Our conservation projects apply the tools and knowledge gained from scientific research to solve real-life problems threatening the world’s wildlife.
These are actions where success is measured by their effectiveness in improving the security and stability of animal populations - both in the wild and in captivity. Though our scope is international, many of our initiatives are focused on U.S. species, including some here in the MidSouth. We work to conserve a broad variety of animals — from small toads and spiders, to birds and snakes, to elephants and bears.
Conservation
Dusky Gopher Frog Recovery
Breed, release and monitor newly released dusky gopher frogs to be the genesis of a new population of this critically endangered species.




Louisiana Pine Snake Reintroduction
Returning America’s Rarest Snake to the Wild
Since 2010, we have been partnering with the U.S. Forest Service (Catahoula District, Louisiana) and our colleagues at the Audubon, Fort Worth, Ellen Trout, Phoenix, Jacksonville, and Knoxville zoos to release zoo-bred pine snakes onto restored habitat in Grant Parish, Louisiana to create a new, self-sustaining population of this critically endangered species.




Conservation
Freezing Sperm and Preserving Biodiversity
The Memphis Zoo research team works on a number of research projects that focus on freezing (cryopreserving!) sperm from frogs, toads, and snakes. Through these projects, we have partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, Houston Zoo, Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, Leadville National Fish Hatchery, Central Florida Zoo, and Orianne Indigo Conservation Center to develop ways to increase the success of freezing sperm.




Studying the Giant Panda
Giant Panda Ecology
Since the arrival of the giant pandas, Ya Ya and Le Le, in 2003, the Memphis Zoo has worked with national and international partners to understand the many facets of giant panda ecology. Memphis zoo researchers, graduate students, keeper staff, interns, and volunteers have contributed directly to increasing the international community’s knowledge of the behavioral, nutritional, reproductive, and chemical communication ecology of captive and wild giant pandas.



Assisted Reproduction
Saving Species Using Assisted Reproductive Techniques
The Memphis Zoo research team uses various assisted breeding techniques to conserve captive populations and improve breeding success. The team works to increase captive populations of many endangered animals including giant pandas, polar bears, African elephants, snow leopards, amphibians, and reptiles. Working closely with our zoo veterinarians, keepers, and management team, the Memphis Zoo research team partners with other zoos, universities, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other institutions to apply these state-of-the-art techniques.



Conservation
Increasing the Capacity of Captive-breeding and Release Programs
Since 2017, Dr. Sinlan Poo (Senior Research Scientist) and her team in the Amphibian Lab have pioneered a series of studies examining the effects of captive breeding and assisted reproductive technologies (such as freezing sperm through cryopreservation). Starting from cross-species comparisons to find out the best techniques for captive breeding, to observing captive-released tadpoles in natural ponds, to using statistical models to project the viability of new wild populations established using captive, zoo-bred animals.




Conservation
Putting a Spotlight on Zoo Collections: Increasing Visibility and Access to Advance Scientific
Since 2020, Dr. Sinlan Poo (Senior Research Scientist) and the Zoo-Museum Collaborative Group (including Dr. Steven Whitfield from Zoo Miami, Gregory Watkins-Colwell from Yale Peabody Museum, and Dr. Alex Shepack from University Notre Dame) have hosted workshops and webinars to bring together researchers from various backgrounds (Zoos, Museums, Universities, etc) to talk about ways to increase the use of zoo collections through cross-institutional collaborations.

Overton Park Copperheads
Snakes in the City
To discern how the copperheads living isolated in Overton Park have adapted to their unusual situation.




Primitive Spider Ecology
Digging for Insights into Primitive Spiders
Determine how habitat destruction, alteration, pesticide toxicity, and fragmentation affect tarantulas and their relatives.




Urban Avian Demographics
City Life: Forest Birds in the Greater Memphis Area
Many of our parks in the Greater Memphis Area hold the richest bottomland forest habitat in Shelby County. Some of these parks are completely isolated within the urban matrix, while others are connected to long corridors of habitat along associated waterways. Bird surveys are being conducted in four parks within Shelby County to look at differences in the bird assemblages in isolated versus connected patches of urban forest habitat.



Bird Banding Stations
A Bird in the Hand: Monitoring Mid-South Bird Populations
Strawberry Plain Audubon Center (Holly Springs, MS) is hosting a long-term bird banding station to document bird populations in their habitat preserve with the help of Memphis Zoo staff. Birds are netted, banded, and released, and a wealth of data are taken on each individual to document the demographics of various species and types of birds found in the forests and prairies of this region. Please visit this link for more information about this national program: https://www.birdpop.org/pages/maps.php



Wyoming Toad Hibernation
Hibernation to Help Future Generations
To determine if hibernation in captivity influences Wyoming toad sperm quality




Dusky Gopher Frog DNA Analysis
Guarding Against Inbreeding
To assess the genetic variation of both captive and wild dusky gopher frog populations




Radiotracking the Dusky Gopher Frog
Tracking Captive-Raised Frogs Released into the Wild
The Memphis Zoo is leading a reintroduction program for the critically endangered dusky gopher frog by releasing captive-raised frogs into restored habitat. The goal of this project is to use radiotelemetry to follow frogs after they are released to evaluate their acclimation to the new environment.

Impacts of Invasive Cuban Treefrogs
Investigating Impacts of Invasive Frogs
The Cuban treefrog was accidentally introduced to the Florida Keys in the 1920s and has been spreading north since then. Through a series of experiments in the field and lab, in collaboration with colleagues at the University of South Florida and University of Florida, this project investigates how Cuban treefrogs are affecting native frogs and how they are adapting to life in Florida.

Increasing Tadpole Survival
Tadpole Bootcamp
Finding ways to increase the chances that captive-bred tadpoles will survive in the wild by looking at their behavior and development.



Measuring Snake Hormones
Reproductive Ecology of Snakes
Determining hormone concentrations and the seasonal variation of hormones in fecals and skin sheds of captive Eastern indigo snakes in partnership with Central Florida Zoo’s Orianne Center for Indigo Conservation.



Pregnancy Detection
Are you pregnant?
Development of non-invasive pregnancy detection for snow leopards and giant pandas.

Giant Panda Chemical Communication
Communicating, Giant Panda Style
Identify pheromones produced by giant pandas that are related to sexual receptivity and mating behavior

Our Team
Preserving our planet’s biodiversity is guided by knowledge of facts gained from scientific inquiry.

Conservation Action Network
The Memphis Zoo supports conservation-focused research and initiatives through our Conservation Action Network(C.A.N).

Arboretum
Memphis Zoo is stepping up their conservation efforts to save endangered trees and wildlife that depend on those trees.

Go Green
This page is brought to you by Memphis Zoo's Green Team, a group of Zoo employees working together to help make the zoo more sustainable and spread awareness about how to be environmentally friendly.

Memphis AAZK
AAZK is a nonprofit volunteer organization made up of pro zoo keepers and other interested persons dedicated to professional animal care and conservation.
Memphis Zoo Conservation
Secure the Future of a World of Wildlife
We aim to improve the security and stability of animal populations - both in the wild and in captivity.