April 2026 Conservation Snapshot

Between 2020 and 2025, 24 EAZA Members provided at least €310,000 support for conservation activities specifically for painted dogs, grey wolves, arctic foxes, red foxes, dholes, maned wolves and striped hyaenas. These initiatives span a wide range of activities; from tracking wolf movements across alpine regions to reduce conflict, to supporting community-led monitoring of striped hyaenas in Central Asia, to working with farmers to mitigate livestock losses to African wild dogs.

Across regions, a common challenge these activities are trying to address is human-wildlife coexistence. In Europe, for example, wolves increasingly interact with people (and their livestock) as their populations recover and expand. This issue aligns closely with the work of the EU Platform on Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores, which fosters dialogue, knowledge-sharing and provides tools to do so across Europe.

One of the Platform’s innovative resources is its role‑playing game, designed to help young people and other stakeholders step into the perspectives of different actors involved in large carnivore management. Based on real-life scenarios, the game highlights how diverse interests, values and pressures shape decision‑making. By safely exploring these viewpoints, participants gain an understanding of coexistence challenges and the importance of empathy, communication and collaborative solutions.

At the upcoming EAZA Conservation Forum 2026 (19 - 21 May at Opel Zoo in Kronburg, Germany), a dedicated workshop will introduce this role‑playing game to the EAZA community. The session will explore how the tool can support zoos, conservation practitioners and educators in facilitating dialogue, engaging communities and strengthening coexistence strategies for species such as the wolf.

Registration for the event is open and the full programme can be found on our website.

Banner picture: Painted dog (Lycaon pictus) ©Yorkshire Wildlife Park

Blog post by Merel Zimmermann, 1 April 2026