A Good Year for Conservation
Our conservation officer summarises our conservation and education activities in 2024 in his annual report It was a […]
Last reviewed and signed by our conservation officer on 10 November 2023.
Our people, animals and environment are an integral and fundamental part of Folly Farm. Conservation is therefore a top priority and as dedicated members of BIAZA and EAZA we understand our important role in conserving the natural world and to educate and inspire our visitors to do the same.
Our contribution is varied and includes activities such as ex-situ breeding programmes of threatened species, managing native priority habitats, supporting in-situ conservation projects both locally and internationally, conservation education, research and ensuring the sustainability of our business.
This policy outlines our commitment to conservation and can be viewed in conjunction with our other relevant policies, like our sustainability policy.
Folly Farm is actively involved in the breeding of threatened species and rare domestic breeds. Within our zoo we participate in EAZA Ex-situ Programme (EEP) and European Studbook (ESB) led programmes to ensure the maintenance or increase of healthy populations in our collection and across Europe.
Conservation of rare domestic breeds is achieved with the assistance of the Rare Breed Survival Trust, highlighting the breeds which are at most risk of decline.
Folly Farm is committed to providing resources including staff time, equipment, expertise, and funding to directly support in-situ conservation projects.
We aim to work closely with conservation partners to help deliver their wildlife conservation goals. Conservation partners include charities or NGO’s which work to protect the species in-situ and are directly linked to species held in our collection. Fundraising is carried out to assist them with projects which also provides an opportunity to raise awareness.
We work alongside our local nature partnership to assist in the conservation of native priority habitats and species by creating and enhancing the habitats on our site for the benefit of nature. We continue to assist in county-wide native species monitoring to help implement government policy.
We believe it is our responsibility to connect guests with the natural world and develop an understanding and respect of it. Throughout our zoo we highlight important issues contributing to the decline of the species being observed. Where possible we develop ‘take-home’ messages to empower guest to proactively help our world.
Our education is provided in many different forms to appeal to a range of learning types, such as keeper talks, informative signage, artistic displays, interactive activities, learning trails and television graphics. We aim to continue improving our education offering through reviewing our practices.
Our ex-situ breeding programmes provide excellent research opportunities to learn more about species and unlock how best to preserve them in captivity and in the wild. Folly Farm continues to welcome students, providing a venue for research on animal welfare, biology, social science, veterinary science, and environmental sustainability.
We recognise that we need to sustainably balance environmental, social and economic factors in equal harmony to interact with our planet responsibly. We are invested in ensuring we can meet our present needs whilst also looking to the future and meeting the needs of future generations.
Our sustainability policy outlines the actions we are taking to implement this commitment.
Our conservation officer summarises our conservation and education activities in 2024 in his annual report It was a […]
We’re passionate about preventing extinction so take part in breeding and education programmes and raise money to protect animals in the wild.
Our people, animals and environment are an integral part of Folly Farm. That’s why we put sustainability at the heart of what we do.