The EAZA annual conference took place between 17 and 21 September at the Bioparc (Valencia) and was attended by close to 900 delegates from various European zoos.

With the many meetings and presentations held, also including the zoos’ management teams, Barcelona Zoo contributed knowledge with presentations by Pep Xarles, the Zoo’s head of local wildlife and the Iberian wolf EEP coordinator who gave the canine group a lecture on the "Current status of the Iberian wolf's ex-situ population" and presented projects for the genetic determination of populations and behavioural studies of the species; Hugo Fernández, head of the Zoo's veterinary service and president of the European Association of Zoo and Wildlife Veterinarians (EAZWV) who talked about the "Project for the reintroduction of the dorcas gazelle in Senegal"; and María Teresa Abelló, primate conservation specialist at the Zoo, chair of the Great Ape TAG (Taxon Advisory Group) and vice-chair of the EEP for gorillas, who led the great ape meetings, highlighting the current collaborations between European zoos and in situ conservation projects with orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos.

The results of the Conference show how zoos are now important conservation centres for endangered species as well as centres for the dissemination of current biodiversity loss problems linked to damage to habitats as a result of climate change, deforestation, the deterioration of the environment due to overexploitation, pollution and other factors.

We must all keep working hard and be proactive in order to change this worrying trend!