26 New Members across six continents: Welcome to Our Newest Species360 Members
- By Ovahiwa Thodi
Over the last three months, we’ve welcomed more than 20 new Species360 members across zoos, aquariums, conservation institutions, and government agencies. They join the more than 80 new members that have joined us so far this year. They span six continents, reflecting the growing global reach of the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS). They are also very different in their focus, caring for animals in different environments, from wombats in Japan to sea turtles on Réunion. To show just how varied our new members are, we’d like to highlight a few of them.
Zoos and Wildlife Centers
Zoos remain our largest category of members, and this past quarter saw us welcoming some interesting additions. Located in Kolkata, India, Alipore Zoological Garden is the country’s oldest formally established zoo, having been in operation for more than 150 years. Today, they also run a conservation breeding program for species such as the Bengal monitor lizard, the banded krait, and the mouse deer, to support their future reintroduction into the wild. Also joining Alipore this quarter are the New Tbilisi Zoo in Georgia, Satsukiyama Zoo in Japan, Parc Ivoloina in Madagascar, Cannon Hall Farm in England, and Gorge Wildlife Park in Australia, among others.
Aquariums
Moving from land to water, we’ve also had a few aquariums join our global community this quarter. Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas is doing important work to protect the zebra shark, one of the endangered species in its care. The aquarium works with partner organizations around the world to send zebra shark eggs to Indonesia, helping to restore wild populations. Also joining us are Underwater World Langkawi in Malaysia and the soon-to-open Harborview Aquarium in Central New York.
Conservation Institutions
Conservation remains an important part of our mission at Species360, and it’s a goal we share with all our members. Since July, we’ve welcomed institutions working with everything from sea turtles to migrating cranes and indigo snakes. One of our newest members, AmaZOOnico, is a rescue center in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Since they were founded in 1993, they have dedicated themselves to rescuing animals that have been illegally trafficked, caring for more than 3,000 animals over the years. Also joining us are Kélonia on Réunion Island, and Crane Trust in Nebraska to mention a few.
Government, Research, and Subscribers
Beyond zoos, aquariums, and conservation institutions, this quarter also saw Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, join our community as an Educational License member. Drake joined to add ZIMS to their curriculum, giving students hands-on experience with the platform. We were also excited to welcome new Species360 Insights subscribers, including the Turtle Survival Alliance and North Carolina State University, alongside five new ZIMS Academy subscribers. Insights gives researchers, veterinarians, and universities access to aggregated, anonymized data from ZIMS, which means the records our members share every day go on to support research and conservation around the world.
To all our new members and subscribers, welcome! We’re so glad to have you with us.
Join the Global Network
Interested in joining our community of more than 1,400 institutions across over 100 countries? Learn more about the benefits of becoming a Species360 member or reach out to request a ZIMS demo.
