FRESNO, Calif. ( KSEE/KGPE ) – A project to boost the population of blunt-nosed leopard lizards, which included putting tracker backpacks on the lizards , has won Fresno Chaffee Zoo the North American Conservation Award.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the non-profit tasked with the advancement of zoos and aquariums, gave Fresno Chaffee Zoo the award at its annual conference in Alberta, Canada, on Sept. 18.
Fresno Chaffee Zoo working to save this endangered species
Fresno Chaffee Zoo’s efforts in the Blunt-Nosed Leopard Lizard Conservation Program was noted for helping the long-term survival of the species.
“This award recognizes, in particular, the innovative use of tracking technology to monitor lizards post-release,” wrote the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Honors and Awards Committee. “The Automated Radio Telemetry System covering the entire 894-hectare field site was the largest in the world at the time of installation.”
The project to help conserve the blunt-nosed leopard lizard began in 2020 when Fresno Chaffee Zoo joined the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Fresno State to collect the remaining few blunt-nosed leopard lizards.