This past November, secretary Vanessa Gagne attended the Zoological Association of America’s annual conference hosted by the San Antonio Zoo.
Vanessa presented a poster during one of the coffee breaks
on human-elephant conflict and the palm oil crisis which gave
her the opportunity to talk with attendees about the realities Asian elephants face in their shrinking habitat.
The presenters came from a wide variety of backgrounds, including animal trainers, conservationists, and zoo directors. Attendees were treated to a grand tour of the San Antonio Zoo where we met their baby hippo, fed giraffes, and saw their impressive Mexican reptile collection.
Vanessa and her husband Michael were glad to be able to visit with fellow EMA member and SAZ mammal curator, Jonathan Reding. We hope to attend more ZAA conferences in the future and become a part of their conservation message.