Jonsson Center for Wildlife Conservation

The Jonsson Center for Wildlife Conservation is an off-site facility that houses the Oregon Zoo's condor and Washington pygmy rabbit breeding programs.

The facility is located in Clackamas County on remote Metro-owned land. The location is designed to minimize the exposure of young condors to people in order to increase the chances for captive-hatched birds to survive and breed in the wild. Pygmy rabbits also benefit from the remote setting. The facility allows for the rabbits to be reared in a quiet setting, which scientists hope will boost their reproductive success.

Since 2003, the Jonsson Center for Wildlife Rehabilitation has undergone major renovations to increase the space for both the condors and rabbits. The condors have a breeding area, a flight aviary and an on-site veterinary hospital.

The pygmy rabbits' portion of the facility has artificial burrows that allows the rabbits to hide underground as they do in the wild. There is also a pre-release pen that houses the rabbits just before release into the wild. This helps prepare the rabbits for what the wild will be like.

The Jonsson Center for Wildlife Conservation is another example of Oregon Zoo's dedication to the Pacific Northwest and conservation across the world.