Our mission

The tasks of a modern zoological and botanical garden go far beyond keeping exotic animals and plants. One of the most important areas is species conservation, which can be divided into two categories:

In situ species conservation involves projects carried out directly in the animals' area of origin.
Ex situ species conservation includes conservation breeding programmes outside the species' natural range, for example in zoos.

Modern zoos keep animal species as insurance against extinction in the wild – these are known as reserve populations. A great deal of expertise and planning is required to establish a genetically healthy, self-sustaining zoo population in the long term.

Within EAZA – the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria – the management of zoo populations is organised through the EEPs (short for EAZA Ex-situ Programme). Each EEP is supervised by a coordinator who keeps track of the entire population of the species in EAZA member zoos. It is not the zoos themselves that decide which animals are allowed to reproduce, but the respective coordinators.

In addition to the EEPs, there are the European Studbooks (ESB) and the International Studbooks (ISB). They also collect pedigree data in order to place young animals or reassemble groups on this basis. Wilhelma participates in over 50 EEPs, for example for gorillas, and in over 30 ESBs and ISBs.

From Wilhelma to the wild – Wilhelma has already made an active contribution to species conservation with its own animals such as ibex, griffon vultures, moorhens and white-tailed eagles. However, animals from zoo populations are only released into the wild if the habitat offers sufficient food and protection from poaching.

Wilhelma also supports the resettlement of rare species through animals bred locally on other continents: harlequin toads in Ecuador, vultures in South Africa, howler monkeys and white-throated macaws in Brazil, as well as extinct highland livebearers in Mexico, have a chance of making a comeback with our help.

Wilhelma supports the work of species conservationists in over 15 countries worldwide. One focus is the protection of intact habitats, for example through the purchase of rainforest areas in Belize and Ecuador. Between 2019 and 2024, around 1,100 hectares were financed – and more areas are being added every year.

On Borneo, tens of thousands of tree seedlings are planted each year to enable the renaturation of the Lamandau Reserve – home to hundreds of orangutans. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, bonobos have been successfully reintroduced into the wild with our financial support. And in South Africa, the Vulpro organisation rescues injured vultures with the help of Wilhelma.

These are just five of over 40 projects for which Wilhelma provides a total of 1 million euros every year! We would like to thank our support association for their assistance and our visitors, who make a small contribution with a big impact by purchasing their admission tickets with the species conservation euro.

A key aspect of this is international seed exchange: botanical gardens use a catalogue to exchange seeds from rare species that they have harvested, effectively and free of charge.

Ex situ collections also serve to protect species. For example, Wilhelma is responsible for the shiny water lily, which is found in only a few lakes in Baden-Württemberg. Should these dry up, the species can be reintroduced into the wild from Wilhelma's stocks.

In situ projects for plants: Extremely rare magnolias, which were on the verge of extinction in Ecuador, have been saved through targeted breeding and planting. In the Galapagos, we are helping the Charles Darwin Foundation to protect the unique Scalesia forests.

Since 2025, we have also been supporting the work of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with two full-time positions at Wilhelma CSS, which work for the IUCN Red List experts in the field of orchids and reptiles.

Wilhelma is active in over 15 countries as a supporter of in situ conservation projects and, among other things, provides funds for land purchases in biodiversity hotspots. In collaboration with the Reverse the Red initiative and its local partners, Wilhelma is helping to downgrade both animal and plant species on the Red List. The centre's taxonomic focus is on reptiles and orchids, reflecting Wilhelma's bilateral approach to nature conservation.