Chester Zoo steps up global conservation
Chester Zoo has revealed plans to step up its global role in preventing extinction.
World conservation leaders will gather in China for the COP15 summit this April to discuss the planet’s nature crisis and set a plan to tackle it, as one million species are currently at risk of extinction.
The zoo, which last year turned 90, says it is playing a crucial role in preventing extinction with its species-saving work with highly threatened animals and plants.
Currently, the zoo is fighting to protect wildlife at the request of the Spanish, Portuguese and Bermudan governments and is actively working with more than 100 partners in 20 different countries.
It recently received a glowing endorsement from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature for the difference it is making, from its work to save a tiny Mexican fish and snails, to Eastern black rhinos and orangutans.
Jamie Christon, Chester Zoo’s chief executive Ooficer, said: “Our zoo is having a real impact on conservation. As a major wildlife charity, we’re making a colossal contribution to tackling the global extinction crisis at a time when it’s needed most.
“The wonderful thing about our charity is our ground-breaking conservation model. When people visit the zoo, not only do they connect with and learn about wildlife and nature, they help us to generate the vital funds needed to tackle some of the world’s most pressing conservation challenges.
“We are fighting extinction through our conservation, education and research work, here at the zoo, across the UK and around the world. This work is only possible because of the success of our pioneering conservation model and we’ve spent £180m supporting this over the last decade. Without the zoo, it’s highly likely that a number of species that we share our planet with would have vanished.”
“Our zoo is a shining example of what real conservation action in the 21st century looks like. We have a vital role to play in securing a future for wildlife on this planet. That’s why we have devised an innovative Conservation Masterplan – an ambitious set of goals for the next 10 years - and our aim now is to do more and more to protect the natural world and prevent extinction.”
"Chester Zoo works with more than 3,000 species globally, including 140 international animal conservation breeding programmes, led by science, which are working to ensure genetically viable safety-net populations of species in zoos. It is also home to five national plant collections, comprising of more than 1,000 species
"The zoo works with over 100 partners in more than 20 countries to recover threatened wildlife and restore habitats, including orangutans in Bornean rainforests, elephants and tigers in Indian grasslands, lemurs and frogs in Malagasy forests and rare fish in Mexican lakes."
