Celebrations all round…

Our Exec Director, Olivia, has been at Edinburgh Zoo this week at the BIAZA Annual Conference (and 60^th birthday bash), where she gave a presentation celebrating zoos committed to giving unrestricted funding and building long term partnerships with small conservation organisations like WVI and WAPCA.

Zoos are comparatively understanding sponsors, often able to provide flexible and reactive funding, as well as skills, like marketing, education and management support, to these small organisations, enabling them to do what they do best - conservation of biodiversity - without worrying about the survival of the organisation per se.

By working in these partnerships, small organisations have had a huge biodiversity impact, supporting their local communities through providing secure employment and alternative livelihoods. The benefits and knowledge run in both directions, with some zoos mirroring the work being done in the field in their collections at home.

When WVI was set up, very little was known about the health of free-ranging animals vs their captive counterparts. Today, thanks to initiatives like the Wild Tiger Health Project, the knowledge base that has been developed with regard to wild tigers is readily available to anyone interested. There are obviously still gaps, and always much to learn, but none of this would be possible without the unwavering support of a number of BIAZA member zoos in getting the WTHP off the ground.

On a more immediate celebratory note, the conference was also a chance to join in BIAZA’s 60^th birthday celebrations, enjoy some fabulous cake, and catch up with old friends and colleagues, including RZSS CEO David Field and BIAZA’s Head of Species Management and Conservation, Nicky Needham. It’s always good to be reconnect with the wider network of dedicated conservationists who share the same vision – a world where wildlife doesn’t just survive, but thrives.

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