Our Legacy Commitment

Our Legacy Commitment

With your help, every species can not only survive, but thrive.

In 2016, Taronga launched its legacy for the future and for the wild, dedicating the next decade to the conservation of ten critical species, known as our Legacy Species.
 
Five of these Legacy Species are native to Australia, including the Platypus and the Bilby, and five are on the brink of extinction in Sumatra – a biodiversity hotspot of critical importance, found right on Australia’s doorstep.
 
There are many threats facing their future, including poaching, habitat loss and climate change. But we believe that with your help, every species can not only survive but thrive.

Koala
Koala

Koala

Cute and cuddly-looking, they’re recognised around the world as a unique Australian icon, and for that reason they’re an important ambassador for habitat preservation.

Habitat loss remains the Koala's greatest threat, with suitable environments shrinking, and forests only able to support finite number of Koalas, populations are being fragmented. Disease and climate change events such as drought and bushfires have also had a devastating impact. That’s why Taronga is prioritising the conservation of Koala as an animal of utmost importance to the Australian landscape. 

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Koala
Regent Honeyeater
Regent Honeyeater

Regent Honeyeater

This handsome honeyeater is returning to the Ironbark forests through Taronga’s breeding efforts and restoring resilient landscapes.

You can help protect Australian wildlife including Regent Honeyeaters by choosing the FSC eco-label when purchasing paper products.

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Regent Honeyeater
Southern Corroboree Frogs
Southern Corroboree Frogs

Southern Corroboree Frog

Taronga's insurance colony is a lifeline for the Corroboree Frog, one of Australia’s most critically endangered species.

Taronga is heavily involved in breeding and releasing Corroboree frogs into the wild in a National Recovery Program to help save the species. 
 

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Southern Corroboree Frogs
Green Turtle
Green Turtle

Marine Turtle

Marine Turtles have been on our planet for around 200 million years. They shared time and space with the dinosaurs and have not changed much since.

Australia is home to some of the largest marine turtle nesting areas in the Indo-Pacific region, including the only nesting populations of the Flatback Turtle.

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Green Turtle
Platypus
Platypus

Platypus

The Platypus is the animal emblem of Taronga Conservation Society and the state of NSW. It has swum the fresh waters of eastern Australia for thousands of years, but remains a secretive and elusive creature.

A network of scientists led by UNSW and Taronga are determined to find out by calling on the community to contribute to a platypus census.

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Platypus
Bilby in the Australian Nightlife precinct at Taronga Zoo Sydney
Bilby in the Australian Nightlife precinct at Taronga Zoo Sydney

Greater Bilby

Bilbies have an amazing ability to survive in a wide range of habits and were once found on 70% of the Australian mainland. Today the only remaining wild populations are fragmented and restricted to areas in the Tanami desert in the Northern Territory, the Great Sandy Desert, Pilbara and Kimberley regions of Western Australia and an isolated population also lives in south-western Queensland.

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Bilby in the Australian Nightlife precinct at Taronga Zoo Sydney
Sumatran Rhinceros Bina at Way Kambas National Park
Sumatran Rhinceros Bina at Way Kambas National Park

Sumatran Rhinoceros

The Sumatran Rhino is one of the rarest large mammals on Earth. Because of poaching, numbers have decreased more than 70% over the last 20 years, with the only viable population now in Indonesia. 

Taronga is a founding member of the International Rhino Foundation (IRF). Our vets, pathologists, reproductive biologists and tourism staff are actively engaged in projects with the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary at Way Kambas National Park, Sumatra.

Read more about how you can take action by joining a Sumatran Eco-tour in 2020.

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Sumatran Rhinceros Bina at Way Kambas National Park
Sumatran Tiger at Taronga Zoo Sydney
Sumatran Tiger at Taronga Zoo Sydney

Sumatran Tiger

Wild tigers are facing a difficult future, but Taronga are fighting for a wildly bright one! With as few as 400 Sumatran Tigers left, we are deadly serious about protecting this wild species and their habitat.

Taronga is proud to be part of a regional conservation management plan for Sumatran Tigers including breeding, research, fundraising and community action to support sustainably produced palm oil.

Read more about how you can take action by joining a Sumatran Eco-tour in 2020.

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Sumatran Tiger at Taronga Zoo Sydney
Sunda Pangolin
Sunda Pangolin

Sunda Pangolin

Sunda Pangolin is one of the coolest creatures in the forest but sadly it is also the most trafficked mammal in illegal wildlife trade.

Taronga have made a conservation commitment to this magnificent mammal and are determined to combat the illegal wildlife trade.

Read more about how you can take action by joining a Sumatran Eco-tour in 2020.

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Sunda Pangolin
Asian Elephant calf Kanlaya
Asian Elephant calf Kanlaya

Asian Elephant

The largest living land mammal, elephants are super smart, really social and vital to their ecosystems. 

At Taronga we have made a conservation commitment to the Asian Elephant. Taronga’s successful breeding program, driven by our experts and partner zoos, is a vital part of the international effort for this endangered species. 

Read more about how you can take action by joining a Sumatran Eco-tour in 2020.

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Asian Elephant calf Kanlaya
Mary the Sun Bear at Taronga Zoo Sydney
Mary the Sun Bear at Taronga Zoo Sydney

Sun Bear

Sun Bears are one of the world’s rarest species of bear. They are also the world’s smallest bear standing at around 1.5m high.

Clever and curious, this rare bear may be the smallest on the planet but gee wizz it can pack a punch!

Read more about how you can take action by joining a Sumatran Eco-tour in 2020.

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Mary the Sun Bear at Taronga Zoo Sydney