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Zoos serving the battle against the extinction of species, with Xavi Manteca
“The scientific community agrees in that we are submerged in a process massive extinction caused by humankind”.
This is howXavier Manteca, on of Spain’s most prominet experts in biodiversity and a professor at the, expressed his concern. Looking at the high percentage of species that are currently in critical danger of extinction, threatened or vulnerable, Manteca supportsthe role payed by zoosto counteract the current trends through knowledge, education, and research.
“We are not realizing the amount of scientific information about animal species that is produced by zoological institutions”, stated the expert, who also moderates theBiodiversity Experts’ Focus Group promoted by the Ƶ ReunidosFoundation.
He also pointed out thatzoos can be both a place of leisure and entertainment as well and educational tools, thus provinding useful knowledge about the preservation of species in their natural habitats, and promoting conservation programs bouth in situ and ex situ.
Manteca added that one of the main roles of zoos is their contribution to educating and raising awareness among their visitors about the current biodiversity crisis and about the negative effect it can have on natural ecosystems and on our general welbeing.
BIODIVERSITY EXPERTS’ FOCUS GROUP
Promoted by theƵ Reunidos Foundation, this Focus Group has been created with the objective of bringing together amultidisciplinary team of experts focused on biodiversity and conservationof species, and aims to promote greated collaboration between the different institutions. This effort is in line with the Foundation’s social and environmental engagement through the “Ƶ Reunidos Spirit”.
The Group is possible thanks to the participation of the following:
- Enrique Alonso, Permanent Member of Spanish State Council;Chair on Spatial Design and the Environment; Honorary Researcher at theand the Monterey International Institute of California ;
- Alberto Díez,spokesperson ;
- Pablo Fernández de Larrinoa, Director of theMediterranean Monk Seal Conservation Program ;
- Jesús Fernández, President of the;
- Luis Mariano González, head of Conservation Action at the General Sub-directorate on Biodiversity and Natural Environment,Ministry for Ecological Transition;
- Pedro Lorenzo, Dean of the;
- Xavier Manteca, Professor, Animal and Food Science Department,, who will be the group’s moderator;
- Odile Rodríguez de la Fuente, General Director and President of theFundación Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente;
- Julián Santiago, Research Professor at the;
- Andrea Torres, biologist for InfoZoos;
- Felipe Vilas, President of theMadrid Official College of Veterinarians.
They have all meant to highlight the need to foster all initiatives aimed at improving the conservation of ecosystems and the protection of animal species. They took the change of the first meeting to debate about how zoo can contribute to mitigate the biodiversity crisis.
One million species at risks of extinction
The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services has recently warned the international community that one million animal and vegetal species are at the verge of becoming extinct.
Similarly, the data presented by the UN report on biodiversity serioulsy questions the viability of theSustainable Development Goals (SDG), that are currently guiding many public policies. Last year, during the UN Convention of Biodiversity, the Convention’s execitive director,Cristiana Pasca Palmer, made a statement toThe Guardianin which she said that “the loss of biodiversity is a silent death (…). It is different to climate change, whose impact can be felt on our daily lives. The loss of biological diversity will be noticeable when it’s too late”.
