2019-2031 Strategic Zoo Plan

The Full Council Meeting approved on 3 May 2019 the New Model for Barcelona Zoo to respond to the global future challenges of preserving biodiversity and raising awareness and educating - especially children - in respect for and conservation of nature.

In the same full council meeting, an amendment to the Municipal Ordinance was approved, promoted by a popular initiative, establishing the terms and conditions for the management of Barcelona Zoo, among other things prohibiting "culling" and stressing the need to carry out conservation projects, while creating a Science and Ethics Committee linked to Barcelona City Council.

The knowledge gathered over 130 years, along with that of other zoological institutions from all over Europe and the world, gives Barcelona Zoo a highly valuable testimony for raising public awareness of biodiversity and makes it an excellent showcase of nature and fauna in the heart of the city, enabling the necessary task of scientific dissemination to be carried out. One of the functions of zoos is to bring us closer to nature, to make us feel part of it and to bring back the innate feelings that awaken in all of us towards animals, what we call biophilia. The New Zoo Model is emerging as a "factory" of emotions towards nature, as a transformational tool, leading us towards a society that is more respectful and committed to biodiversity.

The aim behind Barcelona Zoo’s new model is for the zoo to become a first class centre of reference for animal welfare through three key areas of action:

Conservation of native and Mediterranean fauna and of species from around the world that are threatened or in danger of extinction,
Education and awareness-raising about respect for and conservation of biodiversity,
Research and conservation projects in nature that improve the situation of the species and their habitats.

Knowledge and excitement

The New Model proposes a full experience for helping people to acquire new knowledge, getting them excited through learning and stirring people into action not just during but also before and after their visit to the park. The use of new technologies is being incorporated to complete the experience, especially in the so-called "Discovery Centres" (Sahel, Invertebrates, Komodos, already developed and others to be created) with new applications such as the tracking camera for the colony of fishing barnacles, white martinets and cattle egret.

The aim of this strategy is to reach as many people as possible and make a positive impact on the plight of wildlife in natural habitats.

Sustainability

This new vision also promotes the Zoo as a benchmark sustainability facility, enabling the city's globally applicable environmental policies, as implemented in the Zoo, to be explained and disseminated. Hence the drafting of a Sustainability Plan, which is now being implemented.

It is necessary to increase environmental efficiency with improvements that are being carried out in water and waste management, energy efficiency, mobility and environmental education, paying special attention to the role of the Zoo in the conservation of the local wildlife in Parc de la Ciutadella.

Barcelona Zoo Foundation. Promoting Biodiversity Research

Research is one of the most important tools for guaranteeing the conservation of biodiversity and, therefore, it must be one of the priority objectives of modern zoos. Thus, scientific research is nowadays indivisibly associated with Barcelona Zoo through the Barcelona Zoo Foundation.

Barcelona Zoo joins the group of science and ecology institutions in the country which, in an area of 1Km2, has several centres around the Parc de la Ciutadella. The public universities, together with the Barcelona Zoo Foundation, are working to find a joint area where they can work within the framework of an institution for Biodiversity Research.

The new model aims to strengthen and promote research linked to the conservation of biodiversity, whether through ex situ or in situ projects. For that reason, one of the most important proposals is to promote a top-level international research institute, dedicated to the research and conservation of biodiversity in all its aspects, with the participation not only of the main universities and research centres in Catalonia, but also other scientific centres in the municipal sphere.

Conservation of native fauna and endangered fauna - The "Zoo leaves the Zoo".

With animal welfare as an essential element in all actions, the number and species currently housed at Barcelona Zoo are almost 230 (not including invertebrates). One of the guiding principles underpinning the Zoo’s new model is to reduce the number of species and animals in order to improve conditions for their well-being in the new facilities (“less is more”). In line with the values that the Zoo's New Model is based on, the three main criteria for compiling the list of animals that will live in the Zoo are:

Prioritising native Mediterranean animal species
Prioritising species that are highly threatened in the wild, under IUCN criteria
Prioritising species for which conservation plans are already in place

Ex-situ conservation and the concepts and practices of animal welfare and enrichment are the dogmas of daily work with species and individuals.

The mission of in situ conservation at Barcelona Zoo is to contribute to the knowledge of biodiversity and its main threats, and to promote innovative actions to mitigate them by means of the IUCN's One Plan Approach strategy that integrates in situ and ex situ conservation, which is what we call integrated management.

Here Barcelona Zoo needs to become a cornerstone for the conservation, research and promotion of native fauna and, what is more, a benchmark zoo in Mediterranean conservation. The New Model’s strategy opts for in-situ work and for improving and reclaiming habitats, given that the main reason for their disappearance is the destruction of ecosystems. For that reason, the slogan "the zoo leaves the zoo" reflects the spirit of the new model in the work of integrated conservation management inside and outside the Zoo.

Renovation of the physical space

The development of the three fundamental elements will also entail a metamorphosis of the entire physical space of the Park. The Zoo will reorganise its spaces to achieve organised infrastructures either in bioregions and taxa or groups of animals grouped according to their natural environment. This new organisation is a great innovation that aims to increase awareness and esteem for animals. This renovation already started in 2020 with the opening of the lion enclosure in the Savannah-Sahel Biome. The main lines of the transformation are:

New areas will be created: Mediterranean bioregion, as a priority area for the Zoo, Sahel savannah, invertebrate area, forests, insularity, etc. .....
The rest of the facilities will be improved by grouping them together by taxons whenever possible (such as primates),
The public space will be improved and new facilities will be established that are imperative for the Zoo's function: new education area, logistics area, catering, renovation of the service networks on a perimeter path around the zoo, etc.

The new model is expected to require an overall investment of around €65 million over the period 2019-2031.

Transformation

The Master Plan is currently being finalised. The aim of this project is to plan the transformation process of Barcelona Zoo under the guidelines of the New Model. In this sense, the document will establish, on the basis of the heritage and town-planning conditions, zoological, biodiversity conservation, environmental and management requirements, the master lines for the design of the Zoo renovation and transformation project (conception of the spaces and facilities, routes, exhibition and visitor areas, service and infrastructure networks, etc.), the schedule of works and the investment forecasts. One of the priorities of the Master Plan is to achieve a smaller number of species (around 170) but with a higher degree of vulnerability and danger of extinction according to the IUCN.

The Master Plan will be a planning, timing and investment tool until 2031 or beyond. The final design will be specified in the successive draft projects and executive projects. However, it will define the guidelines that will guide the transformation of the Zoo.

Change management

However, the improvements are not only focused on the transformation of the physical space. In addition, an important transformation of the management and improvement of the work of all the Zoo's staff has begun. In this sense, by the end of 2022 the conservation work and visitor services will be completely digitalised. This includes the written definition of the different work procedures that are carried out in the ex situ conservation sections, the description of each of the tasks that are carried out for animal welfare and the safety of the facilities and transferring them to a digital platform that enables the digital planning, management, monitoring and traceability of information on the status of the facilities and the animals.

Factory of emotions

The New Zoo Model is emerging as a "factory" of emotions towards nature, as a transformational tool, leading us towards a society that is more respectful and committed to biodiversity.