Wildlife Conservation
In recent years, our effect on the planet has been devastating, with a massive decline in animal numbers and habitats across the globe. EAZA has never believed that keeping animals in our institutions replaces action in the wild - but experience also shows us that the knowledge and finance that we and our visitors can provide to field conservation projects can make a huge difference. EAZA believes that zoos and aquariums form one pillar of the structure that is needed to safeguard the future.
Our approach to species conservation, called the One Plan approach, recognises that zoos and in situ conservationists need not only to work together to protect animals, but also to engage the public of their communities to take the lead in demanding action from authorities, governments, corporations and themselves so that together we can reduce the stress on endangered species and their habitats.
EAZA members:
- provide financial and human resources to help field conservation projects protect wild animals and their habitats
- work to ensure that many of the most endangered species populations in our zoos and aquariums are intensively managed to ensure their survival
- participate in EAZA conservation campaigns that draw our visitors' attention to the crisis in nature, raise funds and promote public involvement in conservation
- collaborate wherever possible with partners such as the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to provide assistance to their conservation activities
- conduct research which provides valuable insights into the protection of wild populations
In short, EAZA believes that the future of nature depends on all of us; and that EAZA zoos and aquariums can act as a portal for their local communities into conservation across the world.
EAZA Conservation Database
The EAZA Conservation Database is an online tool to facilitate communication on conservation efforts of our members within as well as outside of the zoo and aquarium community. Each month we highlight one of the projects or activities from the database.
Conservation Database Snapshot of February: Proyecto BOTOs
The “Angel Shark Project: Canary Islands” is a collaboration between the Zoological Society of London, the Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig and the Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, working with local and international organizations and supported by Oceanário de Lisboa, among other institutions, since 2017.
The project aims to safeguard the future of Critically Endangered Angel sharks (Squatina squatina) in their unique stronghold, the Canary Islands, with a multidisciplinary approach engaging local communities, researchers and government to raise awareness and deliver conservation action.
A few examples of their actions include:
1) Repeated snorkel surveys to identify and monitor possible nursery areas as well as tagging juveniles and taking tissue samples to understand the genetic connectivity within the population;
2) Training commercial and recreational fishers in handling techniques to increase Angelshark survival when returned to the water after accidental encounters;
3) Co-developing the Angelshark Action Plan in 2016 and driving legislative changes – such as the inclusion of the species on the Spanish Endangered Species List in 2019 - where necessary.
Visit the EAZA Conservation Database and the project page to find out more.
2018 Snapshot updates
Find here the latest achievements of the projects highlighted in 2018 for the Conservation Database Snapshots. For a better view, click on the image.
