The Legacy’s support for the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has its roots in the long, distinguished, career of Rolf’ father, Kurt Benirschke. It was his signifcant vision that was the inspiration for selecting an important, ongoing, position at the Zoo that will see “Dr. B’s” legacy live far, far into the future. Everyone in The Legacy Family can take great pride in our support of this global effort.
Dr. Kurt Benirschke will always be remembered as a “man of vision.” Foreseeing the threat of extinction for a number of species, he called upon his knowledge as a physician and scientist to secure the future for the world’s wildlife. He understood that we are all connected, once stating, “We can live without gorillas and giraffes, without butterflies and hummingbirds, but will we like it? Will we want to? I don’t think we have the right to say the world is made for us alone.” Wildlife conservation would not be what it is today without “Dr. B”, as he was affectionately known, and his bold desire to change the world. He was legendary for asking how he could help. Leading with that curiosity, Dr. B was one of the earliest proponents of conservation science and ahead of his time in foreseeing the need to collect DNA and tissue samples from endangered species. He pioneered their cryopreservation—what today is our Wildlife Biodiversity Bank—the first of its kind in the world. Decades later, because of his visionary forethought, conservationists have enough genetic diversity to truly change the trajectory for a species. With Dr. B’s help, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and our conservation partners around the globe are making strides in saving critically endangered wildlife, including the northern white rhino, while reintroducing vital genetic diversity to recover species such as the black-footed ferret and Przewalski’s horse. Dr. Benirschke’s legacy of impact and leadership is inspiring—for what he did, and for what he encouraged others to do out of respect and empathy for wildlife everywhere. Your support through The Legacy Invitational helps continue the critical conservation work Dr. B was so passionate about. You’re saving, protecting, and caring for vulnerable species and the ecosystems we all share, in San Diego and across the globe. Together, we’re securing the future for wildlife. We are deeply grateful for you, and for your generosity.
