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Oak trees are iconic. They're also threatened with extinction. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is committed to protecting these keystone species.

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Helping Mojave Desert Tortoises Survive in a Rapidly Changing World

As the world comes together to cheer on our top athletes, let’s take a moment to celebrate and admire the wildlife that could rival them.

Like 80 percent of all plants, the ʻālula depends on pollinators to survive, but there’s one big problem: its pollinator has gone extinct.

It takes quick action and collaboration to care for wildlife in crisis. We're uniquely qualified to help.

SAN DIEGO, PALM DESERT, Calif. (April 15, 2024) – Seventy critically endangered Mojave desert tortoises have successfully emerged from their winter burrows after being reintroduced into their native habitat on Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, the global authority on desert plant and wildlife conservation, are working in partnership with Edwards Air Force Base, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey, using headstarting techniques designed to increase the survival rate for young tortoises. The cohort of young tortoises was the first in the program to be reintroduced into the wild after receiving a combination of an indoor- and outdoor-rearing. Within 24 hours of reentering their native habitat, the tortoises were exhibiting positive natural behaviors by constructing new burrows or modifying existing burrows for shelter. Now, six months later, they have emerged after winter brumation—a state of deep sleep specific to reptiles—and are spending more time basking at burrow entrances. Scientists are currently conducting health assessments and replacing radio transmitters on the tortoises to continue monitoring their success and better understand the juvenile age class.