If you watch television for any length of time, it's inevitable that you will catch one of the GEICO (which stands for Government Employees Insurance Company) featuring an animated Gecko. Now, the Gecko is going on the road in a different way, as part of a nationwide conservation campaign in partnership with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the San Diego Zoo.

The traveling exhibit features a live gecko collection which includes giant day geckos from Madagascar, a series of animated videos, and (on weekends) the GEICO Gecko character (an adult in a costume) and opened for the first time in the Children's Zoo at the San Diego Zoo on Saturday, January 5th.

GEICO Chairman Tony Nicely said in a press release, "We are proud to support the work of AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums." He added, "Our Gecko has proven to be a powerful spokescreature for our insurance products. Now he's taking on an additional assignment to help promote the wildlife conservation work done by zoos and aquariums across America."

The traveling exhibit is part of a three-year partnership between the AZA and GEICO, and will involve taking the collection on tour to AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums nationwide. At each stop, a contribution will be made to wildlife conservation by GEICO, which is also serving as the lead sponsor for AZA's Earth Day Party for the Planet later this year.

Jim Maddy, President and CEO of AZA told reporters, "The power of the GEICO Gecko to reach the public combined with the power of AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums to reach 157 million visitors every year is a winning combination. We are grateful that GEICO has made such a major commitment to wildlife conservation."

GEICO is the fourth-largest private auto insurance company in the United States.