Education and conservation
The biodiversity of our planet is seriously compromised. At present the extinction of species rate is very high; it is estimated that almost 50% of all mammals and birds in our planet are endangered.
This dramatic situation has given rise to European programs for the reproduction of endangered species, better known as EEP’s (European Endangered species Programme), whose mission is to breed certain species in captivity in order to maintain stable populations.
Río Safari Elche sets the objective of participating actively in these programs and thus to contribute to the conservation of endangered species.
The following are among the EEP’s with which we collaborate:
– Pigmy hippo EEP (Hexaprotodon liberiensis)
– Black Mangabey EEP (Lophocebus aterrimus)
– Angolan giraffe EEP (Giraffa camelopardalis angolensis)
– Bornean orangutan EEP (Pongo pygmaeus)
Additionally there are other programes less exhaustive than the EEP’s that aim to keep track and monitor the captive population of certain species with a view to being able to take action right away if necessary. These programs, known as ESB’s (European Studbook), compile information of all European zoos and analyze the conservation status of the species. Our zoo participates in the chimpanzee ESB (Pan Troglodytes), the Boreal lynx ESB (Lynx lynx), the jaguar ESB (Panthera onca) and the Californian sea lion (Zalophus californianus).
These cited actions are included in what we call ‘ex situ conservation’, that is, a conservation effort that takes place away from the original habitat of the animal. Likewise, we collaborate with several ‘in situ conservation’ programs, whose efforts focus on the defense and protection of the natural habitats and the animals that inhabit them.
