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Lights for Lions: Audubon Zoo collects and recycles old holiday string lights

Audubon Zoo Lights presented by Children's Hospital Opening Night 2019. Friday, November 29, 2019 Audubon Zoo, New Orleans, Louisiana

NEW ORLEANS – Take action with Audubon Zoo this holiday season and make a positive impact on the natural world.

The Zoo will be collecting string lights for recycling between November 29 and December 30 as part of Audubon’s “Lights for Lions” conservation campaign to save lions in the wild.


Most string lights are not bio-degradable and are dangerous to animals if they get tangled in the strands. The public can help by recycling unused or discarded lights and keeping them from going to a landfill.

Lions at Audubon Zoo – Arnold, Nia, Kali, and Zuri

The “Lights for Lions” drop-off box will be located outside of the Zoo front entrance.

“Lights for Lions is an impactful way to connect our residents to a worthwhile conservation project,” said Audubon Nature Institute President and CEO Ron Forman. “We will make sure all string lights are responsibly recycled, so community members can enjoy their holidays knowing that they helped save animals in the wild.”

Lion populations have declined by half in just a quarter century. Their loss signals the loss of the wild in Africa.

All proceeds from Audubon’s “Lights for Lions” recycling program will support the Wildlife Conservation Network’s Lion Recovery Fund.

Every string of lights donated makes a difference.