VdZ Annual Conference: Education, Research and Conservation

(eap) The Berlin-based Association of Zoological Gardens (VdZ) held its annual conference from 3 to 6 June at Zoo Basel in Switzerland in order to discuss strategic questions of international species conservation with the more than 200 experts who had travelled to attend – zoo executives, biologists, veterinarians and species conservation specialists.

On this occasion, the German-speaking zoo association, which comprises a total of 71 institutions in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Spain (Loro Parque on Tenerife), also took stock of the past five years. A total of 59 million euros had been invested by VdZ members in nature and species conservation projects worldwide. In addition, around 500 animals from around 20 endangered species had been released into the wild in Europe each year. Zoos continue to act as visitor magnets: According to the VdZ, around 41 million people visited the zoos organised within the VdZ in 2025 alone.

With regard to the future work and orientation of the VdZ and its members, the “One Plan Approach” of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) would provide the guiding direction: Wild populations and animal populations in human care should no longer be managed separately, but jointly as one population. Zoos are thus to become an integral part of the global strategy to save threatened species.

“The One Plan Approach reflects the paradigm shift in nature and species conservation from purely preservation strategies in the wild towards intervention concepts. These recognise human intervention as a key factor for contemporary conservation concepts, including outside the habitats that still exist. Wild and zoo animal populations are managed jointly as demographic and genetic subpopulations of an overall system. […],” explained Dr Dag Encke, President of the VdZ.

A further aspect of modern zoo management is represented by ongoing improvements to the keeping conditions for the animals, with enclosures being designed to be as close to nature as possible. The selection of species presented is to be oriented towards species that are actually threatened rather than towards pure attraction value, with nature conservation and education being brought into focus. The VdZ states: “[…] Through breeding, their own projects and zoo education, VdZ zoos will continue to expand their role as nature conservation centres. Supported by modern electronics, but not replaced by them, zoological gardens will also continue to be a point of contact for many millions of visitors each year in the future.”

One example of the use of modern technologies in zoos that serve an educational and entertainment purpose is represented by virtual reality (VR) applications, as implemented, for example, at Zoo Leipzig or Cologne Zoo. With regard to the joint keeping of several animal species in a habitat designed to be close to nature, the Belgian zoo Pairi Daiza recently attracted attention with the completion of its multi-year construction project for a new tropical hall (read all about “Edenya” in the current May/June issue of EAP). ■