On 3rd March 2013, on the 40th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the UN General Assembly decided to add a new World Wildlife Day to the conservation calendar. Since then, World Wildlife Day has been a red letter on every nature lover’s calendar to raise awareness of the diversity of wild flora and fauna, the economic, scientific, ethical, and aesthetic values of natural assets, and the consequent need for increased protection. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species currently lists 8,400 species as critically endangered, while almost 30,000 more are listed as endangered or vulnerable, mainly due to habitat destruction caused by human activities, the introduction of invasive species, and illegal trade.
The Debrecen Zoo, home to around 900 species of 200 animals and 650 domestic and exotic plant taxa, will be hosting thematic programmes on 3rd March. From 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., a playful educational session called TapiZOO will allow visitors to get up close and personal with the relics of the late inhabitants of the Gibbon House, while from 2:00 p.m. a guided tour will start from the main entrance, presenting the almost 30 European conservation breeding programmes, including the white to handed gibbon, red pandas, serrated giraffes and sword to horned antelopes, which are being carried out in cooperation with the institution.
All programme elements are free of charge with zoo admission.
