81st WAZA Annual Conference in Cologne
(f.l.t.r.): Oliver Krischer, Minister of the Environment for North Rhine-Westphalia; Torsten Burmester, Mayor of Cologne; David Field, President of WAZA; Dr. Mona van Schingen-Khan of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN); Prof. Dr. Theo B. Pagel, Director of the Cologne Zoo; and Christopher Landsberg, Executive Director of the Cologne Zoo.
© Photo: WAZA
(eap) The annual conference of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), the global alliance of scientifically managed zoos and aquariums, is currently taking place in Cologne and will run until Thursday, 29 October. As the host of the four-day event, Cologne Zoo is bringing together around 300 directors and decision-makers from zoos and aquariums worldwide. The program includes topics such as further improvements in animal welfare and care, trends in people’s leisure behavior, and opportunities for additional joint efforts in species conservation.
The international industry gathering was opened yesterday with welcome addresses by Cologne’s Lord Mayor Torsten Burmester, North Rhine-Westphalia’s Environment Minister Oliver Krischer, Cologne Zoo Director Prof. Dr. Theo B. Pagel, and WAZA President David Field. One of the first keynote presentations was given by Dr. Mona van Schingen-Khan, Deputy Head of the CITES Scientific Authority at Germany’s Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN). She highlighted the role of CITES in addressing the international wildlife trade. In particular, she discussed how governments, scientific authorities, zoos, researchers, and other stakeholders can work together to contribute to integrated species conservation.
“For us, it is a great honour to once again host the WAZA Conference. With its scientifically managed zoo and all its initiatives in leisure, environmental education, research, and species conservation, Cologne is playing at an absolute ‘Champions League’ level, which is good for our city and the region,” emphasized Zoo Director Pagel. He will retire at the beginning of next year and hand over his role to his successor, Marc Damen.
Dr. Martín Zordan, CEO of WAZA, explained: “Bringing our global zoo and aquarium community together here in Cologne, in the heart of Europe, is a wonderful opportunity to reaffirm what unites us: our responsibility towards animals, species, and nature. However, this conference is about more than just exchanging ideas. It’s about translating our shared goals into meaningful action. We make our greatest impact not simply through what we achieve within our own institutions, but through what we can accomplish together beyond their boundaries. We are very grateful to the Cologne Zoo for hosting us and helping to make this global exchange possible.” ■
