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Today, 7th February, marks Reverse the Red Day, a global effort by zoos and aquariums to prevent species extinction and protect biodiversity.

The annual event is hosted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

Zoos SA has gone green to mark Reverse the Red day. Zoos SA is committed to this mission through an array of dedicated conservation programs, and have gone green to raise awareness about these species and the impact their conservation efforts have made at a local, national and international level.

Zoos SA Conservation Manager, Mark Smith notes “The IUCN Red List is the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global extinction risk status of animal, fungus and plant species.

“When you visit Adelaide Zoo and Monarto Safari Park the IUCN conservation status of each species is detailed on our signage and spoken about during our informative keeper talks.

“What is fantastic is the Red List assessment now also depicts species recovery and the impact that conservation efforts are having on their status. This is known as the ‘Green Status’ and if numbers of that species are improving, their status is downgraded, trending towards green – hence reversing the red.”

To celebrate Reverse the Red Day, the furry, scaly and feathered animals at Zoos SA were treated to green snacks and enrichment boxes, while a special conservation-focussed Wild Show at Adelaide Zoo featured critically-endangered Brush-tailed Bettong, Rambo, an ambassador for the Marna Banggara rewilding project.

Giant Pandas, Xing Qiu and Yi Lan, lead the way munching on their favourite green bamboo and ripping into Reverse the Red boxes filled with panda cake and apple.

Giant Pandas are one of Reverse the Red’s greatest success stories. Initially classified as endangered, numbers have now increased in the wild and their conservation status has improved from endangered to vulnerable thanks to the work of conservationists across the globe. 

At Monarto Safari Park, Przewalski Horse, Bataii, had a ball digging into green puzzle enrichment.

Native to Mongolia, the Przewalski’s Horse is the world’s only remaining wild horse with the species once classified as extinct. Thanks to the efforts of conservation organisations around the world, the species was successfully reintroduced into Mongolia and as a result reclassified as endangered.

The park is also home to the Scimitar-horned Oryx, which was also once classified as extinct in the wild. Thanks to work by organisations around the world, the IUCN classification was downgraded in November 2023 to endangered.

And it wasn’t just the animals who went green today!

Visitors and staff were treated to green Giant Panda cookies in the Fig Tree Café and were encouraged to make a Species Pledge to support conservation and sustainability, such as creating a wildlife-friendly garden or reducing waste pollution, in Bamboo Forest.

You can make your Species Pledge to Reverse the Red here.

Zoos SA has 24 conservation priorities including 10 local projects and 14 global initiatives such as the Orange-bellied Parrot, Plains Wanderer, Kangaroo Island Dunnart, Red-tailed Black Cockatoo and Brush-tailed Bettong. Find out more about these programs here.

To donate to Zoos SA’s conservation programs or more information on our work to Reverse the Red, please visit zoossa.com.au. 

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