Johannesburg Zoo

5/04/2013

Zoo staff is honoured for her conservation work

Lorna Fuller, Senior Manager Nutrition & Environment was honoured with the Dave Morgan Conservation Award during the recent Animal Keepers Association of Africa (AKAA). The award seeks to recognize animal care givers who contribute towards conserving our planet. It “aims to enhance and encourage keepers to work towards making a difference in the conservation arena within their mandates”.

Lorna received the award for her dedication and commitment to conservation spanning over 20 years of her career. Her contribution includes hand rearing mostly endangered species, participating in conservation projects, meticulously preparing animal nutrition, initiating alternative energy sources at the zoo, assisting the Zoo to achieve and maintain Gold Heritage status over the past 5 years, starting the zoo gardening project and the youth volunteer club, which has seen many of the volunteers follow a conservation /zoological career. Lorna is the first recipient of the award and was nominated by AKAA members.

“I was very humbled to receive the 2013 AKAA Conservation award at the conference this year. It is always wonderful to receive acknowledgement for your contribution to the Zoo and to conservation efforts in general. It is also a huge incentive to do more projects and encourage more colleagues in the future. For staff attending the AKAA conference, we all came back inspired and excited to be involved in more environmental projects and to start our own campaign similar to the ones currently undertaken by the aquariums. They are really forerunners in encouraging people to make small life style changes to save all species!” said Lorna Fuller

“The Zoo is delighted to be recognized by the industry for such an important role, as zoos and aquaria are expected to contribute towards conservation of species and the ecosystem. It feels good that our work is being recognized as zoo conservation work goes largely unacknowledged” said Letta Madlala, Zoo Brand & Communications Manager. The Zoo contributes to the conservation of species in an attempt to help animals in the wild survive.
The Zoo houses 27 endangered species and participates in at the following six conservation projects:
The Wattled Crane Recovery Programme,
Frog,
Vulture,
Oribi,
Indigenous Sheep conservation projects and
The Mabula Ground Hornbill Project.
Zoo conservation initiatives have seen some species being reintroduced into the wild.