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OKC Zoo Sends Relief to Australia

The Oklahoma City Zoo is helping protect Australia’s wildlife as the continent deals with deadly fires.

Zoo officials are sending $10,000 from its round-up for conservation program to help support the critical care and long-term recovery of Australian wildlife.

The zoo’s Curator of Conservation and Science, Rebecca Snyder, says seeing these wildfires across 15-million acres killing about a billion animals since September is heartbreaking.

“We’re losing animals and plants from the face of the earth at a catastrophic rate right now. It’s the sixth mass extinction that the earth is going through. And, unfortunately, this one is caused by people.”

The money coming from guests rounding up their change to the nearest dollar for zoo purchases is going to the Bushfire Emergency Wildlife Fund spearheaded by the zoo in Victoria, Australia.

The Oklahoma City Zoo is also setting up a donation button on its website for people to contribute to the fund taking in animals and, eventually, rehabilitate them into their habitats.

The Oklahoma City Zoo is also currently home to 15 species native to Australia.

Michael Cross is the host of KOSU's Morning Edition.
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