Animal and Wildlife Conservation

Types of Conservation

There are 7 categories of conservation and animals at Mill Mountain Zoo. Click an option to learn more.

Wildlife Conservation

What is it?                                                    

The preservation and protection of animals, plants, and their habitats.

Everything is connected. Some species can’t survive outside of their natural habitat, so we must preserve those habitats.

Why is it important?   

Red Panda in enclosure

      To reduce the harm that human activities have on the environment

      That’s why habitat preservation is so important

      A barrier between wildlife and humans is critical to prevent the “jump” of diseases       from animals to humans.

      To protect production of medicines we rely on

      Many of the medications we rely on are made from plants and/or animals

      To continue to enjoy the natural world and ensure it will be here for future generations

      To prevent the emergence of new diseases

Species Recovery

An endangered species is any animal or plant that is considered at risk of extinction. 

Every species affects our world in profound ways. Losing even a single species can have disastrous impacts on the rest of the ecosystem, because the effects will be felt throughout the food chain.

Below are animals the we are helping to protect

Oftentimes red wolves are confused for coyotes as they look highly similar. Their fur can vary in coloration but they often have a reddish coat with a black-tipped tail and lighter coloration around their muzzle/mouth. They are much smaller than their grey wolf relatives and are not as aggressive.

The top of their shell, or carapace, is flat and rough with each scute having irregular growth layers and grooves, because the scutes are not shed annually. This is unusual for most turtles, as shedding the scutes helps to keep a healthy and uniform shell. Back of the carapace is flared and serrated and often black with yellow or black striping within each scute. The underside of the shell, or plastron, is a pale yellow color.

The American Guinea Hog has a thin and wiry black coat, which makes them sensitive to sun. One of he reasons they roll in the mud is to protect their skin form the sun and bugs. They also have large, upright ears that are especially hairy to keep dirt and bugs out of them when they root (using their snout to dig in the ground for tasty treats). They have an especially flexible snout, which is helpful when foraging for food. American Guinea hogs are also known as wild boars.

They have soft, dense fur covering their body to keep them warm in their high altitude environment, including a bushy tail that helps with balance and acts as a blanket. They are approximately the size of a housecat and resemble a raccoon more than a giant panda.

The most abundant of the world's cranes. Long-legged, long-necked bird with a noticeable patch of bald, red skin on the top of its head.

Their feathers offer excellent camouflage so they are hard to spot. They are intricately patterned in brown, tan, rust, and black. Males have a black-and-white head pattern. Females have a tan throat and eyebrows.

Depending on where these dart frogs live, the color of them can vary. The most common natural colorations are the metallic golden color, their namesake, and a minty green. Some of the frogs also have small, black marks on their noses and toes, but this isn't always the case! When they are young, they are fully black except a small pair of golden stripes down the back and belly of the frogs, as they mature, their stripes spread over their body and they take on their full coloration. They have 4 unwebbed toes on each foot (they don't swim like other frogs!) and a bony, teeth-like plate in their upper jaw (unlike most other dart frogs).

Eastern box turtles are small to medium-sized turtles known for their distinct domed shells. Their carapace, or top shell, is typically brown with striking yellow or orange markings. Unlike most turtles, Eastern box turtles rarely swim. Their heavily domed shells make it difficult for them to glide through the water like other turtles.

Near Threatened:

Bobwhite Quail

Crested Wood Partridge

Nicobar Pigeon

Pallas' Cat

Tufted Deer

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