Great Lakes Zoological Society
There's a new destination in Ann Arbor Michigan. The Great Lakes Zoological Society's Conservation & Rescue Center (A World of Discovery) in Ann Arbor, Michigan is a family destination. It's an indoor zoo experience featuring reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, birds, and other exhibits.
The Center's primary objectives are education and conservation. We also participate in the rehabilitation and rerelease of endangered native animals and the rescue and placement of displaced pets.
We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so all philanthropic contributions are tax deductible to the full extent of the law. Please visit our Donations page to make a contribution.
Education is our primary program at the World of Discovery. School children participate in an age appropriate Michigan science GLCE tailored interpretive educational presentation in our classroom. Focused on science but crossing disciplines, the program covers reptile and amphibian natural history, conservation, geography, skin, diet, habitat, movement, predation, and many other fascinating topics. The children get to make observations and hypotheses while getting to see and touch reptiles up close. In the exhibit area, the children participate in an age appropriate GLCE tailored scavenger hunt. Our programs come with pre-visit and post-visit exercises.
As visitors wander through the exhibit area, and encounter reptiles and amphibians from around the world, they have an opportunity to learn facts about conservation, what makes a good and bad reptile pet, and proper reptile husbandry.
The GLZS has built a partnership with the Michigan DNR to serve as a rescue for injured and confiscated reptiles and amphibians. After rehabilitation and with the DNR's assistance, these animals are either rereleased to the wild or maintained at the World of Discovery if they are not able to survive in the wild or it is inappropriate to release them.
A serious problem that exists in the pet trade is the sale of exotic reptiles that later end up unwanted or neglected. The GLZS is committed to creating a safe haven for these animals. At the World of Discovery, these animals will be rehabilitated and prepared for placement within appropriate homes with properly trained caregivers.
The GLZS offers a program where these animals can be brought to the Conservation Center and we will work to place these animals within appropriate homes, schools, zoos, rescues, or maintain the animals ourselves. A tax deductible surrender donation of $50.00 is required to surrender any animal to the conservation and rescue center. In order to protect the health of all of the animals at the center, all new animals coming into the facility have to be tested for parasites. We have to pass this cost onto the surrenderer in order to keep the center open.
With grant funding and corporate and individual contributions, the zoo hopes to manage several captive breeding programs. The scope and number of programs will depend on funding. We hope to fund at least one captive hatching and head-starting program for indigenous turtles.
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