The American Burying Beetle Project
The Tulsa Zoo Conservation Program has a partnership with Oklahoma State University (OSU) and American burying beetle (ABB) conservation.
Your visit to the Tulsa Zoo isn’t just a chance to connect with wildlife – it’s a chance for you to play a part in protecting wild places. From the giraffes in Tanzania to songbirds in Indonesia, guests are supporting conservation programs all over the world.
Since 1997, the zoo has supported more than 360 conservation projects for creatures of all sizes and from all locales, ranging from the monarch butterflies in Tulsa to snow leopards in the Himalayas.
The commitment to conservation extends to the zoo’s daily practices. The Tulsa Zoo might be the only zero-landfill zoo in the United States. Sustainable Tulsa’s Scor3card program ranks us as a Platinum level organization, the highest level achievable. Guests will find strawless lids, paper cups, and reusable shopping bags, small changes that make a difference for wildlife.
Together, the Tulsa Zoo and you are saving species. Learn more by reading the Tulsa Zoo’s Conservation Strategic Plan.
The Tulsa Zoo Conservation Program has a partnership with Oklahoma State University (OSU) and American burying beetle (ABB) conservation.
Tulsa Zoo supports the Cikananga Conservation Breeding Centre (CCBC) located in Indonesia. The program breeds species threatened with extinction due to habitat loss with the goal of reintroduction.
The Tulsa Zoo has been a long time supporter of South African penguin conservation. South African penguins are highly endangered African penguins, the only penguin species endemic to the African continent.
The Snow Leopard Trust’s Natural Partnerships Program connects zoos around the world with the unique opportunity to get directly involved and make powerful contributions to the highest priority conservation and research programs.
The Tulsa Zoo has a partnership with The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) to support The Scarlet Macaw Population Recovery Program.
The Tulsa Zoo is part of the Monarch Initiative of Tulsa, which works to provide information promoting the creation of habitats to increase the Monarch population during migration through the Tulsa area.
The Tulsa Zoo is working with The Wild Nature Institute to support the expansion of a unique giraffe demography study used in identifying and tracking wild giraffes by utilizing their unique spot patterns to understand individual movements and survival.
The Tulsa Zoo Conservation Program is partnering with a project called the Mabula Ground-Hornbill Project to study and re-introduce Southern ground-hornbills in South Africa.
The Tulsa Zoo supports the Tiger Conservation Campaign and anti-poaching efforts through the tiger species survival plan and the Wildlife Conservation Network (WCS).
The Tulsa Zoo is working in partnership with West African Primate Conservation Action. The roloway guenon (Cercopithecus diana roloway) is in eminent danger of extinction.
The Tulsa Zoo participates in the National Monarch Watch Program developed by the University of Kansas. The Tulsa Zoo is a registered and certified waystation for Monarch Butterflies.
The Tulsa Zoo supports the conservation of wild chinchillas through habitat restoration in central Chile.
The Tulsa zoo is very committed to rhino conservation and is a zoo partner with the International Rhino Foundation.
The Tulsa Zoo participates in various elephant conservation programs, both in human care and in the wild and are very important to our institution.
The Tulsa Zoo is committed to supporting, facilitating and conducting scientific advancement. Recent projects have included genetics, physiology, health and behavior, all of which allow us to provide the best care possible to our animals. Below are a few examples of our current scientific advancement projects and partnerships.
The Tulsa Zoo collaborates and supports the MOTUS network and the important data being collected for wildlife conservation.
The Tulsa Zoo defines green as a fundamental value that moves us toward our goal of environmentally neutral operations. We are committed to reducing our ecological footprint through on-site initiatives and community programs that foster environmentally-conscious practices. This includes participating in opportunities such as: stewardship of resources, energy and resource efficiencies, sensitivity to the zoo’s impact on the environment, and more sustainable consumer options.
Tulsa Zoo’s Green Practices Strategic Plan
Our focus is to lead by example in sustainable practices. We participate in single-stream recycling through the Mr. Murph recycling program. Any resources we cannot reuse, repurpose, or recycle go to Covanta, an energy from waste power plant in West Tulsa.
The Tulsa Zoo is a business partner of Sustainable Tulsa, which believes by embracing the Triple Bottom Line — People, Profit, Planet — our business leaders, community leaders and citizens can make Tulsa the most sustainable city in America.
The Tulsa Zoo is a proud supporter and member of Sustainable Tulsa's Scor3card Program. We are a Platinum Level organization, the highest level achievable, and were ranked first among participating businesses during the pilot year of the program. By building a tool for tracking and assessing business sustainability, the Scor3card program works holistically to engage employees and bolster economic growth, while caring for the environment.
In 2018 the Tulsa Zoo was recognized as one of the greenest organizations in Green Country, OK. The zoo's efforts to reduce it's ecological footprint with on-site initiatives and community partnerships won the 2018 Green Nonprofit American Recycles Award award from The Metropolitan Environmental Trust. Currently, the Tulsa Zoo has 17 different recycling streams. Any material that is not recycled, re-purposed or donated is transferred to Covanta and converted into renewable energy at the energy from waste plant.
The Tulsa Zoo was selected as the top performer of businesses with 50 to 250 employees and leader in our community for sustainability. Winners were selected from a nomination list based on the number of verified items and quality of answers within the Scor3card as selected by the Henry Bellmon family and members of the Henry Bellmon Judges Panel.