Local conservation centre joins global NPO, Species360
Crocworld will continue to contribute to its Species360 membership through its many conservation projects and educational programmes.
Crocworld Conservation Centre, based in the Umdoni area, is officially a member of Species360, an international organisation which allows for the collection, sharing and analysis of knowledge on wildlife, with the aim of improving animal welfare and inform species conservation.
“We are so delighted that Crocworld is part of this global non-profit organisation that is dedicated to saving our wildlife through a collaborative effort,” said James Wittstock, Crocworld Conservation Centre’s acting centre manager.
“This is extending our ongoing education and conservation efforts, and will allow our KZN South Coast facility to contribute to an international platform.”
Species360 facilitates information collection from some 1 200 aquarium, zoo, university, research and governmental facilities worldwide across 99 countries on six continents – with Crocworld Conservation Centre now one of these facilities.
Species360 members curate the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS), the world’s most comprehensive database of knowledge on more than 22 000 species. Through its Species360 membership, Crocworld now forms part of the global fight against extinction using optimal animal husbandry standards and practices.
Crocworld will continue to contribute to its Species360 membership through its many conservation projects and educational programmes.
Currently the team is running two breeding projects focusing on the critically endangered West African Slender Snouted Crocodiles, as well as the endangered Cape Vulture species. Breeding programmes are vital conservation methods for preserving the existing gene pool of endangered species and preventing inbreeding.
The team hosts educational frogging evenings, with members of the public invited to come explore local wetlands and discover the amphibious residents and their value in the ecological chain. There are also plans to host a beach clean-up, where team members will share insight on the importance of coastal conservation.
The centre has also partnered with local nature and wildlife-education group, Bushbabies, for monthly conservation talks to children which cover a range of engaging topics, all of which are hinged on local conservation.
(Copy disseminated by: Olivia Jones Communications)
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