the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. We integrate wildlife health and care, science, and education to develop sustainable conservation solutions.

 

Our Mission

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is committed to saving species worldwide by uniting our expertise in animal care and conservation science with our dedication to inspiring passion for nature.

 

Our Vision

A World Where All Life Thrives

 

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance logo

 

Our Logo

With our new name comes a new logo, which represents a history of achievement and San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance's future as a force for conservation.

 

lion, rhino, california condor

 

The Lion

Represents our founding of our “World Famous” zoo, more than a century ago.

The Rhino

Represents the icon of our “No Place Like It on Earth” Safari Park.

The Bird

Not only highlights our groundbreaking work to save the California condor, and the start of our commitment to conservation, but also our continuing efforts to save other threatened birds such as the ’Alalā and African penguin.

 

caretakers hand feeding baby elephants

 

Our Name

Our organization, formerly named San Diego Zoo Global, is moving in a new direction and evolving into an alliance: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

Moving forward, we will amplify our impact by prioritizing partnerships, transdisciplinary solutions, and the interconnectedness of people and nature, in order to be the most effective wildlife conservation organization for the world.

The San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park make our mission, conservation work, and partnerships possible. In turn, our conservation work around the world demonstrates the importance and impact of saving wildlife, and provides powerful stories to share with our audiences at the Zoo and Safari Park. The synergy between our work at home and in the field will create new alliances and empower action on behalf of wildlife in unparalleled ways.

 

jaguar walking on a tree limb

 

Our Values

  • Collaborate

    We nurture alliances with diverse teams, peers, partners, and communities to expand and deepen our impact.
     
  • Innovate

    Together we pioneer new ideas and approaches to ensure the long-term health and survival of wildlife.
     
  • Inspire

    We share our passion for nature to increase understanding, empathy, advocacy, and action for wildlife.
     
  • Thrive

    When we collaborate, innovate, and inspire, we help people and wildlife thrive together for a healthy planet.

 

Our Work

Building Alliances to Thrive

  • Working collaboratively with our committed partners, we contribute to larger, global initiatives that aim to restore biodiversity and amplify our impact.
     
  • We develop strategies that further the equitable and sustainable management of the biodiversity upon which so many lives depend.
     
  • We seek to inspire our members, visitors, and donors to join us in cultivating a world where all life thrives. Through respecting and valuing our interconnectedness, together we can make lasting change.

 

two elephants, young gorilla, koala with wildlife care specialist

 

    Implementing Full-spectrum Conservation Solutions

    Today's most pressing drivers of biodiversity loss include climate change, invasive species, habitat degradation, human-wildlife conflict, wildlife trafficking, and emerging diseases. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance seeks to address and provide solutions for these challenges through our approach to conservation. 


    • We implement full-spectrum conservation strategies that are collaborative, innovative, and multidisciplinary. We want to enhance the skills and capacity of our local community partners, so that in the long term they remain independent, and are much stronger due to our partnership. Our intent is to partner with the local community, share learnings, and further develop skills and expertise—so that communities, and wildlife that shares the ecosystems, thrive.
       
    • We apply a "One Health" approach to our conservation work, recognizing that the health of humans, animals, plants, and the environment are inextricably linked and dependent on biodiversity and functional ecosystems.
       
    • We protect and restore wildlife populations by implementing evidence-based solutions to address the issues leading to the loss of biodiversity around the world.
       
    • We have an expert team of conservation scientists, nutritionists, veterinarians, wildlife care specialists, and educators who innovate to solve even the toughest conservation challenges.

     

    Strengthening Connections Between People and Nature

    • Conservation is first about people. Since 1916, we have created enduring connections between people and wildlife, and our commitment to that mission is stronger than ever.
       
    • We believe that a strong connection to nature is fundamental to saving the world's wildlife.
       
    • We seek to promote empathy and inspire people in ways that will cultivate a shared appreciation for nature and urge individual action on behalf of wildlife.
       
    • We empower members and guests to advocate for policies and initiatives that support responsible collective action to protect the environment for wildlife and people.

     

      world map showing conservation hub locations

       

      Our Worldwide Conservation Hubs

      San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance spent more than a year analyzing our strengths and identifying where and how best to focus our efforts. We landed on eight conservation hubs located around the globe that will anchor our conservation work, driving more strategic outcomes for wildlife in these regions. These hubs represent areas where we are currently most invested, and therefore hope to have the greatest return on mission and vision. The hubs promote synergy and collaboration among internal and external partners and stakeholders. Our hubs will help us build on existing partnerships and collaborations, and have greater impact in a region.

       

      Our Partners

      We work with several hundred organizations around the world that share our conservation goals and philosophy. They represent a broad range of government, nonprofit, corporate, private, and academic organizations as well as local communities to accomplish our shared mission of saving wildlife. Nurturing these alliances deepens our impact within our eight conservation hubs. These hubs help us build on existing partnerships and collaborations, and enable us to have greater impact in a region. As we look toward the future, conservation of wildlife depends on working in close collaboration with partners with different backgrounds and ethnicities from around the world, as well as right here at home. That diversity is what makes our conservation work so impactful.

       

      Our Most Important Allies

      Above all, our most important ally is YOU. Each time you visit the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park, donate to a project, purchase an item from us, or share what you know about wildlife and conservation, you have a positive impact on wildlife and help us achieve our mission. Your participation in conservation advocacy and community science programs makes a difference for wildlife and helps build a world where all can thrive. Stay connected to us by joining the Alliance, visiting us online, and following us on social media. Thank you for being our partner in building a better future!

       

       

      Video Credits: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance would like to thank the partners whose participation made this video possible including Arizona Game and Fish Department, CONANP, OVIS - Organización Vida Silvestre, A.C., Cesar Australia, Giraffe Conservation Foundation, Mexican government in cooperation with ENDESU, Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, Robbie Labanowski, Sacramento Zoo, SANCCOB, Kelli Porterfield, Science for Wildlife, Giraffe Conservation Foundation, Northern Rangelands Trust, Kenya Wildlife Services, and USFWS.