Frankfurt Zoological Society

30/10/2026

Meet Gift and Sturburn, two conservationists building bridges in Zambia. 🇿🇲🌿

Gift Chambatu and Sturburn Chuma work nearly 800 kilometers apart, in North Luangwa and Nsumbu National Parks. But they share a common goal: bringing people together to find solutions for both communities and wildlife.

Their work goes beyond protecting animals. It's about listening to concerns, resolving conflicts, and building trust between local communities, rangers, and conservation authorities.

Earlier this year, the two met in Germany during the Frankfurt Spring School on Conservation Project Management, where this photo was taken at Frankfurt Zoo.

But what does building bridges actually look like in their everyday work? And why is it so important for conservation?

📖 Get to know Gift and Sturburn in our latest GORILLA magazine article, "Bridging Divides, Building Bridges."

👉 Read their story on our website: https://fzs.org/en/news/bridging-divides-building-connections/

30/10/2026

Wie viele Arten brauchen wir eigentlich? 🌍🌿

Und was passiert, wenn immer mehr Tier- und Pflanzenarten verschwinden? Welche Folgen hat das für unsere Ökosysteme?

Passend zur aktuellen UN-Biodiversitätskonferenz ( ) geht die NANO-Dokumentation „Artenvielfalt – Wie viele Arten brauchen wir?“ auf 3sat diesen und weiteren Fragen nach.

Mit dabei ist auch unser Kollege Manuel Engelbauer, der Einblicke in das Thema Biodiversität gibt.

📺 Einschalten lohnt sich!
Heute, 30. Oktober, von 18:15 bis 19:00 Uhr auf 3sat.

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28/10/2026

The Serengeti is one of Tanzania’s most special places. It is part of our natural heritage and deeply connected to our history, culture and identity. It is a place we are proud of, and one that people from all over the world come to experience.

Today was a special day in Seronera, in the heart of Serengeti National Park, as we joined our partners to open the new Serengeti Visitor Centre.

The centre welcomes Tanzanians and international visitors, students and young people, and communities from across the Serengeti ecosystem. It is a place to learn more about the Serengeti, not only its wildlife, but also its people, its history and the many connections that make this landscape what it is today.

There is also a lot of local creativity in this new space. Local artists and young people from communities within the Serengeti ecosystem helped bring the centre to life. The building was designed with its surroundings in mind, using solar power and harvesting rainwater.

Seeing the doors open today made us proud. Protecting and caring for a place as special as the Serengeti takes many people and many years of commitment.

Today’s inauguration brought together Hon. Hamad Hassan Chande (MP), Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, German Ambassador H.E. Annett Günther, TANAPA leadership, colleagues from our partner KfW, our FZS team, local leaders and other partners.

Our thanks go to Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), the German Government through KfW Development Bank, German Embassy Dar es Salaam and all the partners who helped make the new Serengeti Visitor Centre possible.

We hope this becomes a place where people come to learn, ask questions, share stories and leave feeling even more connected to the Serengeti.

Karibu Serengeti! 💚🇹🇿

28/10/2026

Celebrating 40 Years of Conservation Partnership in Zambia! 🌿

An evening to remember as Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) and Zambia's Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) came together last week in Lusaka to celebrate four decades of conservation partnership, at a special event hosted by the German Embassy.

The celebration brought together ten traditional leaders, government dignitaries, conservation partners and supporters, with addresses from Mr Evans Muhanga, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism; His Excellency Sönke Siemon, German Ambassador to Zambia; and Mr Ed Sayer, Conservation Director of FZS Zambia.

Since 1986, this partnership has contributed to some remarkable conservation achievements, from the reintroduction and continued protection of black rhinos in North Luangwa to the restoration of wildlife populations, including the return of lions, in Nsumbu National Park.

Over the years, conservation has evolved through advances in wildlife monitoring, ranger training, technology and community engagement. Yet one thing has remained constant: successful conservation depends on strong partnerships and working hand in hand with the communities who share these landscapes.

Forty years in represents more than a milestone. It reflects the dedication of generations of government personnel, conservation professionals, traditional leaders, local communities and partners who have helped shape Zambia's conservation story. Heres to 40 more!

📸: Nelly Banda, Athol Moult and Ephraim Lombe

German Embassy Lusaka Frankfurt Zoological Society Department of National Parks & Wildlife

28/10/2026

“The classroom gives you the tools to take to every part of the world.”

Hear it from Charlie (FSS 2025, UK)! The Frankfurt Spring School brings together people, practical tools, and experiences that stay with you throughout your conservation career.

Check out more details of the program! Visit the Frankfurt Spring School website and apply today 👉 https://frankfurtspringschool.de/



Goethe-Universität Frankfurt WWF Deutschland
Wildlife Conservation Society
Conservation International
BioFrankfurt
KPMG Deutschland
KfW
KfW Stiftung
Frankfurt Conservation Center
Metzler Stiftung

20/10/2026

ZGF-Geschäftsführer Christof Schenck bei NANO auf 3sat! 🌍

Passend zum Start der 17. UN-Biodiversitätskonferenz (COP17) in Jerewan, Armenien, war unser Geschäftsführer Christof Schenck gestern in der Wissenschaftssendung NANO auf 3sat zu sehen.

Im Interview spricht er über die Herausforderungen bei der Umsetzung internationaler Biodiversitätsziele, den wachsenden Druck auf natürliche Lebensräume und die Bedeutung einer langfristigen Finanzierung von Schutzgebieten.

🎥 Die gesamte Sendung ist jetzt in der 3sat-Mediathek abrufbar:

https://www.3sat.de/wissen/nano/261019-sendung-cop17-in-jerewan-biodiversitaet-weltweit-bedroht-nano-100.html

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20/10/2026

The Annual Report 2025 is out! 🌍

What did conservation look like for Frankfurt Zoological Society in 2025? And what have we achieved together with our partners?

Our latest annual report, Mission Wilderness 2025, takes a closer look at our conservation work around the world, highlighting key achievements, new developments, and the people and partnerships behind our efforts.

2025 in numbers:
• 28 projects and programs across 18 countries
• Around 1,000 employees worldwide
• Approximately 400,000 km² of strictly protected areas at the heart of our work
• Around €47 million invested in conservation

From expanding our work into Equatorial Guinea and the Brazilian Amazon to reintroducing 30 southern white rhinos to Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, 2025 was a year of important steps toward protecting wilderness and biodiversity.

Want to learn more about our work, achievements, challenges, and finances?

📖 Explore Mission Wilderness 2025 and discover the stories behind the numbers. You can read the full report online or download it as a PDF.

https://fzs.org/en/news/annual-report-2025/

14/10/2026

What happens after the Frankfurt Spring School?

You go home. You get back to work. You keep working on conservation challenges in your part of the world.

But you don’t leave the FSS community behind. 🌍

As an FSS alum, you become part of our growing Alumni Network, connecting conservation professionals from cohorts across the years and around the world. Through alumni events, mentoring, knowledge exchange and opportunities to connect, the community continues long after those four weeks in Frankfurt.

Don’t miss your chance to join this global community of young conservationists! Applications for the Frankfurt Spring School 2027 are open until 17 November 2026.

If you’re an early-career conservationist or a Master’s/PhD student looking to strengthen your conservation project management skills, expand your network and become part of a global community of conservation professionals, we’d love to hear from you.

👉 Apply now: https://frankfurtspringschool.de/application

The FSS Alumni program is made possible with funding from the KfW Foundation.



Goethe-Universität Frankfurt WWF Deutschland
Wildlife Conservation Society
Conservation International
BioFrankfurt
KPMG Deutschland
KfW
KfW Stiftung
Frankfurt Conservation Center
Metzler Stiftung

09/10/2026

From extinct in the wild to an icon of Białowieża. 🦬

At the beginning of the 20th century, the European bison was on the brink. The last wild bison in Białowieża disappeared after World War I.

But the story didn’t end there…

A small number had survived in captivity. Breeding programmes at several zoos, with Zoo Frankfurt playing an important role, helped give the species another chance. In 1952, European bison were released back into Białowieża Forest.

Today, seeing these impressive animals roaming freely through the forest is a powerful reminder of what long-term conservation can achieve.

Stories like this matter to us. They show what can become possible when people commit to protecting species and the landscapes they depend on - and they motivate our teams to keep working for healthy, resilient ecosystems.

Because conservation takes time. But sometimes, you get to see what success looks like. 🦬🌳

📷 Daniel Rosengren

07/10/2026

I follow rivers… 💧🎶 But where do they lead?

In Białowieża, a healthy river doesn’t necessarily take the straightest path.

Over centuries, wetlands were drained and rivers straightened, allowing water to leave the forest more quickly. The result: falling water levels and increasing pressure on an ecosystem that depends on water.

That’s why one of our priorities here is to keep water in the landscape. Together with our partners at PTOP - Polskie Towarzystwo Ochrony Ptaków we work to restore the forest’s natural hydrology - repairing dams, blocking artificial drainage channels and bringing rivers closer to their natural, meandering course.

Because those bends aren’t just beautiful. They slow the flow, help retain water and support wetlands, forests and the many species that depend on them. 🌿

Sometimes protecting a forest means letting the river find its natural rhythm again. 💧

A big thank you to PTOP and Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme for making this work possible.

📷 Daniel Rosengren