The Zoo's animal population management plan
Copenhagen Zoo's animal population is essential. It shapes our visitors' experience of the Zoo, supporting our financial sustainability and out ability to educate people about animals and biodiversity. It also enables us to help conserve the world's animals through EAZA breeding programmes, breeding initiatives and the development of valuable expertise.
The animal population is carefully planned to showcase a wide variety of animals with diverse forms and origins. Their ability to fascinate visitors and help communicate the Zoo's core messages is a key consideration in the planning.
To guide the development of our animal population, we maintain a species plan that is regularly updated. Our aim is to house 220-250 species, with at least 50% either participating in an international breeding programme with a conservation role or classified as Near Threatened or in a higher threat category on the IUCN Red List.
This means that the future development of Copenhagen Zoo's animal population will prioritise threatened species and species that help us communicate our in situ conservation work and fulfil national and international commitments, for example through breeding programmes.
Copenhagen Zoo and nature conservation
Copenhagen Zoo actively contributes to conservation in Denmark and around the world. Learn more about our conservation work here:
