Dear Friends,
In the pre-dawn darkness of Sunday, June 24, 2012, Mai Mai Simba rebels, led by a notorious elephant poacher known as Morgan, attacked the Okapi Conservation Project (OCP) in the village of Epulu in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Two rangers and four civilians were murdered; all 14 okapi on the reserve were slaughtered; 30 hostages seized; buildings burned and anything of value looted.
When the news of the Epulu tragedy emerged, Curator of Mammals Jeff Holland, who oversees all hoofstock at the LA Zoo including our pair of okapi, came to me and asked if we could send financial aid to help rebuild the conservation center and assist in the recovery of the village of Epulu. The OCP has been high on our list of conservation projects which GLAZA supports each year, and our response to this tragedy was immediate.
WE NEED YOUR RESPONSE TO BE IMMEDIATE, TOO!
Your gift, large or small, makes a difference.
With your help, GLAZA is able to send critical funds to 28 organizations working on the ground in far-flung places such as Cambodia, Madagascar, Vietnam, Mexico, Ecuador, Russia, Sumatra, and elsewhere.
Today I’m asking for your critical support so that GLAZA can continue to directly aid the organizations which are on the front lines confronting the challenges and solving problems that threaten wildlife around the globe.
As one who cares about the natural world, I hope you will make a tax-deductible contribution to GLAZA today. Please stand with us in the fight to preserve biodiversity and natural habitat. The stakes for wildlife and natural resources around the globe are high and your gift does matter.
Please click here to donate online, or contact the Development Division at (323) 644-6035 to make a donation by telephone. You may also mail your donation to the following address:
Conservation Appeal
c/o GLAZA
5333 Zoo Drive
Los Angeles CA 90027-1498
Thank you for your generosity and for caring.
Connie Morgan
President, Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association
