Granby Zoo raises over $100,000 to help Australian wildlife

Granby Zoo set up an online fundraiser to raise money for Australian wildlife affected by the bushfires and exceeded its goal within a week of launching the campaign.

The Granby Zoo Foundation will donate over $100,000 to the cause, more than $80,000 from a Facebook fundraiser (originally asking for $60,000) and the zoo will toss in an extra $20,000.

• See also:
  • Recent rain likely not enough to quell deadly Australian bushfires
  • Trudeau announces compensation of $25,000 per victim for families of Iran plane crash
  • Animal rights activists protest during dinner service inside Joe Beef (VIDEO)

All proceeds will go to the Bushfire Emergency Wildlife Fund, an emergency fund set up by three zoos in the Australian state of Victoria.

Granby Zoo

“Protecting endangered species is a Zoo de Granby’s priority and a key part of its mission,” reads the Granby Zoo website. “Ecologists estimate that nearly half a billion animals have died in Australia’s bushfires. These fires have pushed back field conservation efforts by several decades. In fact, because their ecosystems have never been affected to this extent before, many species might not recover.”

In total, 2,200 people made donations, according to Granby Zoo’s Facebook page, for a total of $80,787 raised.

With Granby Zoo’s $20,000 kicker, the total amount heading to the Bushfire Emergency Wildlife Fund equals an impressive $100,787.