The second EAZA Conservation Forum, hosted by Tiergarten Schönbrunn in Vienna, Austria, opened today with the first of the conference's themed discussions, the extinction crisis in Asia.

Asia is home to many of the charismatic mega species which are the mainstays of our zoological collections including the Asian elephants and Indian rhinos, the orangutans and gibbons, the Asiatic lions and tigers and the hornbills, vultures and pheasants to name but a few. Sadly many of these species are confronting extinction in the wild due to a combination of deforestation, pollution and poaching. The session discussed the issues leading to the Asian extinction crisis, the conservation actions currently underway in the region and what we in zoos can do to alleviate the situation. Presentations ranged from a discussion of the conservation issues in Asia to the EAZA IUCN/SSC Southeast Asia Campaign. Participants were welcomed to the conference by Dr. Dagmar Schratter, Vienne Zoo, before hearing from keynote speaker Will Duckworth, IUCN/SSC, about the status of land vertebrate conservation in Asia.

Topics for the coming two days include Conservation Psychology, European Conservation and Arid Lands Conservation. For more information and a full programme visit www.eaza.net/activities/Pages/Conservation2012.aspx