Research Programs

Our Current Research Programs

Zoo staff participate in wildlife conservation and research projects locally, regionally, and internationally. We collaborate with other conservation organizations and research institutions for maximum effectiveness.

Scientific Research at the Zoo

If you have an inquiry regarding a possible project at the Zoo that involves scientific research and/or biological samples, please contact the Zoo’s Conservation, Research & Sustainability Coordinator via email. Use the AZA Standardized Research Application form to submit your proposal; it can be downloaded here.

Rock Iguana Conservation

For 25 years, the Zoo and Zoological Society have supported field conservation of iguanas in the Caribbean. Jamaica iguanas were once believed to be extinct, and remain critically endangered, due to habitat loss and introduced predators.

The Jamaica Iguana Recovery Program conducts nest monitoring, predator exclusion from protected nesting areas, and head-starting hatchlings at Jamaica’s Hope Zoo. Grand Cayman blue iguana populations have rebounded due to conservation interventions, but remain endangered.

Pat Gives Back (PGB)

Pat Gives Back is a zookeeper-driven program supporting wildlife conservation primarily in Belize that includes Zoo-supported staff involvement in and support of in situ conservation and research, annual training workshops for Belize Zoo (former home of MCZ jaguar, Pat the Cat) staff, and public education about Belize wildlife.