Zoo Keeper, Jodie Dryden has organised a charity quiz to raise funds for critically endangered Sulawesi black crested macaques; a species she looks after at our award winning attraction.
Over 250 people signed up for the quiz which took part on the same night in 5 different UK zoos. Along with Drusillas, employees from ZSL London, Newquay, Paignton and Dudley Zoo all took part raising a combined total of £1243. Each zoo was provided with the same questions written by Jodie, covering ten categories such as sport, animals, celebrities, music and history.
Sadly Sulawesi macaques are critically endangered in the wild. The population has declined by as much as 80% over the last 40 years mainly due to habitat destruction and hunting. The large primates are considered a local delicacy and are currently being killed at an unsustainable rate.
Earlier this year, Jodie travelled to Indonesia to witness the plight of these monkey first hand. During her 5 week field trip, she volunteered for the Selamatkan Yaki Conservation Programme working to raise awareness for the monkeys and their native habitat. The money raised from the Quiz Night will be donated to the charity and will be used to purchase a project car, enabling the team to travel around the island visiting more schools, universities and events than ever before.
At Drusillas, 90 members of staff and volunteers entered made up of 17 teams raising a total of £342.40. However, it was the Quizy Rascals consisting of Finance and Administration personnel who were victorious, securing the much coveted winners’ title on the night.
Jodie commented: “All of the animal collections taking part in the quiz look after Sulawesi macaques. The evening turned out better than I could ever have imagined. We raised a brilliant amount for Selamatkan Yaki but the event was also about raising awareness and this was defiantly achieved on the night. Hopefully with more people aware of the species and the threats they face, more can be done to save them in the future.”
