- A rare animal has been rescued from the brink of extinction with the help of a zoo in Hampshire.
- Marwell Wildlife, which manages the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WASA) International Studbook, received the WASA Conservation Award 2023 for its conservation work to reintroduce animals to their habitats in Tunisia.
- The change was the result of conservation efforts around the world, including by the Marwell team.
A zoo near Winchester is involved in establishing a spontaneous population of deer in Africa.
After 600 animals were introduced to the Ouadi Rime-Ouadi Achim Faunal Reserve in Chad, Africa, the International Union for Conservation of Nature changed its status on the Red List.
The WASA Conservation Award 2023
Marwell helped by introducing Oryx to new audiences and was part of the team that modeled the launch strategy.
Dr Tania Gilbert, head of science at Marwell Wildlife Conservation, said: “The change in status… is a testament to the power of collective conservation action and gives us hope that we can make a real difference and restore nature.
“The species remains in danger from extinction, but the conservation paintings in Chad, Tunisia, Morocco and Senegal, substantially reduce this danger and have given the species a real hazard of recuperation.”
Marwell Wildlife, which manages the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WASA) International Studbook, received the WASA Conservation Award 2023 for its conservation work to reintroduce animals to their habitats in Tunisia.
Wonder Zoo has worked with the species since it opened in 1972 and, in partnership with Edinburgh Zoo, donated the first group of oryx to Bou Hedma National Park in Tunisia in 1985 for a pioneering reintroduction effort.
Professor Philip Riordan, director of conservation, added: “We believe that humanity can right the wrongs of its past, and modern zoos and aquariums are ideally placed to drive these conservation efforts.”
