The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
Recent News About The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
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Living Desert welcomes spur-winged lapwing chicks
The Living Desert has introduced four new members to its African aviary—spur-winged lapwing chicks. Hatched during the week of April 29 to first-time parents, Peeper Parker and MJ, these young birds are already exploring their habitat.
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Bobcat celebrates 22nd birthday at The Living Desert
On May 10, one of The Living Desert’s eldest residents, Crawler the bobcat, celebrated his 22nd birthday. Crawler, originally from Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, is one of the three oldest bobcats in zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. RoxAnna Breitigan, COO and former Director of Animal Care at The Living Desert, helped care for Crawler when he was just a kitten.
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Workshop assesses community support for rhino conservation initiative near Hwange National Park
The Living Desert, in collaboration with Imvelo Safari Lodges, recently conducted a Building Community Conservation Success workshop with students from Lupane State University and the National University of Science and Technology in Zimbabwe. The event focused on imparting both theoretical and practical skills to the students, including foundational social science principles, interview script creation, and knowledge of local culture and conservation projects.
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Living Desert prioritizes collaboration with local communities for conservation success
Respect makes everything possible. If someone were to come to our home and dictate, “This is what you must do with your home. Trust us, we know what we are talking about,” most of us would tell them to get lost! Each of us must retain the ability to determine how we manage our land, our actions, and our community. Outsiders lecturing on conservation without respect are similarly unlikely to succeed. That’s why, at The Living Desert, we prioritize serving, learning from, and collaborating with local communities. This commitment was underscored by a recent experience in...
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The Living Desert enhances conservation efforts with expanded social science workshops
Ensuring that Indigenous People and local communities (IPLC) not only participate in conservation but also lead or co-lead these efforts is crucial for ensuring that these projects are desired by local communities and thus more likely to be sustainable. One of the most effective approaches to achieving this is by enabling outside conservationists to engage with, learn from, and understand the needs and desires of these communities through basic training in social science.
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Nine-year-old's campaign aims to save California's desert tortoise
After experiencing the wonders of desert wildlife on a field trip to The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, nine-year-old Leighton felt compelled to make a difference.
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Living Desert seeks public input on grant for addressing illegal vehicle activities
The conservation team at The Living Desert has prepared a preliminary grant application for the 2024 California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division (OHMVR) Restoration Grant. The team is seeking public input on their proposal, which aims to address illegal off-highway vehicle activities within Joshua Tree National Park (JTNP) through scientific studies and outreach interventions.
