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Preserving endangered species
You may have wondered where the animals living in AquaZoo Leeuwarden actually come from and what the role of a zoo is. This page will tell you all about it.
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The role of a zoo
Many of the animals you see in the park were born here; others were moved to AquaZoo from other zoos. Thus, there are no animals taken from the wild and brought to our park. One of the most important tasks of zoos is to protect and preserve (endangered) species. We cooperate with other recognized European parks to perform this task as well as possible. Many of the animals you see at AquaZoo have IUCN status from "vulnerable" to "extinct in the wild. With management programs, we ensure a healthy reserve population of these species. If possible, animals are released into the wild. Research is also conducted on these animals so that we can use the results to help wild conspecifics. It is important to note that licensed zoos do not buy or sell animals. The animals are not the property of a park and relocations only take place in the best interest of the species.
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Management programs (EEPs)
More than 10,000 animal species are threatened with extinction, did you know? AquaZoo works with about 350 European zoos to conserve and protect these species. Together we form the EAZA: the European Zoo Association. Together we work for more than 400 animal species with international management programs, also called EEPs. EEP stands for EAZA Ex situ Program where Ex Situ means "outside the natural habitat. In this video, head of care William and curator Lars of Beekse Bergen explain how the management program works, using the tigers at AquaZoo as an example.
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Management Programs (EEPs) at AquaZoo
There are about 85 animal species living in AquaZoo of which about 25% have EEPs. In each management program (EEP), a coordinator is in charge. That person manages the population of a particular zoo species and keeps all the records. AquaZoo manages the swamp wallaby's EEP. The coordinator, together with a committee, gives advice on which animals are allowed to have offspring together, whether animals should move to other zoos to do so, and if so, to which ones.
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How is the collection put together?
You'll see 85 different animal species at AquaZoo, all of which are deliberately chosen. This is because we put together a collection and master plan in which we work out which animal species we want to house in the future and why we choose this.
There are several reasons for choosing a species. Often we choose a species that is part of an EEP, this way we contribute to the conservation and protection of endangered species. This is always in consultation with the coordinator of the species in question. Certain species are also chosen for an educational reason so that we can inform visitors about a species, its role in the ecosystem and the opportunities and threats that exist in the wild. Research is another reason for wanting to house a species at AquaZoo.
Examples of species preservation
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Breeding sea trout
AquaZoo has started rearing young sea trout for the Fish for Connection project. This project focuses on improving fish stocks in the Wadden Sea and surrounding waters.
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Giant otters
With the arrival of a giant otter female, we are contributing to the European management program and also to an international reintroduction project in Argentina.
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White-faced lemur born
The EEP is helping to build a healthy reserve population of this species. In the wild, the animals face threats such as habitat loss due to deforestation and human activities.
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Father David deer born
In 1900 there were only 16(!) Father David deer left and the species was extinct in the wild. Fortunately, this species was preserved and there are now 1,500 animals living again. AquaZoo contributes to a healthy reserve population.
Read more about births, reintroduction to the wild or the protection of endangered species?
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Who do we work with?
We are members of EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquaria). A park is admitted only if it meets strict requirements for such things as animal living conditions, EEPs, research and education. About 350 parks in Europe are members of EAZA. Moving animals for a management program is preferably done with one of the members.
In addition, AquaZoo is a member of the NVD (Nederlandse Vassociation of Dier gardens). Together we work to preserve and protect nature, research to support it and develop education that inspires visitors.
Membership in the NVD and/or EAZA can be seen as a seal of quality for zoos.
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