Each time you visit the animals at the Oakland Zoo, you will be helping animals in the wild. The Oakland Zoo has launched a new initiative called "Quarters for Conservation", which will dramatically enhance our ability to support wildlife conservation. You, our members and visitors, will be part of this exciting evolution in conservation.

In August 2013, the funds will be calculated. Fifty percent will be designated for on-going Oakland Zoo Conservation Fund programs and partnerships. The other half is earmarked for the three projects featured. Each project will get a substantial funding gift, determined by the distribution of tokens or "votes".

A remarkable shift in the role zoos play in the world of conservation is emerging as Quarters for Conservation takes the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) by storm. With over eighteen zoos already in motion and many more planning to launch, saving wildlife is indeed possible!

We share our world with a beautiful keystone species, the puma! These native cats, also known as mountain lions, are in crisis, as habitat and movement corridors are increasingly invaded by human development. Pumas are also being killed by cars and depredation permits (issued when livestock or pets are attacked). The time is now to research and better understand these apex predators and their vital role in our ecosystem.

The Bay Area Puma Project, the first long-term study of mountain lions in the San Francisco bay area, works to track and record pumas, discovering their range, movement, feeding patterns and the effects of human development on puma populations. The Bay Area Puma Project aims to utilize this research to develop new conservation strategies and engaging educational programs to foster a healthy co-existence between humans and this magnificent local lion.

Able to climb some of the world's tallest trees with the help of its four inch claws, the Malayan sun bear is facing many threats to its survival. Clear cutting for logging and palm oil plantations destroys vital habitat, and poaching for the trade in bear parts kills adult bears and leaves cubs orphaned. Many of these cubs end up in the illegal pet trade, destined to live their lives in small bare cages, never to see the sky or feel the forest floor beneath their feet.

The Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre rescues and cares for bears in need, providing lifelong care for some and striving to return others to the wild. Through public awareness and expansion of the sanctuary, the Centre is making a vital difference in the effort to save this extraordinary bear!

Illegal wildlife trafficking, often for the pet industry, has a devastating impact on animal welfare, species conservation, and ecosystems. Second to habitat loss, it is a major cause of species extinction. Many smuggled animals die in transit, and those that survive need constant care and attention.

The ARCAS Wild Animal Rescue Center was created by Guatemalan citizens in order to rescue, rehabilitate and release animals confiscated from smugglers operating in the Maya Biosphere Reserve. The ARCAS Rescue Center is now one of the largest rescue centers in the world, receiving between 300 and 600 animals of more than 40 species per year. Thanks to ARCAS, animals such as parrots, scarlet macaws, spider and howler monkeys, ocelots, jaguars and coati mundis, have a chance to live free and fulfill their natural role in the Mayan forest.