Beverly Hills, CA -- (SBWire) -- 12/09/2013 --The LEO Zoological Conservation Center (LEOZCC), a low-impact refuge for rare, threatened and endangered animals, recently announced that they have begun a crowdsourcing campaign on Indiegogo.com to raise money to help care for their six endangered orangutans. The fundraising goal of $14,500 will be applied to the construction of a new monitoring area that will allow caretakers to observe animals more closely, provide them with an exceptional level of care, and aid with invaluable conservation based research to save their counterparts in the wild.

LEOZCC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that provides homes to more than 45 species of wildlife on approximately 100 acres in the Greenwich/Stamford area of Connecticut. The refuge is fully accredited by the Zoological Association of America and provides a natural, enriching and peaceful environment focusing on expert care, non-invasive research and breeding efforts to boost populations of at-risk species.

The goal of the new orangutan monitoring area is to help the animals live longer, healthier and happier lives. The facility will feature a scale that will allow caretakers to easily weigh the animals without having to tranquilize and transport them, thereby providing a more detailed analysis of the orangutans’ overall health in a way that minimizes physical and emotional stress.

The monitoring area will also be equipped with several additional features, including a separate section for conditioning training, which is designed to help medical procedures run more smoothly; a “port” which will serve as a safe contact area for performing vaccinations, ultrasounds, blood pressure monitoring and blood work; and this monitoring area will be virtually indestructible even for orangutans, who are eight times stronger than humans.

The Lionshare Educational Organization welcomes all forms of public support. Anyone who would like to learn more about how to raise money for the new orangutan monitoring area is invited to visit the campaign website at Indiegogo.com. Those who are unable to make a monetary contribution can still participate by donating their time, expertise or materials through their volunteering website page. Supporters are also encouraged to educate their friends and family and share information about the campaign through social media outlets.

About LEO Zoological Conservation Center
LEOZCC is a nonprofit, accredited conservation center and offsite, breeding facility, in Greenwich, Connecticut, specializing in species at risk and conservation based education programs. To maintain the facility’s low impact atmosphere, the center is closed to the public but open for educational visits by appointment. For more information, please visit: www.LEOzoo.org.