SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Zoo is on the forefront of animal conservation throughout the world and, on Wednesday, some big organizational changes were announced.
"On World Wildlife Day, we are announcing to the world that we are changing our organizational name to better support our mission and the wildlife we serve. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is more than just the new name of our organization and more than redefining our mission," CEO Paul Baribault said during a rainy press conference Wednesday.
Formally known as San Diego Zoo Global, Wildlife Alliance will hone it’s focus of conservation to eight different hubs around the world. African savannahs, Amazonia, Australian forests, Pacific islands, Asian rainforests, African rainforests, the Arctic and in the Southwest.
Safari Park CEO Lisa Peterson says that it’s a way for the zoo to open up more doors with community collaborators in the regions they’re based in.
"So we get to share this work and invite people into the story so they get a deeper understanding," Peterson said.
Peterson referenced an elephant orphanage in northern Kenya.
It’s small, locally focused organizations that Wildlife Alliance hopes to build community with.
“The hope is that they’re inspired and they want to join us on this journey to help us protect a world where all life thrives,” she said.