Vietnamazing. Save nature.

22/06/2025

The annual conference of the Association of Zoological Gardens (VdZ) "Committed to the national goal of species conservation: How zoos are saving biodiversity" in Berlin

From a political perspective, zoos make an important contribution to the protection of biodiversity, according to Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Protection, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety: “We need every stakeholder to join us in combating the dramatic extinction of species.” The importance of zoological institutions for the preservation of biodiversity is also expressly acknowledged in the current coalition agreement of the German government.

The VdZ Zoo and Wildlife Forum on June 19 was an integral part of the event. Among the keynote speakers was Prof. Dr. Jon Paul Rodríguez, Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission , which compile the International Red Lists. The Wildlife Forum brought together decision-makers from politics, ministries, science, nature conservation and animal protection directly with zoo expertise to discuss the practical implementation of the national goal of species protection enshrined in the German Constitution.

After all, the biodiversity crisis can only be effectively countered if international, national and local partners work together in a long-term and trusting manner. And this is exactly what the “One Plan Approach to Conservation” of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) means, namely combined expertise and species protection both locally and through zoos, e.g. as part of conservation breeding programs.

Cologne Zoo Director Prof. Theo Pagel .theo.pagel spoke about the “One Plan Approach” in a presentation prepared jointly with Prof. Dr. Thomas Ziegler , coordinator of Cologne Zoo's conservation projects in Vietnam. Of course, “Reverse the Red”, the Zoo Species of the Year conservation campaign and “Vietnamazing” were also included, as well as a call to participate in „One Plan Approach“ conservation, because we can only do it together.  

Pics M. Stawinoga

23/12/2024

Opening of an Vietnamazing Exhibition at Karlsruhe Zoo

Last week was the opening of "LebensRaum Vietnam", an exhibition of EAZA’s conservation campaign “Vietnamazing” at Karlsruhe Zoo/Zoologischer Stadtgarten Karlsruhe.

We cordially congratulate on this very beautiful and important exhibition, which has really turned out very well. We hope that many visitors will enjoy it and learn more about Vietnam and its endangered biodiversity. As we said at the campaign announcement in Helsinki at the end of 2023 - Be part of it. Posters, pictures, logos etc. are available on the Vietnamazing campaign website (https://vietnamazing.eu), so that zoos can easily participate in their exhibitions and thus make the current species conservation efforts of EAZA zoos visible to visitors. And if you would like to keep campaign species and become part of the conservation breeding network - just contact us, we can help.

Thank you very much for the great support of our conservation work in Vietnam, Zoologischer Stadtgarten Karlsruhe and zoo director Professor Dr. Matthias Reinschmidt.

EAZA - the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria

Text: Professor Dr. Thomas Ziegler and Marcel Stawinoga/ Der Zoolotse
Photos: Timo Deible

20/12/2024

Opening of an Vietnamazing Exhibition at Karlsruhe Zoo

Today, a exhibition of EAZA - the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria's conservation campaign “Vietnamazing” was opened at Karlsruhe Zoo/Zoologischer Stadtgarten Karlsruhe. Take a look at the photos attached of the new exhibition!

Thank you very much for the great support of our conservation work in Vietnam, Zoologischer Stadtgarten Karlsruhe and zoo director Professor Dr. Matthias Reinschmidt!



Text: Marcel Stawinoga/ Der Zoolotse

25/11/2024

Thank you so much for your support, Tiergarten Kleve!

EAZA - the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria

Anfang Oktober vertrat unser Tiergartenleiter Martin Polotzek den Tiergarten Kleve auf der diesjährigen Konferenz der European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA - the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria ). Hierbei konnte er auch neue Kontakte zu Artenschutzprojekten knüpfen, sodass wir nun in diesem Jahr mit unserem „Artenschutz- und Ausbaueuro“ auch erstmalig die Vietnamazing Kampagne der EAZA unterstützen, die sich um den Schutz zahlreicher hochbedrohter Tierarten in Vietnam bemüht.

Wusstet ihr schon, dass ihr euch mit einem Besuch im Tiergarten Kleve aktiv für den Natur- und Artenschutz einsetzt? Von jeder verkauften Tageskarte fließen im Rahmen des „Artenschutz- und Ausbaueuros“ 50 Cent an ein Artenschutzprojekt- bei einer Jahreskarte ist dieser Betrag noch deutlich höher. Außerdem beteiligen wir uns mit Rotem Panda, Zweifarbtamarin, Spaltenschildkröte und Zweifingerfaultier an Europäischen Erhaltungszuchtprogrammen (EEP), die sich um einen möglichst effektiven ex-situ-Artenschutz dieser Tierarten bemühen, und züchten auch zahlreiche bedrohte Nutztierrassen, deren Nachkommen auch zum aktiven Erhalt der gefährdeten Rassen beitragen.

Foto: Christian Hüller

11/11/2024

Presentation by Professor Dr Thomas Ziegler on IUCN's One Plan Approach and Vietnamazing at ZOOM Erlebniswelt Gelsenkirchen

Professor Dr Thomas Ziegler from our campaign team has today given a presentation entitled "Implementation of IUCN's ‘One Plan Approach’ in Cologne Zoo's Aquarium house" (Kölner Zoo) at ZOOM Erlebniswelt Gelsenkirchen, the zoo in Gelsenkirchen, as part of an internal staff training course. Thomas of course talked about our Vietnamazing species conservation campaign, in which the implementation of the IUCN's One Plan Approach is a central component.

Attached you will find some impressions of the presentation.

Many thanks to ZOOM Erlebniswelt for supporting Vietnamazing!

The last pic shows Julia Heister and Tamina Wirtz, who have written their master of education theses in the German / Vietnamese working group at Cologne Zoo to fill knowledge gaps in amphibian conservation in Vietnam, when visiting Gelsenkirchen Zoo – that has highlighted the Vietnamazing campaign in an awareness poster - earlier this year.

EAZA - the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria

Photos 1-3: Björn Unger/ZOOM Erlebniswelt Gelsenkirchen, 4-6: Thomas Ziegler, 7: Julia Heister und Tamina Wirtz
Text: Marcel Stawinoga/Der Zoolotse/Zoo Dortmund

08/11/2024

Vietnamazing in the news on Vietnamese television

EAZA - the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria’s “Vietnamazing” conservation campaign was in the news on Vietnamese television (VTC, 21 October 2024); filmed at the IEBR’s Melinh Station for Biodiversity, long-standing partner station of Cologne Zoo/Kölner Zoo. Take a look!

Many thanks to Professor Tao T. Nguyen and Professor Dr. Thomas Ziegler for the translation and to Noah Ryll for subtitling the video!

28/10/2024

Vietnamese giant magnolia snail in the cooking pot

Recently we were informed by our Vietnamese cooperation partners about a link showing a youtube video about outdoor activities in Vietnam. Sad to say it contained the collection and preparation of a large number of large land snails. The footage was taken, as indicated, in D**g Nai Province. In this area also wild elephants can still be found.

The snails, found in the surroundings of Nong Truong (‚Forest enterprise‘) No. 7, were stuffed into a sack and subsequently cooked and eaten by a group of campers, were thought to be the Vietnamese giant magnolia snail – a species listed as Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

According to the pictures, the snails still appear to be locally common, but the collection of certainly more than 50 adults by just a small group of people in one night must surely have a negative impact on the overall population.

Minutes 14 to min. 25 in clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iDKzutcXYs&t=16s

At least it is good and also important that this species was selected as one of the flagship species for EAZA - the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria’s “Vietnamazing” conservation campaign. A successful conservation breeding could have been established in European zoos, above all Chester Zoo, which is very successful in breeding this species.

Currently also an in country conservation breeding is built up in Cat Tien National Park, in the Dau Tieng Wildlife Conservation Station of Wildlife at Risk (WAR) and at the Melinh Station for Biodiversity, so that this species can’t be eradicated completely.

Also further conservation based research is currently be conducted in the field as basis for improved conservation measures in the future. As a first measure, signposts will be developed in the region to inform the public about the biodiversity value and worthiness of protection of this snail species.



Screenshots: Marcel Stawinoga/Der Zoolotse/Zoo Dortmund
Text: Thomas Ziegler/Kölner Zoo

26/10/2024

News about the Vietnamese giant magnolia snail, a flagship species of

Professor Dr. Thomas Ziegler from our Vietnamazing campaign team and Cologne Zoo/Kölner Zoo gives an update on our work for the Vietnamese giant magnolia snail (𝘉𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘰𝘫𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴) in the attached video, a flagship species of the EAZA - the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria’s “Vietnamazing” conservation campaign. Check it out!

Thanks to Noah Ryll for creating this video for the EAZA Annual Conference 2024!



Video: Noah Ryll
Text: Marcel Stawinoga/Der Zoolotse/Zoo Dortmund

23/10/2024

It was a great conference! Thanks a lot, EAZA - the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria and Zoo Leipzig! :)

Read about our latest Annual Conference, hosted at Leipzig Zoo from 8 to 12 October 2024.

22/10/2024

Pham Tuan Anh, director of Viet Nature at Karlsruhe Zoo in Germany – support for the future reintroduction of the Vietnam pheasant

Pham Tuan Anh, director of Viet Nature Conservation Centre, visited Zoologischer Stadtgarten Karlsruhe in Germany. Karlsruhe Zoo is supporting our conservation campaign “Vietnamazing” with 50.000 Euro for the future reintroduction of the Vietnam pheasant and preparations for that.

The Vietnam pheasant is listed as critically endangered with a decreasing population trend according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, but it has not been reported from its natural habitat since the year 2000, despite subsequent intensive research. The Vietnam pheasant thus might be already extinct in the wild.

Within “Vietnamazing”, educational work by EAZA - the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, the campaign and the participating zoos is intended to raise awareness of the pheasant and its threats. Fortunately, under the auspices of the World Pheasant Association and under EAZA's conservation breeding programs, a viable population of the beautiful bird has survived under ex situ conditions, also in Vietnam’s Hanoi Zoo.

The Viet Nature Conservation Centre plans to set up and manage further breeding facilities in order to be prepared for future reintroductions. On site, field research will be carried out in potentially suitable and protected forest sites for subsequent releases. In addition, the campaign will work with local residents to ensure the long-term survival and conservation of the Vietnam pheasant. The EAZA Biobank is also involved; by carrying out modern genetic analyses to identify and remove possible hybrids in the ex situ from the breeding program. Further, breeding recommendations can also be provided based on the optimal selection of birds for subsequent release into nature. ZOO Antwerpen and the Antwerp Zoo Center for Research and Conservation (CRC) are already engaged in this regard. The conservation measures for the Vietnam pheasant is part of an action plan and implemented by the Vietnam Pheasant Recovery Team, and other partners under the leadership of Viet Nature.

Wichtiger Besuch in Sachen Artenschutz: Die Direktorin von Viet Nature, Pham Tuan Anh, ist heute in den Zoo Karlsruhe gekommen. Mit ihrem Team ist sie für die zukünftige Auswilderungen des Vietnamfasans zuständig. Die Art wurde vor mehr als 20 Jahren zum letzen Mal in der Natur gesichtet, wahrscheinlich gibt es nur noch Tiere in Menschenobhut.

Der Zoo Karlsruhe beteiligt sich an der Erhaltungszucht des Vietnamfasans. Zudem unterstützen wir die Kampagne Vietnamazing. Save nature. der europäischen Zoovereinigung EAZA - the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria mit 50.000 Euro. Dieses Geld wird direkt für das Auswilderungsprojekt des Vietnamfasans eingesetzt.

Pham Tuan Anh informiert sich aktuell bei den Zoos, die sich im Erhaltungszuchtprogramm engagieren, über deren Erfahrungen. Solch ein Austausch ist für beide Seiten immer wichtig und hilfreich.

09/10/2024

Nui Chua stick insect survey

This clip about our recent Nui Chua stick insect surveys was prepared in Vietnam for today's Vietnamazing session of EAZA - the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria’s Annual Conference 2024 at Zoo Leipzig.

More news from our Nui Chua surveys will follow, but it can already be said now, that the habitat of the Nui Chua stick insect is rather difficult to access, and that the species is certainly very rare and quite hard to find.

This is why Viet Dai from the Southern Institute of Ecology (SIE) smiles so happily in the last pic, finally keeping an individual of this absolutely rare and enigmatic insect in hands.

The Nui Chua stick insect is one of the flagship species of EAZA's Vietnamazing conservation campaign 2024-2025.



Video and text: Thomas Ziegler/Kölner Zoo, text edited by Marcel Stawinoga/Der Zoolotse/Zoo Dortmund

07/10/2024

Search of Vietnamazing's flagship species Nui Chua Stick insect, to investigate its occurrence and threat status.

We are currently searching in Núi Chúa National Park for the Nui Chua Stick insect, one of the flagship species of EAZA - the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria’s “Vietnamazing” conservation campaign.

The international research team consisted of Viet Dai and Xuyen Vien, SIE, Hoai, VNMN, Prof. Dr. Truong Q. Nguyen, IEBR, and luckily - the entomologists and discoverer of the species, Jérôme Constant, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (with entomologist Dr. Linda Semeraro, Scientific Collaborator, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences) and Joachim Bresseel, Scientific collaborator, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences and Prof Dr. Thomas Ziegler from Kölner Zoo.

We are very happy we could all meet to join forces, which is in line with the 'One Plan Approach' and VIETNAMAZING - BE PART OF IT.

More about our two days and nights field work results soon. This much can already be revealed - it will be !

Video and text: Thomas Ziegler/Kölner Zoo, edited by Marcel Stawinoga/Der Zoolotse/Zoo Dortmund