Zoo Zürich Conservation Academy

In late June and early July, our chair, Thomas Mattern, traveled to Switzerland for the inaugural Zoo Zürich Conservation Academy workshop.

The Zoo Zürich Conservation Academy is organized and run by Zoo Zürich, comprising researchers and conservationists working on projects that align with the zoo’s principal regional exhibits. Zoo Zürich employs an ‘ecosystem’ approach, displaying animals in large, interconnected exhibits that mimic their natural habitats. The crown jewel is the ‘Masoala Rainforest’, a fully enclosed section of Madagascan rainforest where visitors can experience animals ranging from chameleons and tropical birds to lemurs and fruit bats, all roaming freely through the exhibit.

The zoo actively supports conservation projects in the regions represented by these exhibits. This is reflected in the composition of the Zoo Zürich Conservation Academy. The conservation fellows come from Thailand (Elephant and Tiger), Indonesia (Orangutan), Kenya (Lewa Savanna), Madagascar (Rainforest ecosystems), Colombia (Frogs and Amphibians), the Pantanal (Parrots) in Brazil, Switzerland (Bats), and Germany & New Zealand (Penguins).

Thomas was named a fellow of the academy in 2023, alongside frequent collaborator Klemens Pütz from the Antarctic Research Trust, representing the Antarctic and subantarctic regions also featured in Zoo Zürich.

The support from Zoo Zürich not only ensures that we can continue our work in New Zealand but also offers us the unique opportunity to learn about the challenges other conservation groups face and be inspired by solutions to wildlife problems worldwide.