U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums announced more the $1.6 million in COVID-19 pandemic relief funds to help protect endangered species.
According to an April 4 news release, the funds will be distributed under the Endangered Species COVID-19 Relief program with funding from the American Rescue Plan. The American Rescue Plan Act allocated funding for the care of animals listed under the Endangered Species Act. AZA announced $30 million would be allocated to facilities experiencing lost revenue due to COVID-19, to reimburse them for the care of rescued and confiscated wildlife and for the care of federal trust species.
"The service is pleased to work with longtime partner AZA to reimburse plant and animal care facilities in this first distribution of critical American Rescue Plan funding," U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams said in the news release. "We are confident these funds will be used effectively to continue these institutions' high-quality efforts to protect the nation’s imperiled species."
The funds will be used for food; veterinary care or medicine; direct animal or plant care staff time; life-support systems; transportation for medical, reintroduction into the wild and captive breeding purposes; property debt and holding space improvements or modifications; and utilities essential for the care of the species such as electricity and gas.
"As we reviewed the applications for this funding, it was clear that despite the pandemic, zoos, aquariums and other facilities continued to provide extraordinary care for federally protected species and a critically important service to the agencies dedicated to endangered species recovery," AZA President and CEO Dan Ashe said in the news release. "That is why we are so grateful to partner with the service to direct this funding to provide some relief to facilities who need it."
Facilities receiving reimbursement funds include Alaska's Alaska Sea Life, $188,229; Arizona's ACNC Phoenix Zoo, $196,530; California's Aquarium of the Pacific, $50,855, and Birch Aquarium, $110,190; Colorado's Butterfly Pavilion, $1,738; Connecticut's Sea Research Foundation, Mystic Aquarium, $44,642; Florida's The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, $88,718; Georgia's Chehaw Park and Zoo, $2,965, and Georgia Aquarium, $97,811; Kansas' Hutchinson Zoo, $18,811; Louisiana's Alexandria Zoological Park, $42,316; Missouri's Friends of the Zoo Inc. of Kansas City, $158,760; New York's New York Marine Rescue Center, $68,506; North Carolina's Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue, $100,703, North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, $123,672, and North Carolina Aquarium Pine Knoll Shores, $59,850; Ohio's Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, $20,206, and Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, $142,296; Pennsylvania's National Aviary, $87,141; Texas' Gladys Porter Zoo, $12,605; and Virginia's Mill Mountain Zoo, $15,487.
