Spectacled bears, Humboldt penguins and orangutans are not just some of the most popular animals at Frankfurt Zoo.

They are also ambassadors for projects that the zoo has been supporting with the nature conservation euro for the past year.

Adult visitors are offered the opportunity to donate one euro when they buy a ticket, and since it was introduced last March, more than 70 percent of those visitors have taken advantage of it.

Despite the low number of visitors of 485,000 guests due to the pandemic, 120,000 euros were collected in this way in the first year.

Daniel Meuren

Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

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EUR 96,000 of this goes to projects of the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS).

The globally active nature conservation organization based in the Zoogesellschaftshaus uses the money to preserve the habitats of spectacled bears in the Manu National Park in Peru, the rhinos in the Serengeti and the orangutans in Sumatra, but also for the care of the Hessian Wispertaunus in the Rheingau, where valuable Habitats of bats or insects are protected.

In addition, 18,000 euros will go to the Sphenisco association, which is committed to rescuing the Humboldt penguin, and to the bee embassy in Wetterau.

"Zoos and nature conservation can achieve a lot together"

The zoo is now presenting all of these projects, which will be funded for at least three years until they are evaluated, in an exhibition pavilion just a few steps behind the cash desk, where visitors pay the nature conservation euro.

"We want to show our visitors what their euro is used for," said zoo director Christina Geiger.

In addition, the exhibition, which appropriately opened on World Endangered Species Day, is intended to encourage reflection on the interaction between nature and species conservation with display cases suitable for children, a world map, a small puzzle corner and a brief filmic insight into the individual projects.

"Zoos and nature conservation can achieve a lot together," said Ina Hartwig (SPD), head of the culture department responsible for the zoo.

On the one hand, the animal parks are the stage on which animals are shown as ambassadors for nature.

They also contribute to species conservation and basic research.

Cooperation with nature conservation organizations such as the FZS, in turn, gives the zoos additional meaning.

Spectacled bears and bees will appreciate it.