Zurich Zoo Gives Visitors a Direct Insight into Scientific Research
Photo: Courtesy of Zoo Zürich
(eap) Zurich Zoo has opened a new research station that gives visitors an insight into part of its scientific work – with a focus on the conservation of biodiversity. The six rooms of the new station offer precisely controllable research conditions by functioning like climate chambers to precisely simulate the course of the year in a habitat. This allows the behavior of animals (the focus at Zurich Zoo is currently on the golden poison frog) to be studied in detail. The findings should in turn contribute to the conservation of the species through appropriate protective measures and breeding. Because: “Successful breeding is the key to successful species conservation. This is one of the main tasks of zoos: they maintain reserve populations of endangered species and thus play a key role in the ‘One Plan Approach’ of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. This describes species conservation as a holistic task that is accomplished collectively through the cooperation of all institutions and individuals involved in the protection of a species [...],” says the zoo.
The new research station now gives visitors to Zurich Zoo an insight into these activities for the first time and combines the main tasks of a modern zoo – species protection, nature conservation, research and education – in one place. It represents a further milestone in the “Development Plan 2050”, which Zurich Zoo is pursuing on its way to becoming a “Zoo of the Future” (read our article “A world for animals and humans” in EAP 1/2022).
In order to remain relevant in an increasingly competitive leisure and entertainment landscape, zoos and animal parks are now more than ever faced with the challenge of developing successful marketing strategies for public and visitor communication. In our latest EAP issue no. 6/2024, you can find out which aspects are particularly important for campaigns (click here for the magazine issue). ■
