We’ve said it before: Conservation can take many shapes and sizes. Sometimes it looks like broken holiday lights.
It’s true! Those knotted string lights that won’t twinkle for another holiday season can make a difference for lions and other wildlife through Zoo New England’s Lights for Lions recycling drive.
Recycling Your Lights for Lions
Visitors coming to see Dinari at Franklin Park Zoo or other big cats at Stone Zoo may have noticed large collection bins near the entrances. Through the end of January, guests are invited to drop off their used or non-functioning strings of lights and extension cords in these bins. Dedicated staffers, led by Franklin Park Zoo Education Manager Peter Zampine (our passionate staffers wear many hats around here) are volunteering to gather the lights and haul them to our recycling partners at Speigel South Shore Scrap Metal in Brockton, Mass. So far, we’ve collected more than 500 pounds of lights! Not only does this effort keep valuable materials out of landfills, but proceeds from recycling those materials are donated to our international conservation partners, Lion Landscapes.
Lions Need Our Help
Lion Landscapes uses a community-based approach to protect lions in their native ranges in Africa by making conservation valuable to both local and global communities. And these impressive large carnivores are in dire need of protection.
Lion habitat has decreased by around 90% and their wild population has declined by more than 75% in the last 50 years. Habitat loss is a big concern, as human population growth in Africa puts more and more pressure on coexistence and increases conflict. More than half of the remaining lions live in unprotected rangelands, shared with people and livestock.
By engaging with the farming community around Ruaha National Park in Tanzania, Lion Landscapes is working to stop retaliatory killing there by reducing the loss of livestock while increasing the benefits of living with large carnivores––not only lions but also spotted hyenas and African painted dogs. Lion Landscapes is now working to replicate that highly successful program at a second site, the Selous-Nyerere landscape in southern Tanzania, and Zoo New England is helping to support this exciting new initiative.
Here’s more on how Lion Landscapes is making a difference in the field.
Lion Appreciation
Closer to home, lion conservation looks like raising awareness about the challenges lions face in the wild through AZA SAFE: Saving Animals From Extinction and by participating in Species Survival Plans (SSPs). In fact, Zoo New England participates in SSPs for African lions, African painted dogs and spotted hyenas. These cooperative programs ensure healthy populations among AZA-accredited institutions.
Of course, we are also deeply committed to the health and wellbeing of individual animals in our care. Dinari, an African lion, Kai, a spotted hyena, and Madekwe and Moremi, painted dog sisters, all receive world-class veterinary care, a nutritious diet and regular and creative enrichment. Enrichment encourages an animal’s natural behaviors, such as foraging, discovering new scents or exploring their habitat.
Just one visit to Franklin Park Zoo can remind you why these impressive animals deserve admiration and conservation. If seeing lions, hyenas and painted dogs up close isn’t incentive enough to visit, your ticket purchases and memberships in part support the care of Zoo animals as well as our global conservation efforts. Don’t forget your broken string lights and extension cords when you visit, Dinari, Kai, Madekwe and Moremi! Our Lights for Lions collection drive ends January 31, 2025.
Stay in Touch
Be the first to learn about updates and events at Franklin Park Zoo and Stone Zoo by subscribing to our newsletter. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, X and LinkedIn for even more behind-the-scenes looks at our animal care and conservation at our zoos and in the field.
Leave a Reply