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Field Conservation at ZSL
The conservation of wild animals and their natural habitats is fundamental to ZSL's mission.
© Sarah DurantThe Zoological Society of London has a field conservation programme spanning thirty countries around the world. With projects as varied as reversing rhino population declines in Nepal, creating sustainable ornamental fisheries in South America, carrying out surveys and land-use planning for tigers in Indonesia, conserving eels in the river Thames in the UK and conducting ranger training and gorilla ecotourism in central Africa, our unique set of skills and experience enables us to take on a wide range of work.
ZSL believes in science-based conservation action, working in partnerships with governments, local people, conservation groups and businesses, and ultimately finding ways for wildlife and people to peacefully coexist. ZSL has its own research institute specialising in conservation science – the Institute of Zoology, based at our London Zoo site in Regent’s Park. Field scientists work around the world, often in close collaboration with local academic bodies such as the National University in Mongolia. Our research informs our conservation actions, and vice versa; for example, genetic research on gazelle taxonomy has enabled us to accurately identify which populations of gazelles most merit conservation action, and our campaign to stop the illegal bushmeat trade has raised important questions about the sustainability of hunting in tropical forests which we continue to investigate.
Our two zoos at London and Whipsnade are another unique asset for our fieldwork, enabling us to contribute key skills like captive breeding and veterinary medicine directly to field projects – such as vulture reintroduction in India and field cricket reintroduction in the UK – as well as to communicate important conservation issues directly to our visitors. All major new exhibits are directly linked to our field work – for example, you can visit our lion exhibit at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo to learn more about how ZSL is working with the Tanzanian authorities to conserve their carnivores, and our new Gorilla Kingdom complex at ZSL London Zoo features information about our western lowland gorilla conservation and ecotourism project in Gabon.
Our unique history has helped us to develop effective and politically-neutral partnerships with in-country wildlife authorities. For example, ZSL has worked closely with parastatal wildlife authorities in Saudi Arabia, North Africa and Kenya to great effect for more than 20 years. Links with local communities are key in the Philippines, where we are helping fishermen to manage their seahorse stocks for longterm sustainability. At the other end of the industrial scale, in Indonesia, we are working with agribusinesses like oil palm and fuel oil to minimise the ill effects of resource extraction on the natural world. Finally, ZSL works closely with other conservation NGOs. We have particularly good links with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and are working with them on cheetahs in Tanzania, Amur leopards in the Russian Far East, and community ecotourism in Madagascar. We also collaborate with numerous national wildlife NGOs, such as the Nepal Trust for Nature Conservation and the Elephant Conservation Network of Thailand.
Our field programmes are listed under seven distinct headings:
A variety of projects are underway within each of the six programme areas at any one time.
