Zoo Zürich to prioritize endangered species by 2030

Zoo Zürich has announced a strategic realignment of its animal collection to focus on endangered species and those relevant to scientific research by 2030. This shift is guided by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

As part of this transition, four Bactrian camels will leave the zoo within the next two weeks to move to a camel farm in Thurgau. They will be replaced by Golden Takins, an endangered species from the Himalayas that is under strict state protection in China. The zoo plans to renovate the enclosure before the new arrivals move in.

Other planned changes include the departure of seals and non-threatened King penguins, while endangered Humboldt penguins will remain. An exception to the conservation-only rule is the meerkat population, which will stay due to a long-standing research cooperation with the University of Zurich. According to zoo spokesperson Dominik Ryser, the goal is to gain knowledge about ecological relationships to help protect natural habitats.