Bristol Zoo wins BIAZA awards for global conservation work!

Bristol Zoological Society has won five industry awards for our efforts to conserve and protect the world’s most threatened species!

We've been recognised by the UK sector’s leading body, BIAZA (British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums).

Described as the ‘Oscars of the zoo world’, the BIAZA Awards aim to celebrate the achievements of the UK’s best zoos and aquariums in creating a wilder world and a better planet. Each year, industry judges assess hundreds of entries.

The awards won by Bristol Zoological Society recognise our international field conservation projects, as well as our research work, animal welfare standards and keeper skill-sharing efforts.

We were the overall winner of the BIAZA award for Field Conservation, for our work in the Philippines to investigate the causes for hunting of the Critically Endangered Visayan warty pig, and to implement actions to reduce it. We have been working with local communities in the country since 2014, aiming to reduce illegal hunting and protect the remaining forests of Panay and Negros Islands.

This work wouldn't have been possible without the incredible work of our in-country partner, PhilinCon, so the award is as much theirs as ours! We are also enormously grateful for the funding provided to this project by the Darwin Initiative.

We also took home four runner-up awards:

• A second award in the Field Conservation category for our Cameroon programme, which aims to protect wildlife in Bénoué National Park, including Critically Endangered Kordofan giraffe and Vulnerable giant eland.

• In the Research category, we were commended for our studies into the use of different lighting to enhance the welfare of Zacapu allotoca, a Critically Endangered species of goodeid fish, endemic to Mexico.

• In the Behaviour and Welfare category, our detailed animal welfare audit process drew praise. It has been set up to ensure all species receive the very highest standards of care. Bristol Zoo Project is one of the few zoos in the UK to have a dedicated in-house animal behaviour and welfare team.

• In the Professional Capacity Building category, we were praised for our keeper skills sharing sessions, which took place in 2024 and covered topics such as enrichment, making evidence-based decisions and collecting effective data.

Brian Zimmerman, Director of Conservation and Science at Bristol Zoological Society, said: “These awards are an incredible achievement for us as a conservation and education charity. They are possible thanks to the commitment and expertise of our talented teams who work so hard here in the UK and around the world, to conserve and protect the most threatened species.

“As a charity we currently work in nine countries, across four continents, and are involved in more than 50 co-ordinated breeding programmes. We also direct 20 field conservation projects with more than 30 local partner organisations. At Bristol Zoo Project, 85% of animals are both threatened and part of targeted conservation programmes. Our aim is for this to rise to 90% by 2035.

“We are extremely proud to have been recognised by BIAZA in a number of categories, not only celebrating all that we have achieved but also shining a spotlight on the plight of so many species facing threats in the wild.”

BIAZA members such as Bristol Zoo Project, have contributed over £150 million to conservation over the past five years. Annually they welcome 30 million visits and deliver 1.15 million structured education sessions. BIAZA members have helped save species such as scimitar-horned oryx, Socorro dove and partula snails from extinction.

CEO of BIAZA, Dr Jo Judge, said: “This is an incredible achievement reflecting the very best in the zoo and aquarium community. We are at the very forefront of the fightback for nature, which needs all our help.

“As leaders we are absolutely committed to the very highest levels of animal welfare, conservation, education and research – all while offering brilliant days out for the family.”

At Bristol Zoo Project, we are currently undergoing a major transformation. Work is nearing completion on the African Forest habitat, where our troop of Critically Endangered western lowland gorillas will be joined by Endangered cherry-crowned mangabey monkeys, for the first time in a UK zoo. It will also become home to Critically Endangered slender-snouted crocodiles and several extremely threatened species of West African freshwater fish. Endangered African grey parrots, which have been rescued from the illegal wildlife trade, will also be living in the habitat.