IUCN on the conservation importance of zoos October 25, 2023

Today, zoos contribute to the conservation of endangered species in many ways. Such examples are the propagation of endangered species within the framework of coordinated breeding programs or participating in fieldwork taking place in the natural habitat of the species concerned. The experience accumulated in zoos also helps the protection of endangered species in the wild, so these institutions also function as nature conservation knowledge centers. Not to mention that due to their high attendance and popularity, they play a significant role in shaping attitudes and increasing social support for nature conservation efforts.


Our Zoo has a long tradition of nature conservation work, as the Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden already participated in the world's first zoo breeding program, the program launched to save the European bison in the 1920s. Moreover, the International Society for the Protection of the European Bison (Internationale Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung des Wisents), which launched the program, held its congress in the Budapest Zoo in 1927. Nowadays, our Zoo carries out a wide range of nature conservation activities, from breeding endangered species in the zoo to rescuing wild animals.