It’s estimated that the fires have caused the deaths of nearly a third of the koala population in New South Wales.

The bushfires in Australia have devastated the country, claiming the lives of both humans and hundreds of millions of animals. Many groups have stepped up to help, and we are excited to join the fight.

The Zoo is contributing $5,000—$1,000 each—to five conservation organizations responding to the bushfire crisis. These donations come from our Wildlife Emergency Fund (WEF), which provides support to address urgent threats to wildlife around the world.

We are sending funding to Zoos Victoria, a conglomerate that oversees three zoological facilities and created a Bushfire Emergency Wildlife Fund to provide veterinary care and scientific intervention; Australia Zoo, the home of the Irwins, which is adding a new ward to its wildlife hospital to take in more patients; One Tree Planted, which will plant 1,000 trees in Australia on our behalf to counter the loss of natural habitat; WIRES, a wildlife rescue that offers national support to groups working with affected wildlife; and Zoo and Aquarium Association, the accrediting body for Australian animal care facilities, which is working to assess the crisis’s impact on wildlife and place native animals in appropriate facilities for rehabilitation.

As you may know, our WEF is made possible by the sale of collectible animal buttons, which are created by staff and volunteers and sold throughout the Zoo. In 2019, we sold over 13,000 buttons—an increase of more than 2,500 from 2018.

We encourage you to your part by making your own donation to one of these organizations and continuing to purchase the collectible buttons!