Cosley Zoo joins campaign to save vaquita from extinction

The habitat of the world's most endangered marine mammal, the vaquita (Phocoena sinus), is more than 2,000 miles from Cosley Zoo in Wheaton.

But that's not stopping the Illinois native wildlife facility from supporting an emergency rescue plan to save the not-so-native aquatic species. The zoo is one of 21 American facilities so far that have signed on as a Public Engagement Project collaborator in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Vaquita Conservation Action Plan, said Cosley Zoo Director Sue Wahlgren.

"Among other things, we will be doing social media, we'll be working to help AZA with a letter-writing campaign," Wahlgren said. "A lot of small, positive actions can lead to a large, positive outcome."

Its name translates to little cow, but the vaquita is a small porpoise found only in the northwestern corner of the Gulf of California. According to official estimates from the Mexican government, populations have dwindled to just about 30 individuals in the wild.

As zoos and aquariums worldwide emphasize and fund conservation projects, Cosley Zoo is no different. Last month, The Cosley Foundation - the zoo's fundraising nonprofit - donated funds to VaquitaCPR, an international consortium organized by the National Marine Mammal Foundation to "locate, catch and house vaquitas in the Gulf of California."

This will ensure the species doesn't go extinct and, if enough vaquitas breed in captivity, "the ultimate goal is to return the animals" to their natural habitat, according to VaquitaCPR.

"Just in the last six weeks, AZA zoos and aquariums have heard the call to action and have come up with more than $1.2 million to support this worthy project," Wahlgren said.

More than 100 other AZA-accredited facilities, including the Shedd Aquarium, San Diego Zoo Global, Texas State Aquarium and Monterey Bay Aquarium, have contributed to this effort.

Before the Vaquita Conservation Action Plan and VaquitaCPR, the Mexican government spent more than $100 million educating the public and banning fishermen from using gillnets, which vaquitas often become trapped in and drown.

"They've made heroic efforts to make this work, but they need more help," Wahlgren said. "We do have evidence these kinds of projects have worked before, with the California condor, black-footed ferret, and the Asian wild horse, which was down to 14 individuals and is now up to more than 500."

No zoo or aquarium has ever held a vaquita in captivity, adding another challenge to the plan to build sea pens as sanctuary off the coast of San Felipe, Mexico. The remaining vaquitas live in turbulent coastal waters and only surface for air, making them hard to spot; scientists will use specially trained U.S. Navy dolphins to locate the vaquitas once the waves calm in October.

"This is an animal very few people are even aware exists," Wahlgren said. "It's having an extinction-level event. This is a project not without risks, but to do nothing is to sign their death warrant. The more zoos and aquariums who can engage with the public, whether it's through social media, on-site information, or our websites, the more chance this animal has to survive."

More support is forthcoming from Cosley Zoo's Coins for Conservation, a new display to educate and fundraise for three endangered species: the vaquita, the Asian wild horse, and the Blanding's turtle.

Guests who can share their spare change will choose what species they want to support, and proceeds directly benefit local and nationwide conservation projects.

The zoo, 1356 N. Gary Ave., aims to introduce Coins for Conservation by Endangered Species Day on May 20.

"We know we're not experts in the field of cetaceans, marine biology," Wahlgren said. "But what we are good at is engaging people, so that's how we're going to help."

Though much of the nationwide public awareness and fundraising campaigns for the vaquita will take place online, Wahlgren believes in-person visits to AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums offer better connection to the natural world than anything on an electronic screen.

"There is something so awe-inspiring about seeing a real, live animal that you can't replace on a screen. If you truly want people to change how they behave to help these animals, they need to connect, and to connect, to understand is to see them, to smell them, to hear them," she said.

To learn more and contribute to efforts to save the vaquita, visit aza.org or vaquitacpr.org.