Field Conservation Research
The Phoenix Zoo’s Field Conservation Research Department is dedicated to advancing our understanding of wildlife and the habitats where they live.
Using non-invasive tools such as wildlife cameras, acoustic recorders, gunshot and species detection devices, artificial intelligence, machine learning and computer analysis, we can better understand wildlife communities. This research informs habitat connectivity, critical species protection, ecosystem health and other essential aspects of conservation. Our efforts, which extend globally from Costa Rica to our own backyard in Arizona, support community-driven initiatives to safeguard ecosystems and work towards a future where humans and wildlife can better coexist.
OUR PROJECTS
US-MEXICO BORDERLANDS
ATASCOSA
COMPLEX
We deployed 50 cameras throughout the Atascosa Complex from 2024-2025 to better understand the wildlife community in this vital wildlife corridor.
SOUTHWEST AI
WILDLIFE ID
We worked with 16 scientific partners to create an openly available model to identify animals recorded on wildlife cameras in Arizona.
CUENCA
LOS OJOS
We have had a long-standing commitment to better understanding wildlife ecology in the borderlands. In 2018, we detected a jaguar near the border in Sonora, Mexico.
INTERNATIONAL
JAGUAR
CORRIDOR
We are working with our in-country partner, ProCAT, to better support local communities protecting forest habitat and increasing connectivity for wildlife in Costa Rica.
GUNSHOT
DETECTION
Poaching is a growing concern in Costa Rica. With Dr. Garth Paine from ASU and local partners we are creating a real-time gunshot detection system to alert national park officials to reduce illegal hunting.
ACOUSTIC BIODIVERSITY
DETECTION
We are developing new ways to detect rare wildlife in remote and rugged rainforest ecosystems. We’re using cutting-edge technology to listen for the endangered three-wattled bellbird as a test case.
Interested in helping? Consider a donation to support our work in the field!
LEARN MORE ABOUT PHOENIX ZOO'S CONSERVATION EFFORTS:
Plan your visit today!
The Phoenix Zoo is one of the largest non-profit zoos in the U.S., caring for over 3,000 animals, with nearly 400 species represented, including many threatened/endangered species.
Plan your visit today!
The Phoenix Zoo is one of the largest non-profit zoos in the U.S., caring for over 3,000 animals, with nearly 400 species represented, including many threatened/endangered species.
