World Wildlife Day!

Why is the day so important?

Did you know that there are over 22,000 endangered and critically endangered species on the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Sadly, continued species loss is a threat to people and the planet and we must do all we can to protect wildlife, plants and habitats. There is a large amount of positive movements happening across the world to aid and support conservation. Here at Paradise Wildlife Park we work with a variety of charities to continue to help and assist in making an impactful change for good for the continuation of species in their wild natural habitats who have previously been declining. With this we hope to bring back species from the endangered and critically endangered categories and allow these species to thrive for generations to come. 

Snow Leopard Trust

Snow Leopard Trust work to protect snow leopards throughout their natural habitats in the mountain ranges of central Asia, working tirelessly in 12 countries that have known snow leopard populations. they also work directly with the local communities in the ranges where the snow leopards reside to work in partnership to protect their wild habitats and their populations. This is being done by helping communities to find other ways of protecting their live stock or compensating farmers for their loses due to snow leopards rather than the farmer targeting the snow leopards. 

Red Panda Network

Red Panda Network has become a world leader in efforts to protect red pandas and their habitat. The year 2010 saw the launch of International Red Panda Day and has since grown to become a day participated by a wide variety of zoos in red panda activities to help raise awareness for this endangered species. Red Panda Network works to teach people about the needs to protect the species and cataloguing their wild habitats with the local communities that surround them.

SEED Madagascar 

SEED is a charity devoted to restoring the island of Madagascar. SEED’s mission is to alleviate poverty which is currently is endemic to southern Madagascar whilst conserving the unique, biologically rich, and greatly endangered forest environments. Across all lemur species, 31% are listed as endangered on the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and 98% of them are threatened. This has been caused due to human interference on the island such as deforestation. Madagascar has lost 44% of its natural forest since 2000 directly impacting numbers of lemurs. Lemurs play an important part in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem, as fruit lovers they spread the seeds acting as natural fertilisers of the forests and are vital for the continuation of the Madagascan ecosystem future. 

UWEC

The Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC), is Uganda’s only zoo. It is home to a number of African species, and acts as a sanctuary for injured animals as well as a rehabilitation centre. If UWEC can return animals to the wilds of Queen Elizabeth National Park and also Murchison Falls National Park in the country, then they will. For animals that can’t, they will spend their life under the care of the keepers at the centre. UWEC is also home to animals that are now extinct in the country, but house them for educational purposes. An example of this is with the southern white rhinos that live at the centre.

The Lowland Tapir Conservation Initiative

The Lowland Tapir Conservation Initiative is a nationwide, long-term research and conservation effort led by Brazilian conservationist Dr. Patrícia Medici. The overall goal of The Lowland Tapir Conservation Initiative is to have tapir research and conservation programs being carried out in all four Brazilian biomes where lowland tapirs are found: Atlantic Forest, Pantanal, Cerrado, and Amazon. The Lowland Tapir Conservation Initiative is an integral part of the protection of this species, with 90% of their funding coming from zoos this highlights the importance of supporting conservation efforts.

Shepreth Hedgehog Hospital 

Shepreth Wildlife Conservation Charity  have a Hedgehog Hospital where they help to rehabilitate wild hedgehogs back into the local countryside. British Hedgehogs are declining rapidly and are in increasing danger of being lost throughout the British countryside. These incredible nocturnal animals can travel up to two miles in one evening foraging for food and are an essential part of the British ecosystem. Through continuous efforts from charities such as Shepreth Wildlife Conservation Charity, we hope hedgehogs will flourish again.