SALT LAKE CITY — Over 50 years ago, the International Union for Conservation of Nature created the Red List — a compilation of animals and plants threatened with extinction.

Scientists and conservationists have since urgently worked to save species around the globe that are in danger of disappearing, but, though there have been success stories, the fate of many is still a question mark.

A few years ago, Salt Lake’s Hogle Zoo embarked on a long-term conservation commitment after choosing six endangered species on which to focus their efforts.

“The world is vast, and there are so many species in danger,” said Hogle Zoo spokeswoman Erica Hansen. “You have to earmark organizations … where you can get the most bang for your buck, so to speak.”

The zoo has since partnered with organizations and communities around the world and sent funding and boots-on-the-ground resources to support six species in danger of vanishing:

Boreal toad

The boreal toad is a nondescript little amphibian that lives right in Utah’s backyard, according to Hogle’s conservation director Liz Larsen.

The toads are commonly found in the Southern Rocky Mountains and high elevation wetland areas, but their numbers have severely declined in the last two decades because of disease, climate change and habitat disturbance.

Though the total adult population size is unknown, the toads' numbers declined the most between the '70s and '90s but have since slighly recovered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

“We feel the strong sense and obligation that we need to look after the little critters as well as the charismatic species,” Larsen said.

The zoo’s conservation staff gathered a sample of boreal toad eggs in the spring and will raise them on site until they’re past their most vulnerable stage, then release them back into the wild.

Those interested in getting involved in the zoo’s conservation efforts can join one of their biologists on surveys to help document and learn about the species. To find out more and sign up for a survey, visit Hogle’s Boreal Toad Conservation page.

Those who can’t participate in surveys but still want to get involved can download the Amphibians of Utah app where citizens can send information about species they see in the state.

Radiated tortoise

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Just three months ago, Madagascan police discovered 10,000 endangered radiated tortoises covering the floors of a private residence in Toliara, Madagascar, where officials believe the animals were being collected for the illegal pet trade in Asia.

The zoo, which has worked with the people of Madagascar for years to help save the animals from extinction, sent a veterinary technician, conservation biologist and reptile keeper to help the local conservation organization rescue the tortoises.

The radiated tortoises, found only in Madagascar and small, nearby islands, are especially coveted by poachers and illegal pet traders because of their star-patterned, high-domed shells. Some also believe the tortoises can be eaten, and others say they have medicinal properties.

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Hogle Zoo helps rescue 10K tortoises from illegal pet trade in Madagascar

On April 10, police discovered 10,000 endangered radiated tortoises covering the floors of a private residence in Toliara, Madagascar, where officials believe the animals were being collected for the illegal pet trade in Asia.

The wild radiated tortoise population has declined more than 80 percent in the last 30 years, in part, because of illegal poaching and the pet trade. If they continue declining at the same rate, conservationists believe the reptile will go extinct in the wild in less than two decades.

The Hogle Zoo built triage centers for the tortoises’ rescue and plans to open an educational center in Madagascar to teach local citizens how to care for the tortoises and prevent illegal poaching, Larsen said.

Orangutan

The zoo has focused its efforts on orangutans that live in the Malaysian part of Borneo — an island near Indonesia and Singapore — and supports the community-driven Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Program, which provides locals with educational and environmental opportunities, Larsen said.

The organization is primarily focused on securing orangutan habitats and looking for opportunities to foster orangutan survival as the primates move outside the protected areas established by the organization.

Orangutans are currently only found in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra.

The Bornean orangutan has declined from about 288,500 in 1973 to about 104,700 at the last estimate in 2004, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Polar bear

As global warming continues to melt the polar ice caps, polar bears are spending more and more time on land, Larsen said. This means there’s more conflict with small communities that live in polar bear territory.

The zoo installed a radar survey detection system in Churchill, Canada, that can detect the difference between a polar bear and people, dogs, cars, etc. If a polar bear draws near to the town, the radar will detect and notify the residents in Churchill — the polar bear capital of the world, according to Hansen.

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Estimating polar bear numbers can be difficult because the animals often occur at low densities in remote habitats, the conservation union says, but the radar may assist in the effort, Larsen added.

The fight to preserve the polar bear species requires effort from various angles, Larsen said, but this is one of the most effective she believes. The project is set to be a three-year study.

African elephant

The number of African elephants has dwindled from about three to five million in the early part of the 20th century, to about 415,000 now, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature. Poaching has caused a devastating effect among the population and makeup of the gentle creatures.

Protecting the elephants from poachers is a large portion of the rangers’ job at the Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda, Larsen said. The zoo helped install ranger stations in the park to help the local staff protect the animals.

African lion

According to Larsen, there are now fewer African lions than there are rhinos — about 20,000.

“That’s really, really concerning, and there are a lot of big threats, but there are a few strongholds,” Larsen said.

The zoo has dialed in on one of these strongholds in northern Mozambique that’s relatively inaccessible and still has about 1,000 lions. Larsen believes it holds a lot of promise and is an area that needs protection — but there’s growing conflict in the nearby community.

There are about 40,000 people in the neighboring community, and some are seeking to expand, she said. But the more they grow beyond their community borders, the more conflicts they have with the lions in the area.

The zoo has built an education center in the nearby communities where children can come from all over the reserve area to learn about the wildlife.

“Success of conservation is directly connected to the community,” Larsen said.

And those in Utah who wonder how they can help with the conservation effort in such far-away lands should remember that each trip they make to the zoo is a contribution, Larsen said.

Part of all ticket proceeds go to conservation efforts, Larsen said, and the zoo has funded several projects through an event called Zoo Brew where adults can come in after hours, buy a beer and look at the animals.

“People are at the heart of making conservation successful,” she added.

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