New Science And Conservation Foundation Based At Bristol Zoo

By Lucy Parkinson

Bristol, UK - A conservation and science foundation which aims to protect endangered species and habitats across the world has been launched as a sister organisation to Bristol Zoo Gardens.

The new Bristol Conservation and Science Foundation, based at the Zoo in Clifton, carries out conservation and research programmes in the wild – both in the UK and across the world - as well as research projects at Bristol Zoo.

The new venture focuses on saving threatened species and habitats across the world and will link to the exhibits on show to the public at Bristol Zoo, emphasising the importance of good, modern day zoos in global wildlife conservation.

One such project currently being led by the Foundation aims to protect the critically endangered Livingstone’s fruit bats on the Comoro Islands, near Madagascar (for more information on this flagship project please refer to the attached case study).
 
The Foundation was launched today (Thursday, October 30) with a presentation on how a zoo-based organisation can help countries like the Union of the Comoro Islands by supporting sustainable development. The launch also included conservation-focused lectures and debates and was attended by delegates from all over the world.  A representative of the Comorian government also attended, and described the challenges facing his country’s development and how wildlife conservation can bring benefits to a developing nation.
 
The new Foundation is one of three operating units of the Bristol, Clifton and West of England Zoological Society. The other two operating units are Bristol Zoo Gardens and the proposed National Wildlife Conservation Park near Cribbs Causeway.
 
Dr Jo Gipps, Director of the Bristol, Clifton and West of England Zoological Society, said: “The vision of the Bristol Conservation and Science Foundation is to be an internationally recognised authority on wildlife conservation and science, in the context of sustainable development. The Foundation will apply its specialist skills to investigate and mitigate threats to biodiversity; we know that this will often involve supporting communities in tackling their own challenges, which give rise to pressures on natural resources – including threatened wildllife.” 
 
Dr Christoph Schwitzer, the Foundation’s Head of Research, added: “Good zoos see one of their main roles as providers of wildlife conservation, through conservation action and research or community engagement. Research into animals, within zoos and in the wild, provides the vital evidence needed to help protect animals in their natural habitats.”
 
Neil Maddison, Head of Conservation Programmes, said: “In everything we do, in the UK and around the world, the emphasis is on long-term commitment to initiatives that deliver realistic, practical ways forward for integrated species and habitat conservation and sustainable development.”
 
The Foundation is staffed by conservationists and scientists across the world. This includes staff based at Bristol Zoo Gardens, as well as employing and supporting field workers in the Comoro Islands, Cameroon, Madagascar, the Philippines, Colombia and South Africa. 
 
To find out more about the Bristol Conservation and Science Foundation please visit the website at www.bristolzoo.org.uk/about/conservation. 

CASE STUDY

The critically endangered Livingstone’s fruit bat is found only on the Comoro Islands, between Madagascar and Mozambique in the Indian Ocean.

This species of giant bat, also known as Livingstone’s flying fox, is one of the rarest and largest bats in the world. There are thought to be around 1,200 bats left in the wild - a perilously small population, making the fight to save them from extinction essential. They are threatened by habitat destruction, disturbance of their roosts and natural catastrophes such as tropical cyclones.

If deforestation continues then the Livingstone's fruit bat will become extinct. The conservation of this species is now one of the flagship conservation projects being led by the Bristol Conservation and Science Foundation.
 
Foundation employees Hugh Doulton, the Comoros Islands Projects Coordinator, and Mohamed Moutui, the Project Coordinator on Anjouan in the Comoros, are working with local communities to provide support whilst protecting the remaining fruit bats and their habitats.
 
People of the Comoro Islands rank among the most disadvantaged in the world and have typically relied on the removal of the forest – where the bats live – to make new fields for subsistence crops. Finding new, sustainable sources of food and income (such as selling crafts or food they grow in newly established allotments) is essential for the protection of the forest and hence the bat’s survival.

Hugh Doulton and Mohamed Moutui are managing a team of six community facilitators to help local people develop sustainable solutions to challenges such as a lack of health care, water and hygiene facilities, as well as supporting sustainable alternatives to current overexploitation of forests. 
 
Neil Maddison, the Head of Conservation Programmes for the Foundation, said: “Supporting the local people of the Comoro Islands in sustainable farming and forestry practices is one of the activities being undertaken by the Foundation, as this will ensure the protection of the bats’ treetop homes and also benefit the people that rely on the land for food and wood.

“The key to conserving this valuable species is by improving the livelihoods of the Comorian communities that depend on the forest for survival. Only by helping the people identify and implement sustainable solutions will the forest be protected for them and the bats.”

Hugh Doulton knows first hand what the challenges are and the importance of supporting people in sustainable development. He said: “Working in the Comoro Islands is both wonderful and challenging. The people face grave environmental problems arising from their need to survive with limited resources. I hope we are putting in place a legacy for future generations by helping local communities to build a better future whilst conserving their biodiversity.”

This project is also supported by Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Action Comores and the Comorian Government, as well as the BBC Wildlife Fund and Filton-based company Airbus. 

Bristol Conservation and Science Foundation
*         Bristol Zoo’s work in the field is carried out through the Bristol Conservation and Science Foundation which is based at Bristol Zoo Gardens.
*         Over 20 field projects are carried out throughout the world, supporting wildlife conservation in developing nations and in the UK.
*         The Foundation aims to focus on the underlying causes of threats to species and ecosystems, rather than the symptoms.
*         It also aims to empower other people, often those in disadvantaged communities, to identify and mitigate the environmental issues that threaten species, their habitats and sustainable development.
*         The Foundation’s public presence in Bristol Zoo Gardens enables it to engage actively with the public, to share knowledge, elicit support and drive change in conservation behaviour.
 
Bristol Zoo
*         Bristol Zoo is open from 9am every day except Christmas Day. 
*         The Zoo is a Conservation and Education Charity and relies on the income from visitors to support its work. The Zoo is involved with over one hundred co-ordinated breeding programmes for threatened wildlife species. 
*         It employs 140 full and part-time staff to care for the animals and run a successful visitor attraction to support its conservation and education work. 
*         Bristol Zoo supports – through finance and skill sharing - over 20 projects in the UK and abroad that conserve and protect some of the world’s most endangered species.
*        Bristol Zoo is a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums.  BIAZA represents over 90 member collections and promotes the values of good zoos and aquariums.