The Port Moresby Nature Park has won two international awards for its efforts in the conservation of Papua New Guinea’s wildlife and natural environment.
The award was announced at the Zoo and Aquarium Association of Australasia’s (ZAA) bi-annual Gala Awards event.
The winning categories were ‘Exhibit Design – Small Scale Development’ for the Park’s construction of its Reptile Haus, the first of its kind in PNG, and ‘Community Engagement Award’ for ‘Snaketastic’, a community event that was focused on education initiatives about snakes.
Upon receiving the official news and awards, the Park’s Curator Brett Smith said, “Winning the awards meant a lot for Port Moresby Nature Park and Papua New Guinea as a whole as he wholeheartedly thanks the staff for their efforts in achieving this success.”
In receiving the Community Engagement Award, Smith said, “Thousands of people die annually from Snake Bites here in PNG. It is through community engagement programs such as the ‘Snaketastic’ Program that helps enable people to understand how to prevent themselves from snakebites, and appreciate snakes’ important role in the ecosystem, and begin to realize that snakes really are Snaketastic!”
The ZAA Awards are a celebration and acknowledgement of achieved extraordinary success resulting from the dedication and valuable work of member zoos and aquariums and their positive impact on conservation and animal welfare in the region.