EAZA Conservation Forum in Kronberg

Every two years, the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) organises the ‘Conservation Forum’. In line with the ‘One Plan Approach’ (OPA), ex situ conservation organisations such as zoos come together with various in situ conservation organisations. The aim is to promote exchange between different partners and, above all, to learn from one another and inspire each other to find new approaches and solutions. For despite all efforts, biodiversity remains under serious threat worldwide and numerous species are being driven to extinction.

The Opel Zoo in Kronberg is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year and hosted the EAZA Conservation Forum. At Kronberg Town Hall, attendees were able to listen to fascinating talks and get hands-on in interactive workshops. The social events took place in the zoo’s beautiful surroundings. It is impressive to see how, in so many places around the world, large numbers of people are working together with great dedication to combat species extinction, and how the connections align with the OPA’s mission. A personal highlight was the talk by Sergeant Colett Ngobeni, who is a member of the ‘Black Mambas’. This is an all-female ranger unit from South Africa which, with great personal dedication and commitment, operates in and around the Olifants West Nature Reserve on the edge of Kruger National Park, with the support of Wilhelma (the Zoological and Botanical Garden in Stuttgart). It was incredibly inspiring and uplifting to see the sheer power and determination that Colett Ngobeni and her colleagues bring to their work, and what can be achieved with it.

Opel Zoo was an excellent host and managed to create a busy yet pleasant atmosphere. This made it a great opportunity to exchange ideas with many colleagues and bring each other up to date. Of course, our partners, such as the Stiftung Artenschutz and the Zoological Society for the Conservation of Species and Populations (ZGAP), were also prominently represented. The EAZA organisers also took the trouble to acknowledge each talk with a dedicated slide in the closing presentation. This allowed us to look back over everything once again in a wonderful way.

Curator Johannes Penner presented the ‘Fire Salamander OPA’, i.e. the numerous activities that Citizen Conservation carries out in collaboration with many other partners as part of Feuersalamander.Net. Those in the know are aware that this initiative is not only about the diversity of native fire salamanders and their battle against the Bsal fungus and the effects of climate change, but also about Alpine salamanders, which face the same threats. Numerous different activities were presented, as well as the establishment of the Alpine Salamander Centre of Excellence in collaboration with Hannover Adventure Zoo and the Sachsenhagen Wildlife and Species Conservation Centre. Using these species as examples, it was demonstrated how cooperation between private individuals and professional institutions can make a real difference in species conservation.Insgesamt also eine sehr spannende und motivierende Veranstaltung. Es bleibt noch viel zu tun! Wir freuen uns auf die nächsten Schritte zum Schutz der Feuersalamander, Alpensalamander und anderen bedrohten Arten.