Tigers to Star in Series of Facebook Lives with An

Silver Spring, MD, July 18, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Facebook feeds will be filled with tiger stripes soon as the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) partners with Animal Planet to deliver an awe inspiring live streaming event on Facebook.

Throughout the week of July 24 ^th and leading up to Global Tiger Day on July 29, viewers on Animal Planet’s Facebook page will be transported to six AZA-accredited zoos to get up-close access to highly endangered tigers. Animal care professionals will answer viewer questions and interact with the animals. They’ll discuss efforts to conserve the species in the wild through the Tiger Conservation Campaign, and viewers will be able to contribute to those efforts directly through donate buttons in Facebook Live.

All species of tigers are highly endangered. Some estimates put their numbers as low as 3,200 left in the wild. That is why AZA is joining forces with our partners to reach an online audience of millions once again.

“We’re extremely excited to continue our work with these partners to bring the message of excellent animal care and conservation to a global audience,” said Jill Nicoll, Executive Vice President at AZA. “Millions enjoyed our 10-hour Facebook Live marathon in March and we hope millions more will join us for this special livestream series featuring endangered tigers.”

The series of Facebook Live streams will appear on the Animal Planet Facebook page beginning Monday, July 24, at 11 a.m. Eastern time. They’ll conclude on Global Tiger Day, Saturday, July 29. Participating AZA-accredited zoos include, in order of appearance, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium in Omaha, Neb.; Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield, Mo.; Minnesota Zoological Garden in Apple Valley, Minn.; Topeka Zoo in Topeka, Kan.; Houston Zoo in Houston, Texas; and the Bronx Zoo/Wildlife Conservation Society in New York, New York.

“Tigers are incredibly endangered in the wild, but AZA zoos and aquariums have really stepped up to support and lead efforts to save them,” said Dr. Tara Harris, Vice President for Conservation at the Minnesota Zoo and Coordinator of the AZA's Tiger Species Survival Plan (SSP) program. “Through the Tiger SSP’s Tiger Conservation Campaign, our zoo and aquarium community has sent over $800,000 to fund projects that directly address the threats wild tigers face in Asia. This is just a sample of the important positive impact our community is making to save wildlife around the world.”

Tiger populations are threatened by habitat loss and degradation, poaching, tiger-human conflict, loss of prey, and other factors. Tigers are thought to occupy less than seven percent of their original range. Four of nine subspecies have disappeared from the wild just in the past 100 years, and the Amur, Sumatran, and Malayan tigers are all thought to number fewer than 500 individuals in the wild.   

More information about the Tiger Conservation Campaign, and the projects it supports, can be found on this website: http://support.mnzoo.org/tigercampaign/

About AZA

Founded in 1924, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, animal welfare, education, science, and recreation. AZA is the accrediting body for the top zoos and aquariums in the United States and eight other countries. Look for the AZA accreditation logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things. The AZA is a leader in saving species and your link to helping animals all over the world. To learn more, visit www.aza.org .

About Animal Planet:

Animal Planet, a multi-media business unit of Discovery Communications, is the premiere TV, digital and social community for animal lovers and pet owners, providing immersive, engaging, high-quality entertainment across all platforms including: Animal Planet television network, available in more than 94 million homes in the US, that is complimented with a deep Video On Demand offering; Online assets www.animalplanet.com , the ultimate online destination for all things animal; Animal Planet L!VE, the go-to digital destination for round-the-clock, unfiltered access to the animal kingdom; @AnimalPlanet social including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About Discovery Communications’ Project C.A.T.

Discovery Communications has joined the worldwide effort to double the number of tigers in the wild by 2022. By conserving nearly a million acres of protected land on the border of India and Bhutan, #ProjectCAT aims to ensure a healthy habitat for future generations of tigers. Join the C.A.T. fight and learn more about what you can do at: animalplanet.com/tigerpedia  

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Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/Attachm...3fba3e63ac

Rob Vernon Association of Zoos and Aquariums 301-244-3352 Rvernon@aza.org