Zoo de Barcelona closed out another year with record figures. In all, 841,142 people visited the facility in 2024. That figure represents a 3% rise compared to the previous year and is the highest in the last seven years.
Last year also saw a significant increase in the number of participants in the activities organised for children and schools. The range of activities attracted 20% more people, with 22,670 children and young people taking part. They included workshops and school visits, activity camps, the STEAM Zoo organised by BSM and the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-BarcelonaTech, among other activities.
The response from families continued to be positive again last year. Activities such as the gymkhanas and competitions for autumn and Christmas, “The Zoo Elves” and the activities for the Nature Passport were among those that attracted large numbers of participants. The Zoo Club closed out the year with over 75,000 registered members.
The chair of BSM and First Deputy Mayor of Barcelona, Laia Bonet, noted that “these figures consolidate the upward trend of recent years and the positive reception from members of the public for the Zoo’s strategy to become a space in Barcelona where young and old connect with nature through knowledge, play and leisure, and get involved in preserving biodiversity”.
Over 500 animals from threatened species reintroduced into their natural environment
As regards Zoo de Barcelona’s work to help conserve biodiversity, its participation in dozens of projects that make it possible to reintroduce endangered animals into the natural environment stands out.
More specifically, over 500 animals born at the Zoo were reintroduced into their natural habitat in 2024. These included native species which are under threat, such as the Spanish toothcarp, the Majorcan midwife toad and the Montseny brook newt. The Zoo also took part in over a hundred conservation programmes outside of animals’ natural habitats, coordinated by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA).
Among the alliances that make these biodiversity conservation projects possible, it is worth noting the four-year agreement with the Balearic Islands Government for the conservation of protected wildlife.
In the same vein, through the Zoo de Barcelona Foundation, the Zoo funded 37 research and conservation projects in 2024 linked with the preservation of biodiversity.
The Zoo also published numerous scientific papers in international journals and collaborated with degree and master’s degree theses. This scientific research, teaching and orientation by specialists at the Zoo plays a leading part in its commitment as a role model in the sphere of biodiversity conservation.
Water savings and a new adapted children’s play area
As for projects and initiatives launched in 2024, one that stands out is Barcelona Zoo’s participation in the project Life4Zoo: Water Resources Management in Visitor Attractions - Water recirculation technology , funded by the European Union through the LIFE project. Launched in the middle of the drought in Catalonia, this project aims to find solutions for optimising water use in zoos. It will allow Zoo de Barcelona to implement a pilot project for regenerating residual water at the facility.
The children’s play area was also revamped this year. Located next to the Savannah of the Sahel, the area now offers a wide range of play options adapted to different ages and abilities, adding inclusive games and an accessible route for wheelchairs.
